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Holmes' Log '07

J

JohnRobHolmes

Well-known member
Fresh journal for 2007. Currently I am working my lower back into shape and getting it flexible again. I cant really tie my shoes or touch the ground without pain and discomfort. As of this morning my back feels much better than yesterday, but I am going to wait at least a few more days before DLs or Squats. Core work will be limited to rolling around on the floor till I get back into par shape.

5'10" 140lbs, guesstimate 7% BF. No fat on legs or arms, just a bit under the skin on my torso.


Yesterday's workout, restarting the 5x5

Bench- 65lbs x5, 85lbs x5, 95lbs x5, 105lbs x5, 120lbs x5. Felt good, not too difficult.
CG bench- 65lbs 3x18
Incline bench- 65lbs 5x5
cable tri pushdowns 50lbs 12, 12, 18

core work and stretching, 20 minutes



Felt really good although back was throbbing a bit during bench. Wasnt enough to cause pain though, more of just tightness. Cable pushdowns did a good job of wearing out and pumping up the tri's.


Fell asleep last night at 10pm. Woke up today at 8am. good sleep.
 
JohnRobHolmes said:
Yesterday's workout, restarting the 5x5

Bench- 65lbs x5, 85lbs x5, 95lbs x5, 105lbs x5, 120lbs x5. Felt good, not too difficult.
CG bench- 65lbs 3x18
Incline bench- 65lbs 5x5
cable tri pushdowns 50lbs 12, 12, 18

core work and stretching, 20 minutes

.
Click to expand...


Exactly what kind of 5x5 is this?
 
I believe it's 5x5 with some added isolation work and limited to no leg and back work do to his back issues atm which he mentioned in his post.
 
I have a push/ pull 5x5 split. I added a bit more ancillary since the split gives me plenty of time to recover. DL's will be done on pulling day, and Squats will be done on pushing day. The intensity will be alternated so that I am not hitting legs hard 3.5 days + per week. something like this...

Day 1:
Pullups, 5x5 with bodyweight (non-linear). each workout I will add 2.5lbs till I cant finish the set.
DL's 5x5 linear
row or low row 5x5 linear
bicep work if I feel like it.

Once I get pullups established I will put Deads first.

Day 2:
Squat 5x5 linear
Bench 5x5 linear
CG bench 3x15-18 @50% of 5rm
Incline 5x5
Tri pushdown 3x12-15
ancillary shoulder work if I feel like it


Seems like a fairly reasonable split, we shall see how it blends with my life overall. I might add squats onto the pulling day and just alternate with deads. That would allow me to focus solely on pressing motions.
 
Did a large amount of house cleaning/ moving today and yesterday. Also went for a short bike ride on the streets. I did not go to the gym as planned. Yard work took care of my arms and back today, I will fall into line tomorrow with pushing day (day 2) and hit pulling day on Wednesday. Its really easy to keep myself in line with this split so far, as I can pick up wherever I feel needs more work for that day and then finish the spit the next day.

Ive gained a bit of weight eating 5 meals a day. BF actually went up a bit over the past week noticeably on my stomach. My 6 pack has turned into a 4 pack. Crazy! Who would have thought that eating more would cause weight gain. I should probably cut the carbs and fat just a bit. I have been drinking a gallon of whole milk every few days too. Tastes so damn good with a fatty ANPB sandwich.
 
March-27-2007

Bench 65lb x5, 85x5, 95x5, 115x5, 125x5
CG bench 65lb 18x1, 15x1, 12x1
Incline 75lb 3 sets of 7
Cable pushdown 50lb 18x1,18x1,19x1
 
April 3 2007

Wide pullups Bodyweight 5x5
Nautilus row 90lbx10 110x5, 130x5, 140x5, 180x5
DL 45lbx5, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5
light abs


It felt really good to do deadlifts again.


diet for the day:

Subway double chicken bacon wrap
2 scoop ON protein w/ 16 ounce milk
2 ounce colby cheese
1 ounce almonds
1/2 pound ground beef
3 eggs
1/2 bell pepper
1 ounce cheese mix.
16 ounces milk

Estimated 170g+ protein for the day. BW unknown, maybe 145.
 
april 4, 2007

Squats 65lbx5, 85lbx5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5 Wasnt too hard.
Bench 65lbx5, 85x5, 95x5, 115x5, 125x5 Last reps were slow, but form stayed good
incline DB 45x5, 50x5, 55x5, 60x5, 65x5 (divide weights by two for individual db weight)
cable pushdown 60lb 10x3

Not too hard really, I wanna ease back into this and take it slow while my ligaments play catch up.
 
april 7, 2007

DL 65x5, 85x5, 95x5, 115x5, 140x5 Felt really good. HUGE pump from these.
Naut row 90x10 110x5, 130x5, 155x5, 180x5
pullups bw 5x5

Time to start increasing weight on pullups
 
april 9, 2007

I was really tired and sluggish today. Almost skipped the workout, but Im doing this thing lately where I do the stuff that I DONT want to do. Im glad I went.


Squat 65x5, 85x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5
bench 65x5, 85x5, 95x5, 115x5, 125x5
incline db press 20's x5, 22.5s x5, 25s x5, 27.5s x5, 35s x5. Nothing to it.
Farmer walks 50's x1 around the building
cable pushdown 60lb 15x1, 10x1 Way too easy
Pullup BW+10lb x5


Got kinda bored at the end, mixed things up. Cable pushdowns were super easy. Bench was slow on the last reps but I had the power with no problem or form changes. Squats felt nice. I know I could go a lot heavier, but I still wanna take it slow for a few more weeks with the DLs and squats. Better safe and slow for a while, then injured and getting weaker for a longer while.

Wednesday will see increases on Pullups and rows. DLs will stay at 140.
 
Weighed myself today at 144lb with shoes and notebook in hand. Im eating like never before and still I hover around 140. I figured 170grms of protein a day and would add up over a few weeks of time to at least a couple of pounds. My arms have increased in size though, up an inch around the bicep from 8 weeks ago. Nice little newbie gain.

Im just gonna stick to this 5x5 as long as I can make gains. I cant stay settled on how often I want to train though. 3 days per week, 4 days every 8, 4 days per week, etc. I am averaging 4 days every 8 right now.
 
Pullups 5x5 BW +5 lbs
Deadlifts 65x5, 85x5, 95x5, 115x5, 140x5 , 140x2
Nautilus row 90lb x5, 110 x5, 130 x5, 180 x5, 200 x5
a bit of Bi work
Farmers walk 50lb dbs

Tested the grip a bit more today. Left had was getting sluggish toward the end of the walk. I squeezed as much as I could, got back to the rack no problems.

midsection.

Pullups were suprisingly easy today. I really didnt feel any strain. They were just a bit slower than normal. I was really working on the snatch from the bottom. The pullup/ dip structure I was hanging on tends to wear me out faster because it flexes a bit. I was really yanking that sucker, giving it a run for its money. I prefer a solid structure though. Makes every rep count more with no bouncing around.

Protein and cals were a little lacking today, only 130g protein or so.
 
Back in '02 I slipped a disc or strained my lower back while riding a bike. I was doing a wheelie with a heavy backpack on after a month of so of a layoff. I never got that particular injury looked at, so Im not sure what happened. The pain is certainly still there though. Just gotta keep the core strong now to do anything!
 
Slept a lot last night after a nightcap of 4 eggs and 3 ounces cheese. Woke up feeling great today. No soreness either, but a nice pumped tightness to everything. Woke up and did some light abs today too. I need to wake up everyday with a quick cardio and ab session. It seemed to help limber my back up.
 
Skipped the gym today in favor of a jog. The weather was beautiful, and when I got back home I did a good bit of stretching and ab work. My midsection was feeling all weirded out from the DL's on wednesday, like my core was the weakest part of the lift.

New goal: be active every single day in some way, lift weights 3x a week as planned. I gotta get back to the shape I was in during highschool and College. I work at home (inactivity happens) and it will slowly kill me if I dont change my life now. This lower back nagging is rediculous, and I have nobody to blame but myself for the incomplete recovery.
 
Feeling great today! Yesterday's jog did my mind and body well. BW 145 clothed.

Push day

Squat 65x5, 85x5, 95x5, 115x5, 140x5
bench 65x5, 85x5, 95x5, 115x5, 130x5 Shoulda tried 135 as this felt decently easy
OHP 45x8, 55x5, 65x5, 70x5, 75x3
farmers walks 50lb dbs x1
cable pushdown 60lb 10, 12, 10
abs

Pretty good workout. My form on squats is wanting to go wider. Dont know what to think about that, other than my body telling me that quads are weaker than hammies. OHP is rediculously weak, so that will be replacing incline press until further notice. Im close to bodyweight on bench again, so that is good. Gained 1 pound in the past week. Still having a hard time eating enough it seems, but as long as I get stronger I cant complain.

Connective tissues feel good, no aches or pains in my joints.
 
Thanks! I got some questions about the overall frequency though, which thread you found.


Just some thoughts after the workout. Bench felt good, and I kept my elbows tucked in as much as possible. My weak point seemed to be where the arms are at 90 degrees (the press slowed), but a bit more pushing with the tris brought the weight right up. Still gotta work that transition and get the groove going. Some speed bench next push day could be the ticket for a bit of a boost come next weeks workout. I havent done any speed bench for damn near two years.
 
Went for a brisk bike ride. Ended up doing super slow seated wheelies on my mountain bike behind the local school before it was all over. Pretty easy on the midsection but I felt the grip aching after just a while. A lot easer than standing wheelies physically, but harder to balance while seated. A nice stretch of the hams and flexors felt nice after the ride.


Hella pumps tonight, my blood pressure is really high. Im gonna take some salt and potassium sups and see if it helps a bit. I need another meal or two as well.
 
Pullups 5x5 BW +5 lbs
Deadlifts 65x5, 85x5, 95x5, 115x5, 140x5 , 200x1 PR!
Pulley row 45lb x5, 60 x5, 80 x5, 1000 x5, 110 x5


I was teaching my friend how to deadlift today. He did pretty good for his first time, worked up to 200x5 with a BW around 225 I think. He's gonna be sore tomorrow! After he did his last set he asked if I could DL 200. I couldnt refuse the offer! Never tried to max on DL, but 200 wasnt too hard really.
 
Went for a nice bike ride today and woke up with some ab work and stretching. Im going to hit up the Needsize ab routine tomorrow with my normal routine. 135x5 on bench tomorrow, gonna get them big plates. That was my max in high school, just barely squeezed it out before the end of '99.

Time to eat eggs and sleep 8 hours.
 
JohnRobHolmes said:
Went for a nice bike ride today and woke up with some ab work and stretching. Im going to hit up the Needsize ab routine tomorrow with my normal routine. 135x5 on bench tomorrow, gonna get them big plates. That was my max in high school, just barely squeezed it out before the end of '99.

Time to eat eggs and sleep 8 hours.
Click to expand...

Nice job on the new deadlift PR! And gl on the full plate bench tomorrow, you'll get it no problem....keep it up bro!
 
Push day

bench 45x10, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5
OHP 45x8, 55x5, 65x5, 70x5, 75x5
Squat 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3
needsize abs 5x5
external rotator cuff 10lb 2x5 4lb 3x10


Good workout. OHP was hard. Last set of bench was slow and my elbows were all over the place. I gotta work those rotators a lot more if I want the bench to keep climbing every week. Im only 10lbs away from previous PR on bench.

Feeling great though. Went light on squats since I was in running shoes, and Deads are tomorrow anyway.
 
Rotators are important.

Targeting your rear delts can help as well as that is typically a very neglected area. Been hitting them hard on the last couple shoulder days and it feels like my posture is improving and the shoulder looks more balanced.
 
Singles are fun.

Hey holmes, an old favorite of Doug Hepburn's for building strength was to pyramid up in weight for doubles and triples to his heaviest work set and do 6 singles with that weight. Increase the weight by 5-10lbs every time you make your 6 singles.

I used this method for 9-11 months in the past and it's fantastic. Only use it on 1 exercise like bench or squat, but it seriously works. My best maximal squat strength was from using that method.

It also invigorates you as the weight is not your absoltue max, but within 10-20lbs of it. Builds peak strength and you can rest as long as you need between singles so it actually energizes you, or at least it did for me. :Chef:
 
Went breakdancing last thursday, and it made me seriously sore! I had the DOMS in my legs and abs until today. I guess that means I still have em. I skipped friday pulling because my lats were so damn sore from flairs.


Rode my bike into downtown last night, gonna go ride back into town in just a few for "earth day". Good to get back on the bike without back discomfort.
 
The ride was good, about 1.5 hours. Downtown was swarming with hippies and their "free" stuff. One man had build a dollhouse without hurting a single tree. Of course it was obvious that the wood was rotten. This all happened at Peace Park and the surrounding area. My town is the liberal town of the midwest. I held back on doing too many wheelies today. In fact I rode pretty midly.
 
Looks like the wonderful bike ride did a number around my middle trap and something in my chest. Old injury back again. Could have been my sleeping position just as well though.

Woke up this morning with a tightness in my chest and neck. It moved into an opposing muscle in my back and made breathing difficult. Anything short of perfect posture hurt, but hunching in one position felt ok too. Tried to have lots of water, salts and potassium today and let it work itself out over the day. I hit the gym super light, did around 30 BW pullups in sets of 3's and 5's. Did some needsize abs and curls too. Made my neck and chest loosen up a bit which was good. Hanging on the bar was awesome for it. No deads, no rows. BOOOO!


While leaving the grocery store I noticed myself in the glass. My chest, traps, and lats are becoming noticable. My neck looks really stinking long though. Just my body telling me to get back on the Deads ASAP. I should probably start rolling around on my head again. Thats fun stuff anyway, ties back into breakdancing too.
 
Sleep and Advil took care of my back thankfully. Woke up this morning feeling more or less normal again.


Had a pretty killer workout. Everything went up pretty easy thanks to my 3 day layoff.

Squat 45x10, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 145x5
bench45x10, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5
OHP 45x5, 55x5, 65x5, 70x5, 75x5
needsize abs
tri pushdowns 60lb 20, 20

Squat was way too easy. I wanted to add 15 or 20 more pounds for another set but I decided against it. Next time rabbit. Bench was a bit stronger than last time, kept strict form too. OHP was also a bit easier, but the last rep was forced hard. 5 pound jumps will be slow on that one.

Lost 4 pounds. Been eating a ton too. Had 3 pizzas over the weekend and have been eating as much as I can. WTF? Maybe it was that huge crap I took before working out...
 
Another great day at the gym. I am way stronger with deads than I am squats. Im getting inconsistent with pullups, need to decide on a rep scheme.

5 min warmup
pullups BW 5,6,5,5 BW+5 x3 BW+10 x3 BW+25 x3 PR
DL 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 155x5 PR 205x1 PR
ROW 90x5, 110x5, 140x5, 160x5, 180x5
pulldown 60 15,15, 15
rotators 4lb 8,8 2lb 10x12
abs

Deads werent too hard. I see 225x 1 pretty soon. I cant decide on how to stabilize my pullups. On one hand I want to add all kinds of weight, on the other hand I feel that I need more reps to get any growth from them. I can come from a looong layoff and do 5x5 at bodyweight, but I struggle to do a 5x5 with even 5 more pounds around my waist. Time will sort things out.


Goal for May- Work lats and tri's with ancillary work. Those two areas could use some extra help.
 
Did a bit different of a workout today, since monday will be the same workout again. I also needed some active recovery from Thursday. I decided to switch the order of my split every week.

SQUATS45X10, 65X8, 95X8, 115X8, 135X8, 45X13 Cakewalk
BENCH45x10, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 140x5
OHP 45X5, 55X5, 60X5, 65X5, 70X5, 80X3
Needsize abs
DB press w/ slight incline 40's 3sets 8
Tri pushdown 70lb 15, 10 30lb burnout
abs

I feel that the weights that I am using are just too low to get a good enough workout with the upperbody, so I am increasing the volume by adding extra sets of db press and tri work for a while. Time will tell if this increases my strength gain or not, but I cant make mistakes and learn until I try.

Last set of bench was strong for first three reps, but last two had the bar wandering around too much for my liking. Only 10 more pounds to a PR. I totally choked on the last set of OHP- lost all power after the third rep. Gotta work my tri's harder, they are lagging behind my shoulder and chest power.
 
I felt dead today. Very slow and weak, like low blood pressure or something. It didnt affect my lifts though.

Squat 45x10, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 155x5
Bench45x8, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 140x5
OHP45x5, 55x5, 65x5, 70x5, 80x5
Decline abs
DB Press (slight incline) 45's 8,8,8
Nautilus Tri 70lb 8,10,10
Floor abs
Cooldown


My bench felt horrible. I got that weight up though. Last rep was near struggle. Squat was easy, but I came to the realization that it will start getting dangerous without proper equipment. I have an appointment with the top trainer to discuss the lack of a Power rack- thrusday 8am. If they cannot produce a proper power rack for me I will see about having my membership released.
 
Forgot to mention, I am at previous PR's for bench, squat, and OHP. One more week will have me stronger than ever. Squat seems awfully low for a previous PR, but I have put in three solid months of lifting to get where I am now. Only been doing OHP for a couple weeks now though. It would be cool to OHP my bodyweight strict.
 
Good job. Keep plugging away.

I'd bet that withing a year from now(15 months straight training) You could press 165-185lbs if you keep at it and eat enough.
 
Eating enough is still my biggest struggle. I barely made 2000cals yesterday, which is why I felt so slow I bet.

Thanks for the encouragement. I would love to be pressing those numbers in a year. I think I might be able to do even better too. I think I found a large weakness in my shoulder yesterday on the TRI machine. The long head of my tri doesnt want to contract, and when it does my shoulder feels like it is gonna pop outta socket. I have been doing rotator cuff, but maybe there is something I am missing still. Maybe I was just worn out from all the pressing though.
 
Becareful with all the OHP you are doing. Its really easy to stall out on that lift, I would start using smaller incrememnts to insure progress. Your squats should be up by another 100lbs pretty soon. Keep up the hard work!
 
Ill keep that in mind once I stall out, thanks! It does seem to be a motion that is hard to add pounds too. I will try and jump 5 pounds a week, but it will probably be 5 every 2 weeks. It took me two working days to get 80lbx5, and I will lift it once more before increasing to 85. Probably get 3 reps the first time I try.
 
Pullups BW 6,6,6
DL45x8 655x, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 160x5 *PR* , 225x1 *PR*
Naut row 90x5, 140x5, 160x5, 180x5, 200x5
1 arm pulldown, supinated 30x5, 50x5, 75x5, 30x12
curls 20lb DB 8, 8, 6
Rotator Cuff 2lb 12, 12, 12

Squat form wasn't tight on 225. Used too much torso and not enough leg at first. I know I can do it though. I just had to hit those plates. :chomp: Im working Lats this month, gonna see if I can get closer to a 1 arm pullup. If I add 40lbs to my max 1 arm pulldown I should have 1 arm pullups. It feels great to be stronger than I ever have been before.
 
Had some turbulence in my scheduling this week with my brother coming in for a few days and getting two new puppies. Puppies are taking a HUGE amount of time, because they are German Shepherd and I cant afford to have ill behaved dogs.

I dropped some lifts down a few pounds to make sure my form was correct. The time off coupled with a bad diet made me feel weak too.

Monday 5-7-07:

Bench 45x10, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5
Squat 45x6, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 145x5
OHP 45x5, 55x5, 65x5, 70x5, 80x3
Naut tri 70lbx12,10,10
Decline Abs 3x10


Tuesday 5-8-07

BW=146
Pullup BW x3,5, BW+5 x3, BW+10 x3, BW+15 x3, BW+25 x3
Good morning 45x10, 55x15,15
Decline situps, ab ball
Naut Row 90x10, 140x5, 160x5, 180x5, 200x5
1 arm pulldown 30x5, 50x5, 75x6, 30x12
Rotators 2lb 15,15,12
 
I fuggin lost a pound. :( BW 143 in shoes and clothes and all.

Time to get my diet back in check and start gaining again. My new puppies kinda messed with my schedule. I cant believe I lost weight. Last three days of lifting were good though, updates later tonight.
 
My girl said something similar. lol

5-10-07 Push day

eliptical 10min max HR 185 didnt feel too hard, mostly stayed around 150
front squat 45x8, 65x5, 95x5
Back squat 115x5, 155x5
Bench 45x8, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 140x5
OHP 45x5, 55x5, 65x5, 70x5, 80x5
DB press 50'sx5; 45'sx8,8; 20'sx 10,10 Slight incline
Decline Needsize abs
Reverse Hypers till fatigue

The volume felt better, I think the warmup helped.
 
5-11-07 Pull day
144lb

Pullup 5,3,3,3,4 - BW,+5lb,+10,+15,+30lb
DL 45x5, 65x5, 115x5, 135x5, 155x5
Naut row 90x10, 140x5, 160x5, 180x5, 200x5
1 arm pulldown 30x5, 50x5, 75x5, 30x12
RC external rotation 2lb 12,12,12

I really liked the low rep work mixed with high rep work. I feel that I could actually get one arm pullups within a year of work or less, if I can ride the line of weight gain and strength gain. I should be within 45lbs of the motion. The rotator cuff work has really helped everything.
 
5-15-07 Push day
143lb BW Lost a pound. Not the direction I want to see right now.

Squat 5x5 65lb,95,115,135,165*PR
Bench 45lbx8 4x5 65,95,115,140
OHP 5x5 45,55,65,70,80 2x12x45lb
Chest fly machine 50lbx10 2x10x70lb
Tri extension 3x12x70lb
Core work, 10bw pushups

Mixed up the ancillary a bit. Still dont feel the long head of the tri contract except on the last few reps on the extension machine (near cramping). Very strange how I dont feel the connection, although I can see it work during OHP in the mirror. Volume felt great today. I think the extra work will help me increase my strength much faster, cause it certainly isnt hurting any more than normal. Just gotta eat more to keep up with the work.
 
5-16-05 Pull day
145 lb today. Forward progress. I want to shoot for a pound a week, and see if that is possible for me.

Warmup 10 min
Pullup 5,3,3,3,3 BW,BW+5,+10,+15,+35*PR BWx5,4
DL 5x5 65,95,115,135,160lbs 225x2 *PR
Naut row 5x5 90,140,160,180,230*PR 90lbx15,15
1arm pulldown 75lbx3, 90lbx2*PR
Rotators 2lb 4x12
Needsize abs
stretching

great day today. Felt strong all around, hit PR's in about everything. Ate heavy today and tonight, and will continue as much as I can. DL form wasnt great, the hips didnt initiate the DL enough and the back took over as I stood. One arm pullups feel closer than I thought they were. Still focusing on the lats and subscap rotators for pull day. Shoulder stability will play a larger role than lat strength methinks. Im gonna try one arm flex hangs next week. I couldnt do them a few weeks back.
 
Push day

Squats 5x5 65lb,95,115,135,165
Bench 5x5 45,65,85,115,*145* PR
OHP 5x5 40,50,60,70,80
Chest fly 80lb 12,12,12
Tri extension 80lb 12,12,12 50lb x30
light ab work

Got a spot on the bench (but they didnt help any), I barely squeaked the last rep out. I just said to myself "Go go Gadget triceps!" and it pushed past the slow point. I wouldnt have attempted it by myself. Good part is that my form stayed awesome. I chalk it up to the extra rotator cuff work. The long head of the tri is starting to feel more connection, and I think it has to do with the rotator cuffs as well.

Now time to go run the dogs again.
 
Todays workout consisted of hang cleans, power cleans, power shrugs, and clean& jerks. My trainer worked with me on the clean form, I had a tendency to stop the pull too soon (weight was light though). He said I had a Jerk form that looked like I had been practicing a long time though! Never done a jerk before in my life.

Also did some squats, hit 175x5 (new PR) and it was actually pretty easy. My form was good according to the trainer, back didnt round out. After that I did Pendlay rows and a few pullups.

Great workout! Time to start working on C&J.
 
Had DOMS in the upper traps since the clean and jerks. Awesome! I already have traps that are swole from riding bmx since a kid, but this is gonna put them over the top!

5-24-07

Today I did what I felt was missing from tuesdays workout. It only seemed natural and proper to balance it out. The lack of lower body work felt very strange indeed.


Bench 5x5 45lb, 65, 95, 115, 145
OHP (clean grip) 5x5 45lb, 55, 65, 75, 85 *PR*
ABS
Chest fly machine 80lb 12,12,12
tri machine 80lb 12,12,12
Rotator Cuff (subscap) 4lb 12,12,12
Side bends 35lb 1x10


All in all a great workout. The bench went up pretty well, I didnt strain at all but it was hard. Reps 4 and 5 were slow, but the lockout was solid and I barely slowed during the chest/tri transition. Im learning how to transition better, and once I get the power chain down it is gonna be ON! 5 more pounds next time. 145 felt pretty light.

I barely squeaked the last rep on the OHP, but I got that extra 5lbs. No bounce or body english was used, strict form was kept. My balance with the weight overhead needs work- my core must be pretty weak. I didnt have to walk around but my torso was wiggly. Grip is barely wider than shoulders, and I focus on keeping the elbows tucked in. Although it makes me feel weaker when pressing, I know my shoulders are more stable and it will allow me to advance much further in the long run. One of my buddies can do endless handstand pushups and he keeps his elbows tucked in like a champ- straight up tricep presses.
 
Not really, I just try to eat a lot. I drink 1 or 2 protein shakes a day. Usually two anpb and honey sandwiches on whole wheat, 1/3 to 1/2 gallon of milk a day, 4 eggs, and two large meals for dinner and lunch. As long as my strength gains Im not worried about it. I eat as much as I feel my lifting needs, and if I stall it is probably my eating that is culprit (and I would rather not stall).
 
[/B]Pull day

Today's workout was a new variation for pull day. I liked it, and think I will add a bit of ancillary next time too.

Pullup 5,3,3,3,3 / BW,+5lb,+10lb,+15lb,+35lb
Hang Clean 4x5 65lb, 85, 95, 105lb
Power clean 1x5 115lb
Back squats 4x5 115lb, 135, 155, 175lb
Ab roller 3x10
stretching hips


Pullups felt decent, but I could tell it had been 10 days since I had done weighted reps. I barely squeaked the last weighted rep. Cleans felt good, my traps are blowing up again tonight. Squats ATG @ 175lb didnt feel heavy at all. 225 is gonna come fast at this rate. The ab roller is awesome, I can tell I am weak in that area and need lots of work. I should get one to use at the house too.

All in all, great workout and makes me want more. Im building a fence and cleaning around the house this weekend too. Im digging the sudden increase in work capacity.
 
5-28-07

Worked out with a friend for a change. We jogged, did BW pullups and pushups, ab work, did bi and tri work, bent db rows, some ab ball db presses, and a bit more jogging. I held back for the next days workout. He got spent. He is about 135lbs, and doesnt train legs. He looks good for his size though, he does high rep work and his arms are actually a bit bigger than mine. We have almost identical frames and heights, but my legs are a ton meatier.

5-29-07

Push day! My left subscapularis rotator cuff started giving me trouble after the bench, probably because it was still tired from the 45 pushups and 13 pullups of yesterday.

Bench 45lbx10; 4x5 65lb,95,115, 150 *PR* ^^
OHP 4x5 45lb,55,65,75lb; 85lbx4; 45lbx 6,5
Chest fly 80lbx 10,12,12
DB overhead tri extension 20lbx8, 15lbx10,
2 arm db extentions 20lbx10, 30x8
Ab wheel 3x10
more abs

^^I grabbed a spotter and he didnt know how to listen. No liftoff, no touching unless it is going down and should be going up I tell him. On the last rep of the last set when I started slowing he touched it with two fingers and gave about 5-10lb assistance. Actually pissed me off but I didnt say anything. I HAD THAT REP YOU BASTARD!! IT WAS ALL MINE!! Next time I will have to find somebody else or tell him to wait until I get pinned to touch the shit.
 
Hi jrh.

I too belong to the 'eat like a horse to maintain bodyweight' club.
When I'm organised I make sure I dont run out of cashews or trail mix. Grab a handful with every protein shake and you will easy add an extra 600 cals or more if you do it 2 or 3 times a day. Just a suggestion, which should be quick and easy. Better than cooking more chicken :)

D.
 
Thanks for the tip! I've been trying to snack as much as possible to up the cals.

5-31-07
Pull day

Pullup BWx5, 4x3 bw+5lb,+10,+15,+40 *PR*
Power Clean 6x5 65lb, 85, 95, 115, 45, 45lb
Squat 4x5 115lb, 135, 155, 180*PR*
Bent DB Row 5x5 20lb, 25, 30, 40, 45lb
Curls 20's 3x8

Good workout, I got damn sweaty doing the PCleans. I felt the lat working as primary mover on DB rows too, so that was nice. I need to work the hang on my pullups, it gets a little saggy when I have a lot of weight up.
 
Couple of things that might help ya on lat work.

When I do DB rows I usally do them with my hand resting on a dumbell on the lower rack of dumbells with my legs staggered.

I use a thumbless grip and initiate the pull from the bottom with the bicep, but as I get about half way up I focus on the lat pulling. If you pull the dumbell into your lower stomach tight to your body you should feel your lower lat cramp a little at full flexion. Took some practice for me to get the feel down. Imho, you know you are rowing right when you feel the lat contract hard near the bottom or middle.

When doing chinups the best method is to start at a dead hang and hang as low as you can without letting your shoulders go loose. Then use an explosive downward shrug of the arms which is actually the lats firing. The best way to descibe it is to raise your arms overhead and try to shrug your arms downwards. That's how you start a good pullup, but you gotta do it explosively and accelerate all the way up. As you near the sticking point or about halfway up puill hard with your arms to finish out the rep.

These are tips I've gotten over the years from online research.
 
Thanks for the input, thats pretty much what I'm doing on rows and Pullup. I always sag low with straight arms at the bottom of the pullup. Good point about keeping the shoulders tight. If I relax them my shoulder will separate, but I haven't "practiced" that sort of stuff in a long time. I will need to figure out what is stalling the lockout, it could be something with my lower traps or forearms too.

Goals for June: Get proficient at 1 arm hangs/partial range pullups and power cleans. Increase 5rm Bench 15 pounds and 5rm squat 30lbs.
Ancillary for June: Chest and Tri ancillary (again), bicep curls, mirror flexdowns
 
6-2-07
Push day

Bench 45lbx10, 4x5 65lb,95, 115, 150lb *PR*
OHP 5x5 45,55,65,75,85
Incline DB press 25's 4x12
tri extension 80lbx20
Abs
Rotator cuff 4lb 8,8,5

I have been having left shoulder issues. I realized today that it is walking my dogs that is wearing out my left shoulder. I am taking them one at a time now until they learn who is boss. A great workout otherwise, felt as strong as I am eating. 5 more pounds on bench is gonna be hard, so I will have to prep with lots and lots of food.
 
June 5-07
Pull day

Pullup BWx5, 4x3 +5,+10,+15,+40, BWx8 :chomp: :chomp:
Power Clean 5x5 65lb,75,85,95,120lb
Squat 4x5 115,135,155,185lb *PR*
DB speed Row 5x5 20lb,30,40,45,50lb
DB curls 15's x15,10

Bodyweight pullups were hella fun after the 40lb weighted ones. I was tossing my body around like nothing, probably could have done a muscle up on the bar.

Power cleans were hard. My form is all over the place. Racked my chin with the 45lb bar once. Im getting better I think, but I need more reps under my belt. Just focusing on a strait pull for now, straight arms with a big shrug. The only issue is I throw it too high. Maybe front squats will aid my catch next time.

Squat felt awsome. The last few reps I sat deep in the hole and felt it good, and had to put a hurtin on the quads to get out fully. Finally hitting weight that does my body justice and feels hard for all of me at once. Lower back felt awesome and strong the whole time. Time to celebrate with big eatin and sleeping!! :chomp:

Maybe my chest will start to grow after I get my squat up big. Im gonna try a 5 day workout this week, with my pull day on MWF with varying intensity a.la intermediate madcow5x5. Im just making bench day a seperate day so Im not in the gym 2.5 hours MWF :p Next week maybe bench MWF and pull Tth?
 
Blast from the past here! Pretty fun to look back at my old weights. I've lifted on and off for the past 15 years but been hitting it hard for 3 years.

Broke my leg 5 years ago. The surgery fucked my knee up really bad and I'm still trying to get ATG squats back. Spent 2 years hobbling but now I can walk normal and jump maybe 12 inches again.

Sacrum (and knee) problems is keeping me from squatting heavy but I'm not giving up on the progressive overload. Got in a car wreck earlier this year and it really set me back. Squatted with 45lb today, first time loaded since the wreck basically.

My metabolism finally slowed down! I am 41 and don't ride bikes like I used to. Got up to 185 then cut down to 160 this summer and now I'm back on slight bulk for winter. Maybe 250cal surplus a day.

170lb weight today. Hit 16 pullups in a set, no pause, that's a lifetime PR! At 41!

Just wanted to say hello again!
 

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JohnRobHolmes said:
Blast from the past here! Pretty fun to look back at my old weights. I've lifted on and off for the past 15 years but been hitting it hard for 3 years.

Broke my leg 5 years ago. The surgery fucked my knee up really bad and I'm still trying to get ATG squats back. Spent 2 years hobbling but now I can walk normal and jump maybe 12 inches again.

Sacrum (and knee) problems is keeping me from squatting heavy but I'm not giving up on the progressive overload. Got in a car wreck earlier this year and it really set me back. Squatted with 45lb today, first time loaded since the wreck basically.

My metabolism finally slowed down! I am 41 and don't ride bikes like I used to. Got up to 185 then cut down to 160 this summer and now I'm back on slight bulk for winter. Maybe 250cal surplus a day.

170lb weight today. Hit 16 pullups in a set, no pause, that's a lifetime PR! At 41!

Just wanted to say hello again!
Click to expand...
@JohnRobHolmes welcome back i think we need to get you VIP status asap

we really missed your log bro

sorry to hear about the surgery and issues but you can be back

can you restart your log and start pushing it up again?
 
JohnRobHolmes said:
Blast from the past here! Pretty fun to look back at my old weights. I've lifted on and off for the past 15 years but been hitting it hard for 3 years.

Broke my leg 5 years ago. The surgery fucked my knee up really bad and I'm still trying to get ATG squats back. Spent 2 years hobbling but now I can walk normal and jump maybe 12 inches again.

Sacrum (and knee) problems is keeping me from squatting heavy but I'm not giving up on the progressive overload. Got in a car wreck earlier this year and it really set me back. Squatted with 45lb today, first time loaded since the wreck basically.

My metabolism finally slowed down! I am 41 and don't ride bikes like I used to. Got up to 185 then cut down to 160 this summer and now I'm back on slight bulk for winter. Maybe 250cal surplus a day.

170lb weight today. Hit 16 pullups in a set, no pause, that's a lifetime PR! At 41!

Just wanted to say hello again!
Click to expand...
See my log - just yesterday I equaled a 15 year old PB
 
JohnRobHolmes said:
Blast from the past here! Pretty fun to look back at my old weights. I've lifted on and off for the past 15 years but been hitting it hard for 3 years.

Broke my leg 5 years ago. The surgery fucked my knee up really bad and I'm still trying to get ATG squats back. Spent 2 years hobbling but now I can walk normal and jump maybe 12 inches again.

Sacrum (and knee) problems is keeping me from squatting heavy but I'm not giving up on the progressive overload. Got in a car wreck earlier this year and it really set me back. Squatted with 45lb today, first time loaded since the wreck basically.

My metabolism finally slowed down! I am 41 and don't ride bikes like I used to. Got up to 185 then cut down to 160 this summer and now I'm back on slight bulk for winter. Maybe 250cal surplus a day.

170lb weight today. Hit 16 pullups in a set, no pause, that's a lifetime PR! At 41!

Just wanted to say hello again!
Click to expand...
welcome back
you need to get a new log up
 
we definitely would like to see you get a log going again
 
we love these old logs. have you seen the most recent ones that have been coming out? A lot of people are doing them
 
sorry about the messed up surgery. But glad you are coming back now and you're finally squatting again
 
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