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My Training Journal
- Thread starter ExtraMile
- Start date
Today:
Deads
132 x 5
176 x 5
226 x 5
275 x 4
330 x 3* this is a 3 rep PR for me
*2nd and 3rd reps pretty ugly - hips came up and especially on the third I started to loose my arch
Shrugs
242 x 19
88lb DB's x 15
some sets of bent over rows but I didnt make any progress since last time, I actually did worse.
Chins w/ close neutral grip
1x6 bw
3x6 + 5lbs
Wide Grip Pulldowns
#8 x 12
#9 x 8
1x15 db pullovers to stretch out
2x20 preacher curl
2x12 reverse curl
Pulldown Abs
#5 x 15 x 2
#4 x 25 x 3
#5 x 15
Grip: theres a barbell at my gym that is a little thicker than all the rest so I used that. Hit 308 x 20 secs for 3 sets with double overhand grip and 374 x 20 secs x 2 sets with mixed grip
weighted side bend 1x15 per side
although I hit a new weight PR for triples, my progress and gains arnt coming out the way I want, last time I pulled 330 I hit it for 2 reps with much better form lol. This was actually the only really decent workout this week. Time to add in some more carbs. Monday should be much better after a weekend of an increase in carbs. I might pull a 1rm deadlift next friday and then start back with deficit deads for a little while.
Deads
132 x 5
176 x 5
226 x 5
275 x 4
330 x 3* this is a 3 rep PR for me
*2nd and 3rd reps pretty ugly - hips came up and especially on the third I started to loose my arch
Shrugs
242 x 19
88lb DB's x 15
some sets of bent over rows but I didnt make any progress since last time, I actually did worse.
Chins w/ close neutral grip
1x6 bw
3x6 + 5lbs
Wide Grip Pulldowns
#8 x 12
#9 x 8
1x15 db pullovers to stretch out
2x20 preacher curl
2x12 reverse curl
Pulldown Abs
#5 x 15 x 2
#4 x 25 x 3
#5 x 15
Grip: theres a barbell at my gym that is a little thicker than all the rest so I used that. Hit 308 x 20 secs for 3 sets with double overhand grip and 374 x 20 secs x 2 sets with mixed grip
weighted side bend 1x15 per side
although I hit a new weight PR for triples, my progress and gains arnt coming out the way I want, last time I pulled 330 I hit it for 2 reps with much better form lol. This was actually the only really decent workout this week. Time to add in some more carbs. Monday should be much better after a weekend of an increase in carbs. I might pull a 1rm deadlift next friday and then start back with deficit deads for a little while.
SPEKTOR-AAA
New member
Good work on teh DEADS. Your ass will be repping 405 before we know it. Good work bro
Although you were not necessarily happy, its okay bro. We all go through it. Just keep pushing, it will iron out and you will claw out of that feeling. *thumbs up*
Although you were not necessarily happy, its okay bro. We all go through it. Just keep pushing, it will iron out and you will claw out of that feeling. *thumbs up*
EM, my though is that when youre going heavy on deadlift, its not gonna be perfect form. And you might be mistaking your arch in the upperback witht he lower back, the upper back is gonna arch no matter what. If it doesnt, then its not heavy enough weight and you would be able to lift more.
I used to critique my form a lot too, I did 500x5 and my lower back was fine but the uper back arched a lot, and I didnt injure myself. I did it at 200 lbs, good job nonetheless brotha!
I used to critique my form a lot too, I did 500x5 and my lower back was fine but the uper back arched a lot, and I didnt injure myself. I did it at 200 lbs, good job nonetheless brotha!
Thanks spektor.
Glad I take it you are talking about upper back ROUNDING not arching lol. Yeah I know form won't be perfect on max pulls but I don't like going so heavy the form breaks down every workout, that's how I got injured before. So I'll work up to a 1rm next week then reset the weights. It's wierd though if I keep good form then the weak point in my deadlift is breaking it from the floor, but if like yesterday my form breaks down then it's the mid portion of the rep that is the hardest...
Glad I take it you are talking about upper back ROUNDING not arching lol. Yeah I know form won't be perfect on max pulls but I don't like going so heavy the form breaks down every workout, that's how I got injured before. So I'll work up to a 1rm next week then reset the weights. It's wierd though if I keep good form then the weak point in my deadlift is breaking it from the floor, but if like yesterday my form breaks down then it's the mid portion of the rep that is the hardest...
yea i meant rounding LOL
Id have to see a vid on your form, but listen to your body for sure. If you feel like you are gonna injure yourself, then by all means lower the weight. But dont worry about perfecting the form, it really isnt an issue with your form, its the heavier weight.
SPEKTOR-AAA
New member
Glad your form was way better then you think. Yes rep 4-5 were not as good as the rest but still great.
if your upper back rounds, imo your shoulders should be further back... torso more upright at the start...
also heavy zerchers off the lowest rack setting can fix that, and give you good starting power at the same time... just keep in mind they will hurt like hell as the bar digs into your arms... but you get a much better center of gravity, and will be able to use a bit more than you front squat...
time is also our biggest enemy... sometimes progress comes slow, and then once you break a certain barrier, everything starts to take off...
i taped last weeks pull of mine, and i found a lot of small errors... even on the setup... bar totally rolled forward an inch or two before i started pulling... always somthing to work on, and it takes time... you are doing phenomenal bro, if anything, keep doing what you are doing and in time you will be there...
up your carbs too... enjoy a cheat once in a while IF it dosnt become too tempting...
also heavy zerchers off the lowest rack setting can fix that, and give you good starting power at the same time... just keep in mind they will hurt like hell as the bar digs into your arms... but you get a much better center of gravity, and will be able to use a bit more than you front squat...
time is also our biggest enemy... sometimes progress comes slow, and then once you break a certain barrier, everything starts to take off...
i taped last weeks pull of mine, and i found a lot of small errors... even on the setup... bar totally rolled forward an inch or two before i started pulling... always somthing to work on, and it takes time... you are doing phenomenal bro, if anything, keep doing what you are doing and in time you will be there...
up your carbs too... enjoy a cheat once in a while IF it dosnt become too tempting...
When I trained at home the only squats I did were zercher squats. I didnt have a squat rack so I had to deadlift the bar up to my knees, rest it on my thighs and sit back, then hook my elbows under it and begin squatting lol. It was the only way I could get enough weight loaded onto me to really tax my legs haha.
My upper back doesnt round though, my lower-mid back looses the arch and on the 3rd rep of 330 I felt it start to round. That is why Ive started doing the weighted hypers again. They seem to work great on my whole posterior chain. When I pull I purposefully dont retract my scapula... they stay quite seperated. This is because my traps and upper back are pretty strong and once the bar comes to knee height I can pull my shoulders down and back which pulls my scapula back together and really helped power the bar through the lockout. It sounds complicated but it feels very natural and I bet alot of people do it without realising. Ill have to video it some time.
The 3rd rep of 330 yesterday the mid point was very hard and especially from the bottom of my knee upwards I could feel my upper back pulling hard to keep the weight moving. For the last few months Ive been hitting 1 or 2 sets of shrugs after deadlifts usually just as Im unloading and putting away the plates from the bar. It has really helped my upper back strength.
But as I said, I dont like always pulling so heavy that my form breaks down, that is how I got injured before, and since Ive been thinking about working some deficit pulls in Im going to drop the weight back down and start pulling from the smaller plates again.
Ive only been eating 150g of carbs per day, and thats on a workout day where I eat more and have a chunk of post workout carbs. On rest days its more like 125g. All year Ive been trying to get by without eating alot of carbs, Ive been using high protein/high fat/low-moderate carbs and the progress has been very slow, but steady. Ive gained about 5lbs of quality gains since the beginning of the year, but that is still pretty crappy even if it is lean gains. I have put around 50lbs on my squat though. So it seems to work ok for strength gains without size/bodyweight increases.
But Ive come up with some new diet changes and Ill be adding more carbs for the most part. 190-200g per day seems to be the tipping point which gives pretty good weekly gains so Ill be starting with that. Protein will still be at 60-65g per meal and Ill drop fats accordingly.
My upper back doesnt round though, my lower-mid back looses the arch and on the 3rd rep of 330 I felt it start to round. That is why Ive started doing the weighted hypers again. They seem to work great on my whole posterior chain. When I pull I purposefully dont retract my scapula... they stay quite seperated. This is because my traps and upper back are pretty strong and once the bar comes to knee height I can pull my shoulders down and back which pulls my scapula back together and really helped power the bar through the lockout. It sounds complicated but it feels very natural and I bet alot of people do it without realising. Ill have to video it some time.
The 3rd rep of 330 yesterday the mid point was very hard and especially from the bottom of my knee upwards I could feel my upper back pulling hard to keep the weight moving. For the last few months Ive been hitting 1 or 2 sets of shrugs after deadlifts usually just as Im unloading and putting away the plates from the bar. It has really helped my upper back strength.
But as I said, I dont like always pulling so heavy that my form breaks down, that is how I got injured before, and since Ive been thinking about working some deficit pulls in Im going to drop the weight back down and start pulling from the smaller plates again.
Ive only been eating 150g of carbs per day, and thats on a workout day where I eat more and have a chunk of post workout carbs. On rest days its more like 125g. All year Ive been trying to get by without eating alot of carbs, Ive been using high protein/high fat/low-moderate carbs and the progress has been very slow, but steady. Ive gained about 5lbs of quality gains since the beginning of the year, but that is still pretty crappy even if it is lean gains. I have put around 50lbs on my squat though. So it seems to work ok for strength gains without size/bodyweight increases.
But Ive come up with some new diet changes and Ill be adding more carbs for the most part. 190-200g per day seems to be the tipping point which gives pretty good weekly gains so Ill be starting with that. Protein will still be at 60-65g per meal and Ill drop fats accordingly.
5lbs of muscle in 6 months is excellent imo... that can turn into 10lbs in a year...
remember, you know your body best... just work with it...
i did enjoy gains from deficit pulls the second round i had with them... now it seems that anything realistic that i can maintain a grip on is going up... i agree with the shrugs as well, i feel they are almost a necessity for getting your dl up...
remember, you know your body best... just work with it...
i did enjoy gains from deficit pulls the second round i had with them... now it seems that anything realistic that i can maintain a grip on is going up... i agree with the shrugs as well, i feel they are almost a necessity for getting your dl up...
Yeah thats the thought that almost makes me just keep plugging away with what Im doing - Im not getting fat and I am slowly gaining muscle/strength. Its just so frustrating to not be stronger than the week before. And with 200g carbs I can make much better strength progress. Ill have to see how it works out. Im hoping I can keep off the fat gains with the extra carbs though if I dont go over board with them and keep it all clean. Ill have to just see what happens.
With the carb boost this week Ill hopefully hit some PR's.
Did 20mins conditioning this morning (hill sprints) I need to get back to doing the conditioning circuits post workout, they seemed to really help my speed and GPP.
With the carb boost this week Ill hopefully hit some PR's.
Did 20mins conditioning this morning (hill sprints) I need to get back to doing the conditioning circuits post workout, they seemed to really help my speed and GPP.
Today I hit a pretty brutal leg session
Squats
132 x 5
160 x 5
187 x 5
220 x 5
belt added
253 x 6
253 x 6
253 x 6
253 x 6
253 x 3 failed 4th rep, legs went jelly
was shooting for 253x6x6 but failed. First two reps of the 5th set were strong, 3rd rep was hard then 4th rep my legs just totally gave out on the 4th rep
Standing Calf "1.5's" <-- this is where after each rep you go half way down then back up to full contraction again. That counts as one rep.
Rest Pause: 242 x 8-5-4
Seated Calf Raise
Rest Pause: 105 x 12-8-6
Weighted Hypers
55lbs BTN x 12, 11, 10
Hanging Abs 2x15
Leg Press 3 second negatives and no lockouts
Strip Set: 285 x 10
*240? x 6
*205? x 6
*170? x 20
quads = dead
(very heavy leg press machine)
No cardio because my legs were toast
Squats
132 x 5
160 x 5
187 x 5
220 x 5
belt added
253 x 6
253 x 6
253 x 6
253 x 6
253 x 3 failed 4th rep, legs went jelly
was shooting for 253x6x6 but failed. First two reps of the 5th set were strong, 3rd rep was hard then 4th rep my legs just totally gave out on the 4th rep
Standing Calf "1.5's" <-- this is where after each rep you go half way down then back up to full contraction again. That counts as one rep.
Rest Pause: 242 x 8-5-4
Seated Calf Raise
Rest Pause: 105 x 12-8-6
Weighted Hypers
55lbs BTN x 12, 11, 10
Hanging Abs 2x15
Leg Press 3 second negatives and no lockouts
Strip Set: 285 x 10
*240? x 6
*205? x 6
*170? x 20
quads = dead
(very heavy leg press machine)
No cardio because my legs were toast
Today
Benchpress
132 x 5
154 x 5
176 x 5
198 x 5
220 x 5 (max)
242 x 1
132 x 28
5th rep of 220 was actually harder than the 1 rep of 242. I probably had 5lbs more in me for the 1 rep set
Incline BB
110 x 5 x 3 (investigating with bench angles)
121 x 5 x 5
I'm doing these as a replacement for military so I used quite a high incline. Higher than I would normally press from to hit chest. I found it a little awkward and unstable but probably just because it's my first time for over a year.
DB Presses
About 5 sets of 8 pretty weak since my chest and shoulders were smoked
3 sets of seated side raises
June 23rd 2010 I benched 242x1 then 132 x 25. I weighed 209lbs.
June 22nd 2011 (today) I benched 242x1 after a 5rm, then 132 x 28. I weigh 173lbs.
Benchpress
132 x 5
154 x 5
176 x 5
198 x 5
220 x 5 (max)
242 x 1
132 x 28
5th rep of 220 was actually harder than the 1 rep of 242. I probably had 5lbs more in me for the 1 rep set
Incline BB
110 x 5 x 3 (investigating with bench angles)
121 x 5 x 5
I'm doing these as a replacement for military so I used quite a high incline. Higher than I would normally press from to hit chest. I found it a little awkward and unstable but probably just because it's my first time for over a year.
DB Presses
About 5 sets of 8 pretty weak since my chest and shoulders were smoked
3 sets of seated side raises
June 23rd 2010 I benched 242x1 then 132 x 25. I weighed 209lbs.
June 22nd 2011 (today) I benched 242x1 after a 5rm, then 132 x 28. I weigh 173lbs.
Nicely done on that squats man. How much do you weigh right now?
How are your injuries?
How are your injuries?
I misseed that lol
Thanks guys.
Today - 17th birthday training (back + bi's)
Deadlifts
132 x 5
added belt
132 x 5
198 x 5
242 x 5
286 x 3
352 x 1
363 x 1
most I ever pulled before was 341...
Shrugs
264 x 8
Bent Over Rows
154 x 4 x 4
DD Chins w/ fat grips
bw x 6
+ 11lbs x 6 x 5 sets
Wide Grip Pulldown
#8 x 10 x 2
lat stretches
Seated DB Curls
33's x 10-5-4
Rope Preacher Curls
60lbs x 11-6-5
no grip or abs today just hit the bi's and forearms for a change
post w/o cheat meal!!
Fucking awesome workout. Big deadlift pr's. I altered my carb intake last Saturday and this week I had a brutal leg day, hit a big bench PR and an even bigger deadlift PR out of no were.
Weighing 173 now so that is a double bodyweight pull.
Today - 17th birthday training (back + bi's)
Deadlifts
132 x 5
added belt
132 x 5
198 x 5
242 x 5
286 x 3
352 x 1
363 x 1
most I ever pulled before was 341...
Shrugs
264 x 8
Bent Over Rows
154 x 4 x 4
DD Chins w/ fat grips
bw x 6
+ 11lbs x 6 x 5 sets
Wide Grip Pulldown
#8 x 10 x 2
lat stretches
Seated DB Curls
33's x 10-5-4
Rope Preacher Curls
60lbs x 11-6-5
no grip or abs today just hit the bi's and forearms for a change
post w/o cheat meal!!
Fucking awesome workout. Big deadlift pr's. I altered my carb intake last Saturday and this week I had a brutal leg day, hit a big bench PR and an even bigger deadlift PR out of no were.
Weighing 173 now so that is a double bodyweight pull.
Thanks guys. Yeah I was very happy with both the bench and deadlift PR's, and both times I thought I had a little more in me.
Did an some extra today to help recovery/get blood flowing
shoulder/chest/bicep stretches
2 sets of 100 reps band work for hips
2 sets of 20 reps for neck
a little lower body stretching
some light band work for upper back, lats and chest
Did an some extra today to help recovery/get blood flowing
shoulder/chest/bicep stretches
2 sets of 100 reps band work for hips
2 sets of 20 reps for neck
a little lower body stretching
some light band work for upper back, lats and chest
Today: legs + abs
Squats
132 x 5
160 x 5
187 x 5
added belt
220 x 5
259 x 8 got my hams firing pretty good
187 x 30
Standing Calf Raise
242 x 8
242 x 8
242 x 7
Weighted Hypers
55lbs BTN x 12, 12, 10
2 sets leg curls
Abs
Pulldown Abs:#4 + red band x 15, 15, 9
Ab Wheel:18, 18
Cardio
Incline treadmill x 15 mins
Squats
132 x 5
160 x 5
187 x 5
added belt
220 x 5
259 x 8 got my hams firing pretty good
187 x 30
Standing Calf Raise
242 x 8
242 x 8
242 x 7
Weighted Hypers
55lbs BTN x 12, 12, 10
2 sets leg curls
Abs
Pulldown Abs:#4 + red band x 15, 15, 9
Ab Wheel:18, 18
Cardio
Incline treadmill x 15 mins
Today was chest, shoulders + tri's
Bench felt weak from the start
132 x 5
154 x 5
176 x 5
198 x 5
220 x 4 shitty
176 x 2 reps x 6 sets working on form
Still having trouble with stability and driving the bar off my chest.
stripped the bar and got into bench position and did a few reps while looking down at my arms and one of the problems seems to be I tuck my elbows too much and/or touch the bar too high. I either need to touch lower or flare more. That would explain why I'm loosing power off my chest...
Incline BB
132 x 5 x 5
Decline DB
2 sets of 6 just seeing how it felt
6 sets of tri's
3 sets of side raises
I'm a bit stuck about the stability issues. I suppose it could all stem from weak delts but I'm not really sure...
Bench felt weak from the start
132 x 5
154 x 5
176 x 5
198 x 5
220 x 4 shitty
176 x 2 reps x 6 sets working on form
Still having trouble with stability and driving the bar off my chest.
stripped the bar and got into bench position and did a few reps while looking down at my arms and one of the problems seems to be I tuck my elbows too much and/or touch the bar too high. I either need to touch lower or flare more. That would explain why I'm loosing power off my chest...
Incline BB
132 x 5 x 5
Decline DB
2 sets of 6 just seeing how it felt
6 sets of tri's
3 sets of side raises
I'm a bit stuck about the stability issues. I suppose it could all stem from weak delts but I'm not really sure...
Friday night back training:
(very sun burnt)
Deadlifts
132 x 5
176 x 5
220 x 5
264 x 5
308 x 2
308 x 2
308 x 2
308 x 2
decided to just work form and technique on deadlifts this week so lots of sub maximal sets
BB Row
132 x 8 x 4 sets
Weighted DD Chins w/ fat gripz
+ 11lbs x 6
+ 17lbs x 6 x 3
+ 22lbs x 4
1x20 db pullover to stretch out
6 sets of curls
Pulldown Abs
4 sets of 10 @ pin #5
1 set of 25 @ pin #4
some weighted side bends with fat gripz
(very sun burnt)
Deadlifts
132 x 5
176 x 5
220 x 5
264 x 5
308 x 2
308 x 2
308 x 2
308 x 2
decided to just work form and technique on deadlifts this week so lots of sub maximal sets
BB Row
132 x 8 x 4 sets
Weighted DD Chins w/ fat gripz
+ 11lbs x 6
+ 17lbs x 6 x 3
+ 22lbs x 4
1x20 db pullover to stretch out
6 sets of curls
Pulldown Abs
4 sets of 10 @ pin #5
1 set of 25 @ pin #4
some weighted side bends with fat gripz
Last edited:
SPEKTOR-AAA
New member
Good work!
Been having some motivational issues on and off for the last week or so. Some days I just have no drive to do anything. Pretty much every morning I wakeup and Im so sick of everything I would rather go hungry than cook more eggs/chicken and eat it, very sick of eating the same foods every day.
Sometimes Ill look forward to going to the gym all day then when I get home from school and get ready to go I just find myself thinking Im not even that fussed about going.
I also find that I can get 6 hours of sleep in a night or 10 hours of sleep and Im just as fatigued and tired throughout the day. Its almost as if there is no point in going to bed early because Im always still tired.
Ironically these are actually symptoms of having naturally low production of testosterone lol. I looked it up and wierdly I actually have most of the symptoms. Although most of them could have multiple explanations. Wierd
Sometimes Ill look forward to going to the gym all day then when I get home from school and get ready to go I just find myself thinking Im not even that fussed about going.
I also find that I can get 6 hours of sleep in a night or 10 hours of sleep and Im just as fatigued and tired throughout the day. Its almost as if there is no point in going to bed early because Im always still tired.
Ironically these are actually symptoms of having naturally low production of testosterone lol. I looked it up and wierdly I actually have most of the symptoms. Although most of them could have multiple explanations. Wierd
miked8c
New member
I know what your saying. Its like some days I wake up and its just like.... Why? I don't want to make this big breakfast right when I wake up and eat every three hours before the gym, just to make sure I am fueled for my workout.
Sometimes I end up thinking how much I would enjoy just eating when I am hungry, and treating my body less like a temple and more like a roller coaster.
Sometimes I end up thinking how much I would enjoy just eating when I am hungry, and treating my body less like a temple and more like a roller coaster.
JDid23
New member
Been having some motivational issues on and off for the last week or so. Some days I just have no drive to do anything. Pretty much every morning I wakeup and Im so sick of everything I would rather go hungry than cook more eggs/chicken and eat it, very sick of eating the same foods every day.
Sometimes Ill look forward to going to the gym all day then when I get home from school and get ready to go I just find myself thinking Im not even that fussed about going.
I also find that I can get 6 hours of sleep in a night or 10 hours of sleep and Im just as fatigued and tired throughout the day. Its almost as if there is no point in going to bed early because Im always still tired.
Ironically these are actually symptoms of having naturally low production of testosterone lol. I looked it up and wierdly I actually have most of the symptoms. Although most of them could have multiple explanations. Wierd
happens to the best of us, bro... at some point, i think everyone goes through stages of being unmotivated. if i were you, i'd take a few days- a week off. you have been doing a sick job; your squat and deadlift are higher than they were now when you're at a much lower BW, and honestly, rewarding your body by giving it a week off might be the best thing for it right now. You're probably just fatigued from going hard for so long. Also, after a week off, chances are like most avid weightlifters, you'll miss your gym, and the feeling you get after a perfect set of deadlifts or squats.
I'm feeling better today. I just sometimes have days like that where everything catches up on me. Doesn't help that I've been so tired lately.
I'm forced to take a few days off from the gym anyway because like I said its closed. I guess that will be good to recouperate and get set to start killing it again.
Sometime soon Im going to squat 176x50, I'll get it on video when I do.
I'm thinking of trying something new for deadlifts for a while too. I've not fully thought it all put yet but I will have done by next deadlift day which will be Saturday.
I'm forced to take a few days off from the gym anyway because like I said its closed. I guess that will be good to recouperate and get set to start killing it again.
Sometime soon Im going to squat 176x50, I'll get it on video when I do.
I'm thinking of trying something new for deadlifts for a while too. I've not fully thought it all put yet but I will have done by next deadlift day which will be Saturday.
lol I will want to die when I get to about rep 35. Actually when I did 187x30 the other week it wasnt too bad which is why Im confident I could hit 50 with 176. The hardest squat set I have ever done was 226x21. I remember on about rep #7 or so the bar jumped slightly and so repositioned itself slightly further down on my back, really fucked me up and I felt like I was going to be crushed and folded in half towards the end because it made it so hard on my upper erectors lol. All part of the fun I guess 
I recently downloaded the book 'The Anabolic Diet' and the tweaked second edition by the same author; 'The Anabolic Solution for Powerlifters'. Interesting stuff and Ive read lots of good reviews and lots of amazing progress being claimed by people following them. I need to finish the books first but so far it seems much more manageable that what Im doing now... But this morning I started to notice some progress, especially in quads, chest and hamstrings, so I doubt Ill change what Im doing right now just yet.
I recently downloaded the book 'The Anabolic Diet' and the tweaked second edition by the same author; 'The Anabolic Solution for Powerlifters'. Interesting stuff and Ive read lots of good reviews and lots of amazing progress being claimed by people following them. I need to finish the books first but so far it seems much more manageable that what Im doing now... But this morning I started to notice some progress, especially in quads, chest and hamstrings, so I doubt Ill change what Im doing right now just yet.
Legs and Abs today:
Squat
132 x 5
165 x 5
198 x 5
231 x 3
264 x 8
220 x 12
Calves
Standing: 187 x 16-6-6-6
Seated: 105 x 13-10-8
Weighted Hypers
50lbs BTN x 12 x 3
Abs
Hanging Leg Raise: 2 sets of 15
Pulldown Abs: 3 sets of 15
2 sets of leg presses with constant tension + 3 second negatives
Squat
132 x 5
165 x 5
198 x 5
231 x 3
264 x 8
220 x 12
Calves
Standing: 187 x 16-6-6-6
Seated: 105 x 13-10-8
Weighted Hypers
50lbs BTN x 12 x 3
Abs
Hanging Leg Raise: 2 sets of 15
Pulldown Abs: 3 sets of 15
2 sets of leg presses with constant tension + 3 second negatives
Example of how I'm eating right now:
Wednesday
7:40am-8:30am
4oz banana
4 eggs
13 fl oz egg whites
Peppers + mushrooms
2oz organic yogurt
1oz raisins
- 70g pro, 52g carbs ,25g fat
12:40pm
11oz chicken in half tbsp oil
2oz apricots
Spinnach, peppers, cucumber, raddish
4oz apple x 2
1.5oz almonds
- 73g pro, 35g carbs, 35g fat
3:30-4:30pm
4oz organic yogurt
10oz chicken in 1tbsp oil
3oz peas + 3oz sweetcorn
1tbsp evoo
3g fish oil
- 70g pro 36g carbs 32g fat
6:05-7:15 train
7:15pm (post w/o)
2.5 oz whey
5 fl oz egg whites
140g banana
1oz raisins
5g fish oil + multi
74g pro 55g carbs 10g fat
9:00pm
10oz lean beef
2oz chicken breast
Cooked in Half tbsp oil
Mushrooms peppers onions
Half tbsp rapeseed oil
3oz raspberries + 3oz strawberries
4.5oz banana
Half oz apricots
- 71g pro 38g carbs 37g fat
Totals:
358g protein
216g carbs
159g fat
= 3728kcal
Currently in the process of implementing more food...
Wednesday
7:40am-8:30am
4oz banana
4 eggs
13 fl oz egg whites
Peppers + mushrooms
2oz organic yogurt
1oz raisins
- 70g pro, 52g carbs ,25g fat
12:40pm
11oz chicken in half tbsp oil
2oz apricots
Spinnach, peppers, cucumber, raddish
4oz apple x 2
1.5oz almonds
- 73g pro, 35g carbs, 35g fat
3:30-4:30pm
4oz organic yogurt
10oz chicken in 1tbsp oil
3oz peas + 3oz sweetcorn
1tbsp evoo
3g fish oil
- 70g pro 36g carbs 32g fat
6:05-7:15 train
7:15pm (post w/o)
2.5 oz whey
5 fl oz egg whites
140g banana
1oz raisins
5g fish oil + multi
74g pro 55g carbs 10g fat
9:00pm
10oz lean beef
2oz chicken breast
Cooked in Half tbsp oil
Mushrooms peppers onions
Half tbsp rapeseed oil
3oz raspberries + 3oz strawberries
4.5oz banana
Half oz apricots
- 71g pro 38g carbs 37g fat
Totals:
358g protein
216g carbs
159g fat
= 3728kcal
Currently in the process of implementing more food...
thanks man, it's the only way.
my goal is to gain size while staying lean
Its not really that much food, didnt even break 4000kcal. Like I said Im currently implementing more food.
I added some more carbs in today and found it hard to focus while training, Im not sure if the two are certainly correlated but I did notice it. Hopefully Im just adjusting to the new carb intake.
I hit chest shoulders and tri's today and it was pretty shitty. Still working on bench form, everything feels awkard, I can never get the correct elbow tuck or keep the bar path stable. Its really annoying me and ruining every bench workout...
Benchpress
110 x 5
132 x 5
154 x 5
176 x 5
209 x 3 x 3
Incline BB
138 x 5 x 5
3 sets of DB presses kept it pretty light and fast paced
6 sets of tri's
3 sets of side raises <--- fucking gay exercise
going to implement some kettlebell presses along with more shoulder stretching to try and get this issue sorted
Hit back and bi's this morning, much better session than yesterday.
Deadlifts
143 x 5
187 x 5
231 x 5
275 x 5
Added belt
319 x 6 couldn't breathe
Loosened belt
220 x 5
264 x 5
297 x 5
319 x 4 much better
2 sets shrugs in the smith machine
BB Row
154 x 4
154 x 4
154 x 4
154 x 5
Weighted DD Chins - w/ fatgrips
bw + 17lbs x 5 x 5
Wide Grip Chins
3 sets of 5
5 sets of curls
Pulldown Abs
#5 x 12, 12, 10, 12
Stretching
Seems that my belt is better worn quite loose when pulling reps, then for singles or doubles tightening it up works best.
Deadlifts
143 x 5
187 x 5
231 x 5
275 x 5
Added belt
319 x 6 couldn't breathe
Loosened belt
220 x 5
264 x 5
297 x 5
319 x 4 much better
2 sets shrugs in the smith machine
BB Row
154 x 4
154 x 4
154 x 4
154 x 5
Weighted DD Chins - w/ fatgrips
bw + 17lbs x 5 x 5
Wide Grip Chins
3 sets of 5
5 sets of curls
Pulldown Abs
#5 x 12, 12, 10, 12
Stretching
Seems that my belt is better worn quite loose when pulling reps, then for singles or doubles tightening it up works best.
Hit legs + abs today although my whole back was very sore from Saturday.
Foam rolled
Squats
132 x 5
165 x 5
198 x 5
231 x 5
270 x 3
270 x 3
220 x 11
wtf...
Hit 264x8 then an easy 220x12 last week. Maybe because my lower back was still jacked up and maybe because I squatted heavy 5 days ago. Was looking for 270x7-8 this week but I guess that will have to wait till next week.
Decided if it was going to be a sub-par workout then doing all the usual exercises and being leg down on all of them was stupid so I mixed it up a little.
Calves
Standing:187 x 18-10-8
Seated: 110 x 12-8-6
Lying Leg Curl
95 x 11
95 x 8
85 x 9
Calves were toast
Walking Lunge
2 sets of 20 (10 per leg) w/ 55lb DB's
Abs
Hanging: 3x15
Pulldown: 2x20, 1x5
5 mins incline treadmill
Did lots of sets of benchpressing with very little to no weight on the bar after legs today, after a while I got a friend to come and stand over me and tell me if my positioning was looking better.
Before I was tucking my elbows so much and touching the bar so low my elbows were closer to my hips than my hands were. I'm sure this was the cause for the irregular bar pathway and in turn the lack of stability.
Anyway I got my elbows much further out today after a while of tweaking and touched the bar to my nipples rather than upper abs/lower chest.
All I can say is wow. Everything felt a whole lot smoother. It felt more natural and even with very little weight I could feel my chest and front delts doing alot of the work, where as before it was more triceps and shoulder discomfort lol. I'll probably do some more regular shoulder stretching to guard against shoulder injury now my elbows are more flared
Today I ate:
383g pro
244g carbs
137g fat
= 3741 kcal
(not counting trace macros like the half gram of carbs in an egg or the protein in nuts)
Foam rolled
Squats
132 x 5
165 x 5
198 x 5
231 x 5
270 x 3
270 x 3
220 x 11
wtf...
Hit 264x8 then an easy 220x12 last week. Maybe because my lower back was still jacked up and maybe because I squatted heavy 5 days ago. Was looking for 270x7-8 this week but I guess that will have to wait till next week.
Decided if it was going to be a sub-par workout then doing all the usual exercises and being leg down on all of them was stupid so I mixed it up a little.
Calves
Standing:187 x 18-10-8
Seated: 110 x 12-8-6
Lying Leg Curl
95 x 11
95 x 8
85 x 9
Calves were toast
Walking Lunge
2 sets of 20 (10 per leg) w/ 55lb DB's
Abs
Hanging: 3x15
Pulldown: 2x20, 1x5
5 mins incline treadmill
Did lots of sets of benchpressing with very little to no weight on the bar after legs today, after a while I got a friend to come and stand over me and tell me if my positioning was looking better.
Before I was tucking my elbows so much and touching the bar so low my elbows were closer to my hips than my hands were. I'm sure this was the cause for the irregular bar pathway and in turn the lack of stability.
Anyway I got my elbows much further out today after a while of tweaking and touched the bar to my nipples rather than upper abs/lower chest.
All I can say is wow. Everything felt a whole lot smoother. It felt more natural and even with very little weight I could feel my chest and front delts doing alot of the work, where as before it was more triceps and shoulder discomfort lol. I'll probably do some more regular shoulder stretching to guard against shoulder injury now my elbows are more flared
Today I ate:
383g pro
244g carbs
137g fat
= 3741 kcal
(not counting trace macros like the half gram of carbs in an egg or the protein in nuts)
Hit legs + abs today although my whole back was very sore from Saturday.
Foam rolled
Squats
132 x 5
165 x 5
198 x 5
231 x 5
270 x 3
270 x 3
220 x 11
wtf...
Hit 264x8 then an easy 220x12 last week. Maybe because my lower back was still jacked up and maybe because I squatted heavy 5 days ago. Was looking for 270x7-8 this week but I guess that will have to wait till next week.
Decided if it was going to be a sub-par workout then doing all the usual exercises and being leg down on all of them was stupid so I mixed it up a little.
Calves
Standing:187 x 18-10-8
Seated: 110 x 12-8-6
Lying Leg Curl
95 x 11
95 x 8
85 x 9
Calves were toast
Walking Lunge
2 sets of 20 (10 per leg) w/ 55lb DB's
Abs
Hanging: 3x15
Pulldown: 2x20, 1x5
5 mins incline treadmill
Did lots of sets of benchpressing with very little to no weight on the bar after legs today, after a while I got a friend to come and stand over me and tell me if my positioning was looking better.
Before I was tucking my elbows so much and touching the bar so low my elbows were closer to my hips than my hands were. I'm sure this was the cause for the irregular bar pathway and in turn the lack of stability.
Anyway I got my elbows much further out today after a while of tweaking and touched the bar to my nipples rather than upper abs/lower chest.
All I can say is wow. Everything felt a whole lot smoother. It felt more natural and even with very little weight I could feel my chest and front delts doing alot of the work, where as before it was more triceps and shoulder discomfort lol. I'll probably do some more regular shoulder stretching to guard against shoulder injury now my elbows are more flared
Today I ate:
383g pro
244g carbs
137g fat
= 3741 kcal
(not counting trace macros like the half gram of carbs in an egg or the protein in nuts)
Foam rolled
Squats
132 x 5
165 x 5
198 x 5
231 x 5
270 x 3
270 x 3
220 x 11
wtf...
Hit 264x8 then an easy 220x12 last week. Maybe because my lower back was still jacked up and maybe because I squatted heavy 5 days ago. Was looking for 270x7-8 this week but I guess that will have to wait till next week.
Decided if it was going to be a sub-par workout then doing all the usual exercises and being leg down on all of them was stupid so I mixed it up a little.
Calves
Standing:187 x 18-10-8
Seated: 110 x 12-8-6
Lying Leg Curl
95 x 11
95 x 8
85 x 9
Calves were toast
Walking Lunge
2 sets of 20 (10 per leg) w/ 55lb DB's
Abs
Hanging: 3x15
Pulldown: 2x20, 1x5
5 mins incline treadmill
Did lots of sets of benchpressing with very little to no weight on the bar after legs today, after a while I got a friend to come and stand over me and tell me if my positioning was looking better.
Before I was tucking my elbows so much and touching the bar so low my elbows were closer to my hips than my hands were. I'm sure this was the cause for the irregular bar pathway and in turn the lack of stability.
Anyway I got my elbows much further out today after a while of tweaking and touched the bar to my nipples rather than upper abs/lower chest.
All I can say is wow. Everything felt a whole lot smoother. It felt more natural and even with very little weight I could feel my chest and front delts doing alot of the work, where as before it was more triceps and shoulder discomfort lol. I'll probably do some more regular shoulder stretching to guard against shoulder injury now my elbows are more flared
Today I ate:
383g pro
244g carbs
137g fat
= 3741 kcal
(not counting trace macros like the half gram of carbs in an egg or the protein in nuts)
SPEKTOR-AAA
New member
Its amazing what a little adjustment will do to the motion and flow of a lift. Good work noticing it and working on that.
SPEKTOR-AAA
New member
and guddamn bro...def not shorting yourself on protein
Chest, shoulders and tri's today
Flat Bench
110 x 5
132 x 5
154 x 5
176 x 5
198 x 8
209 x 5
still getting used to the new technique...
Seated DB
39's x 10
50's x 12
55's x 8
61's x 4
Decline DB
55's x 12, 12, 10
3 sets flyes at a low incline
4 sets tri's (rev grip presses)
Flat Bench
110 x 5
132 x 5
154 x 5
176 x 5
198 x 8
209 x 5
still getting used to the new technique...
Seated DB
39's x 10
50's x 12
55's x 8
61's x 4
Decline DB
55's x 12, 12, 10
3 sets flyes at a low incline
4 sets tri's (rev grip presses)
Feels a little wierd, much more chest activation though. Feels alot more natural though, spotter said my elbows started to come in a little on the 7th and 8th reps so I just need to reinforce the new technique and work on it.
Not really much strength loss at all, 1-2 reps maximum.
Not really much strength loss at all, 1-2 reps maximum.
Did alot of stuff today...
(back + bi's + abs)
Deadlifts
132 x 3
165 x 5
220 x 5
264 x 5
325 x 3 dammit started to loose arch on 3rd rep
Deficit Pulls - stood on a big rubber 55lb plate
220 x 6
253 x 6
270 x 6
BB Row
138 x 8 x 3 sets
Wide Grip Chins
+ 33 x 5
+ 22 x 5
bw x 6
first set was good, the others sucked
DD Pulldown - 3x12
BB Curls - 5x8
Then 3 sets of this hammer curl/alt. curl reverse strip set thing my friend has been doing and recomended
Pulldown Abs
5 sets of 12 w/ #5
Noticing size gains especially in my quads, hams, chest, traps and abs.
(back + bi's + abs)
Deadlifts
132 x 3
165 x 5
220 x 5
264 x 5
325 x 3 dammit started to loose arch on 3rd rep
Deficit Pulls - stood on a big rubber 55lb plate
220 x 6
253 x 6
270 x 6
BB Row
138 x 8 x 3 sets
Wide Grip Chins
+ 33 x 5
+ 22 x 5
bw x 6
first set was good, the others sucked
DD Pulldown - 3x12
BB Curls - 5x8
Then 3 sets of this hammer curl/alt. curl reverse strip set thing my friend has been doing and recomended
Pulldown Abs
5 sets of 12 w/ #5
Noticing size gains especially in my quads, hams, chest, traps and abs.
Wednesday
Bench
worked up to 204x7 then 220x3
shitty
Seated DB
38.5's x 8
55's x 9
61's x 5
Flat DB Presses
50's, 55's, 61's x 8 w/ hard contractions on each rep
Straight Bar Curls
5 sets of 10 w/ 66lbs
Rope Cable Curl
2x15 w/ 50lbs
1x12 w/ 70lbs
dissapointing workout... Getting sick of the benchpress ruining chest days...
Bench
worked up to 204x7 then 220x3
shitty
Seated DB
38.5's x 8
55's x 9
61's x 5
Flat DB Presses
50's, 55's, 61's x 8 w/ hard contractions on each rep
Straight Bar Curls
5 sets of 10 w/ 66lbs
Rope Cable Curl
2x15 w/ 50lbs
1x12 w/ 70lbs
dissapointing workout... Getting sick of the benchpress ruining chest days...
Friday 22nd July (workout in the am)
Deadlifts
132 x 5
182 x 5
231 x 5
275 x 5
330 x 3
Bent Over Rows
143 x 6 x 6
Weighted Chins
+ 33lbs x 5 wide grip
+ 33lbs x 5 medium neutral grip
+ 33lbs x 5 curl grip
Wide Grip Pulldown
#8 x 12 x 2
Standing Calf Raise
132 x 36
132 x 21
110 x 20
Reverse Grip Bench
110 x 25
132 x 15
143 x 10
154 x 8
154 x 7
3 sets tri extensions
3 sets pulldown abs
Had an awesome pre w/o meal today; got up early and made a chicken stew from 10oz chicken breast, coconut oil, lime juice, broccoli, peanut oil and some other veg. Hit up the post workout egg white + protein powder shake as usual with a banana and raisins. Now time to get some of dat dere anabolic red meat
Deadlifts
132 x 5
182 x 5
231 x 5
275 x 5
330 x 3
Bent Over Rows
143 x 6 x 6
Weighted Chins
+ 33lbs x 5 wide grip
+ 33lbs x 5 medium neutral grip
+ 33lbs x 5 curl grip
Wide Grip Pulldown
#8 x 12 x 2
Standing Calf Raise
132 x 36
132 x 21
110 x 20
Reverse Grip Bench
110 x 25
132 x 15
143 x 10
154 x 8
154 x 7
3 sets tri extensions
3 sets pulldown abs
Had an awesome pre w/o meal today; got up early and made a chicken stew from 10oz chicken breast, coconut oil, lime juice, broccoli, peanut oil and some other veg. Hit up the post workout egg white + protein powder shake as usual with a banana and raisins. Now time to get some of dat dere anabolic red meat
Trained shoulders this morning
Seated DB Press
27.5's x 8
38.5's x 8
61's x 8
66's x 4
50's x 12
Side Raises: 3 sets of 12
Front Plate Raise: 1 set of 12, 1 set of 8
Cable Rear Delt Flyes: 6 sets total
then 3 sets of static grip holds
Fast paced workout, shoulders were totally pumped and gorged with blood
Seated DB Press
27.5's x 8
38.5's x 8
61's x 8
66's x 4
50's x 12
Side Raises: 3 sets of 12
Front Plate Raise: 1 set of 12, 1 set of 8
Cable Rear Delt Flyes: 6 sets total
then 3 sets of static grip holds
Fast paced workout, shoulders were totally pumped and gorged with blood
JDid23
New member
Friday 22nd July (workout in the am)
Deadlifts
132 x 5
182 x 5
231 x 5
275 x 5
330 x 3
Bent Over Rows
143 x 6 x 6
Weighted Chins
+ 33lbs x 5 wide grip
+ 33lbs x 5 medium neutral grip
+ 33lbs x 5 curl grip
Wide Grip Pulldown
#8 x 12 x 2
Standing Calf Raise
132 x 36
132 x 21
110 x 20
Reverse Grip Bench
110 x 25
132 x 15
143 x 10
154 x 8
154 x 7
3 sets tri extensions
3 sets pulldown abs
Had an awesome pre w/o meal today; got up early and made a chicken stew from 10oz chicken breast, coconut oil, lime juice, broccoli, peanut oil and some other veg. Hit up the post workout egg white + protein powder shake as usual with a banana and raisins. Now time to get some of dat dere anabolic red meat
idk how you had chicken stew and broccoli in the morning man. good for you haha. and good job with the workouts lately
Haha jdid I don't have a problem with eating "heavy" food in the morning. If it tastes good I'll eat it 
trained legs + abs this morning
Squats
110 x 5
154 x 5
187 x 5
220 x 3
242 x 1
286 x 3
242 x 8
198 x 15
Standing Calf Raise
132 x 38
154 x 16
110 x 22?
Weighted Hypers
choked red band BTN x 20 x 3
never had such a lower back pump in my life... Hamstrings were fryed too
Lying Leg Curl
100 x 8
85 x 8
80 x 8
Leg Extension
110 x 25
110 x 10
Abs
Pulldown Abs: #5 x 15, 15, 10. #4 x 20
Weighted Side Bend: 62lb kettlebell x 20 each side
trained legs + abs this morning
Squats
110 x 5
154 x 5
187 x 5
220 x 3
242 x 1
286 x 3
242 x 8
198 x 15
Standing Calf Raise
132 x 38
154 x 16
110 x 22?
Weighted Hypers
choked red band BTN x 20 x 3
never had such a lower back pump in my life... Hamstrings were fryed too
Lying Leg Curl
100 x 8
85 x 8
80 x 8
Leg Extension
110 x 25
110 x 10
Abs
Pulldown Abs: #5 x 15, 15, 10. #4 x 20
Weighted Side Bend: 62lb kettlebell x 20 each side
Trained chest + bi's this morning 
Benchpress
worked up to 198 x 5 x 3
Incline BB
138 x 8 x 3
Decline DB
55's x 10, 9, 9
these have started to irritate my shoulder the same way dips do, annoying because I love them
getting weaker on chest lol wtf
Straight Bar Curls
72 x 8, 8, 8, 8, 10
Rope Curls
70 x 12 x 2
60 x 12
weak!
Time to take some time off from benching...
Benchpress
worked up to 198 x 5 x 3
Incline BB
138 x 8 x 3
Decline DB
55's x 10, 9, 9
these have started to irritate my shoulder the same way dips do, annoying because I love them
getting weaker on chest lol wtf
Straight Bar Curls
72 x 8, 8, 8, 8, 10
Rope Curls
70 x 12 x 2
60 x 12
weak!
Time to take some time off from benching...
Last edited:
Most people find inclines the safest on the shoulder. A good tip for people with fucked up shoulders is to put a 45lb plate under the flat bench and use that for their "flat" benching.
I love decline though it gives me the best pec activation.
I'm starting to think the reason my shoulders get aggregated so easily is because of my narrow grip during squats. I'm going to move my grip out and see if it helps.
The only stretching I do is occassionally on off days. I do walking pre workout and work up in weight pretty slowly to warmup for lifting. I'm probably going to go back to doing shoulder dislocates with a broomstick every day like I did for a while.
I love decline though it gives me the best pec activation.
I'm starting to think the reason my shoulders get aggregated so easily is because of my narrow grip during squats. I'm going to move my grip out and see if it helps.
The only stretching I do is occassionally on off days. I do walking pre workout and work up in weight pretty slowly to warmup for lifting. I'm probably going to go back to doing shoulder dislocates with a broomstick every day like I did for a while.
This is what I've heard/seen for most people as well.
Oddly enough, for me it's the opposite. I've tried different grips, a few different widths, going down different depths. No matter what I do, my shoulder just clickity-clacks the entire time. Feels something like a tendon sliding over a bone. Neither regular bench nor military bother my shoulders at all.
Wow that's strange. Any idea what has caused it?
I'm going on a short holiday (vacation) from Saturday afternoon until Wednesday evening. My plan is to train back and tri's on Friday morning, then hit some abs and calves on Saturday morning before setting off. Training abs and calves twice a week has been working well.
Im eating myself sick on the same foods to the point where I just dont feel like eating food at all anymore. I am so sick of chicken, beef and eggs that I would rather go a day without eating then forcing them down lol. So Ive decided when I go on holiday Ill just enjoy "normal" food. Cereal, oatmeal or wholemeal toast for breakfast, if my mum makes bolognaise or chicken with pasta Ill just eat it and fit in with what everyone else is eating rather than making my own seperate meals which is what I do now. Ive tryed to take my diet with me when staying in other houses and it never works properly so I find it just better to call it time off and move on.
Ill take my protein powder with me and have a 50g shake in the morning and before bed but other than that Ill have some time off. I eat super strict 24/7 anyway so 4 days off shouldnt do much harm, I wont be binging or eating garbage. If anything the extra carbs should give me a boost for when I get back.
Im eating myself sick on the same foods to the point where I just dont feel like eating food at all anymore. I am so sick of chicken, beef and eggs that I would rather go a day without eating then forcing them down lol. So Ive decided when I go on holiday Ill just enjoy "normal" food. Cereal, oatmeal or wholemeal toast for breakfast, if my mum makes bolognaise or chicken with pasta Ill just eat it and fit in with what everyone else is eating rather than making my own seperate meals which is what I do now. Ive tryed to take my diet with me when staying in other houses and it never works properly so I find it just better to call it time off and move on.
Ill take my protein powder with me and have a 50g shake in the morning and before bed but other than that Ill have some time off. I eat super strict 24/7 anyway so 4 days off shouldnt do much harm, I wont be binging or eating garbage. If anything the extra carbs should give me a boost for when I get back.
I think that's the right attitude. Realize you aren't going have some kind of drastic negative body composition changes from eating "normally" for a few days. Especially if you keep an eye on your total caloric intake. A lot of people actually break through plateaus on cheat days/vacations etc (you probably already know this). Best not to worry about these kinds of things.
It might be worth increasing your volume on your Friday/Sat workouts, maybe toss in a few other non-back/tri exercises if you like, since I assume you won't be working out Mon-Wed.
As to my shoulder issue, I'm honestly not really sure. Haven't really played around with it much, just resigned myself to the idea that incline is a bad idea for me.
I could only speculate as to the cause. I did injure both of my shoulders a decent amount when I was 16-18ish. Something like lvl 2 sprains on both ACs and severe strain of rotator cuff. Could be somehow related to that, but I suspect not. As I recall, it's only barbell incline which has the effect on me. However, even putting my hands in the air right now in a barbell incline path makes the clicking and popping sounds in the shoulder.
It doesn't hurt at first, but if I just ignore it and power through the clicking, I've hurt my shoulder (couple days off from overhead pressing in the gym level of hurt). I remember a while back I did 3 sets of 3 reps on incline, at roughly a 3 rep max. The first set was clickity clacking etc quite a bit but didn't hurt. After the second set, I had some residual pain, sort of a muscle soreness/tightness pain. Then after the third set, which was a real grinder, significant muscle soreness/tightness pain, followed by sort of sporadic acute pain when moving the arm in seemingly random patterns. Particularly painful when I'd do a backwards windmill, where the arm sort of clicks at the top as it moves past vertical. Anyways, as I said, healed fine in few days to a week. Didn't even prevent me from benching 2 days later.
I've always been somewhat prone to shoulder injury. Could just be something related to a muscle imbalance or tightness because I do know that I'm extremely shoulder dominant. Front delts are quite large in comparison with rest of my shoulder, my military/close grip is quite high considering my bench, etc.
One other possibility I've read about sparingly is that there's some sort of bone spur in my shoulder(s) which rubs on/cuts the rotator cuff when I incline bench. Hopefully not though!
Anyways, I've gone on quite a bit, and it is your log afterall... lol
It might be worth increasing your volume on your Friday/Sat workouts, maybe toss in a few other non-back/tri exercises if you like, since I assume you won't be working out Mon-Wed.
As to my shoulder issue, I'm honestly not really sure. Haven't really played around with it much, just resigned myself to the idea that incline is a bad idea for me.
I could only speculate as to the cause. I did injure both of my shoulders a decent amount when I was 16-18ish. Something like lvl 2 sprains on both ACs and severe strain of rotator cuff. Could be somehow related to that, but I suspect not. As I recall, it's only barbell incline which has the effect on me. However, even putting my hands in the air right now in a barbell incline path makes the clicking and popping sounds in the shoulder.
It doesn't hurt at first, but if I just ignore it and power through the clicking, I've hurt my shoulder (couple days off from overhead pressing in the gym level of hurt). I remember a while back I did 3 sets of 3 reps on incline, at roughly a 3 rep max. The first set was clickity clacking etc quite a bit but didn't hurt. After the second set, I had some residual pain, sort of a muscle soreness/tightness pain. Then after the third set, which was a real grinder, significant muscle soreness/tightness pain, followed by sort of sporadic acute pain when moving the arm in seemingly random patterns. Particularly painful when I'd do a backwards windmill, where the arm sort of clicks at the top as it moves past vertical. Anyways, as I said, healed fine in few days to a week. Didn't even prevent me from benching 2 days later.
I've always been somewhat prone to shoulder injury. Could just be something related to a muscle imbalance or tightness because I do know that I'm extremely shoulder dominant. Front delts are quite large in comparison with rest of my shoulder, my military/close grip is quite high considering my bench, etc.
One other possibility I've read about sparingly is that there's some sort of bone spur in my shoulder(s) which rubs on/cuts the rotator cuff when I incline bench. Hopefully not though!
Anyways, I've gone on quite a bit, and it is your log afterall... lol
Thats strange cato, if I was you I'd be tempted to see a specialist and see if there was anything they could do.
Trained back and tri's this morning:
Deadlifts
132 x 5
176 x 5
226 x 5
275 x 5
336 x 3
3rd rep of 336 was a bit of a grinder, somehow let my weight come forward onto my toes which slowed down the top half, but once I realised and leant back the bar shot up through the lockout. Managed to keep my arch pretty good but still gotta work on it.
Shrugs
132 x 12
220 x 12
308 x 12 w/ straps
Bent Over Rows
2x6 w/ 149
4x6 w/ 143
Weighted Chins
+ 33lbs x 5 wide grip
+ 33lbs x 5 medium neutral grip
+ 33lbs x 5 curl grip
Curl Grip Pulldown
#6 x 12
#7 x 12
#8 x 8
Reverse Grip Bench
132 x 20
154 x 15
165 x 10
176 x 6?
Straight Bar Tri Extensions - 3 sets 12-15
I started doing my rev grip presses on the smith about a month ago and loved them ever since...
Trained back and tri's this morning:
Deadlifts
132 x 5
176 x 5
226 x 5
275 x 5
336 x 3
3rd rep of 336 was a bit of a grinder, somehow let my weight come forward onto my toes which slowed down the top half, but once I realised and leant back the bar shot up through the lockout. Managed to keep my arch pretty good but still gotta work on it.
Shrugs
132 x 12
220 x 12
308 x 12 w/ straps
Bent Over Rows
2x6 w/ 149
4x6 w/ 143
Weighted Chins
+ 33lbs x 5 wide grip
+ 33lbs x 5 medium neutral grip
+ 33lbs x 5 curl grip
Curl Grip Pulldown
#6 x 12
#7 x 12
#8 x 8
Reverse Grip Bench
132 x 20
154 x 15
165 x 10
176 x 6?
Straight Bar Tri Extensions - 3 sets 12-15
I started doing my rev grip presses on the smith about a month ago and loved them ever since...
Looks like the diet is starting to pay off, I thought I was noticing some size gain and I weighed 179 this morning... two weeks ago I was 174 haha. Perhaps smoothed out a tiny bit but still have top 4 abs in the morning when relaxed. Quads and chest have been improving for the last few weeks and just recently delts look a bit better.
Whenever I try to list which muscle groups I want to improve I end up listing every one so I guess Ill just say I need to get bigger over all haha.
Im also thinking of entering a powerlifting meet at the end of October. If all goes to plan and I can get my bench out of the shitter and making progress with it again I would like to squat 330, bench 264 and pull 385. The meet is like 11 weeks away and to hit those numbers I need to add 20-25lbs on each lift by then.
I was thinking I would be lifting in the 182's but I wont be complaining if I can add some more size by then and have to lift at the bottom of the 198's. At least then I can carb load without worrying about making weight lol.
I will probably just keep my training the same as it is now then 8 weeks out start peaking the big 3 lifts and start to phase out the assistance exercises. Im not looking to break any records in this meet just get some experience of lifting on stage.
Whenever I try to list which muscle groups I want to improve I end up listing every one so I guess Ill just say I need to get bigger over all haha.
Im also thinking of entering a powerlifting meet at the end of October. If all goes to plan and I can get my bench out of the shitter and making progress with it again I would like to squat 330, bench 264 and pull 385. The meet is like 11 weeks away and to hit those numbers I need to add 20-25lbs on each lift by then.
I was thinking I would be lifting in the 182's but I wont be complaining if I can add some more size by then and have to lift at the bottom of the 198's. At least then I can carb load without worrying about making weight lol.
I will probably just keep my training the same as it is now then 8 weeks out start peaking the big 3 lifts and start to phase out the assistance exercises. Im not looking to break any records in this meet just get some experience of lifting on stage.
Well I remember Reading a famous powerlifter saying you don't have to be strong to compete, you compete to get strong. Or something like that.
But no one wants to compete infront of everyone when they are weak as shit lol.
Anyway I'm back from holidays, had a good time and a break from the diet was nice, although by the end I had started to smooth out and soften from the primarily carb based diet lol. But I'll just reset to my base diet for a few days and do some extra cardio and within a week or so I should tighten back up and be and ready to start eating how I was before the holiday.
However, I sliced the bottom of my foot open pretty deep on a slate rock when we were swimming in a lake up in some slate mountains, we were jumping off the rocks into the water and I cut it quite badly. I can't put any pressure on my foot right now so I'm not sure how training and cardio will work out. Felt good to finally have a holiday where I could swim/walk around in just shorts and know I had a better body than everyone else at the lake haha. Never experienced that before.
I was planning on doing legs today, pressing tomorrow then just upper back and lats (no deads) on Saturday but with the foot issue I'm not sure what I can do.
But no one wants to compete infront of everyone when they are weak as shit lol.
Anyway I'm back from holidays, had a good time and a break from the diet was nice, although by the end I had started to smooth out and soften from the primarily carb based diet lol. But I'll just reset to my base diet for a few days and do some extra cardio and within a week or so I should tighten back up and be and ready to start eating how I was before the holiday.
However, I sliced the bottom of my foot open pretty deep on a slate rock when we were swimming in a lake up in some slate mountains, we were jumping off the rocks into the water and I cut it quite badly. I can't put any pressure on my foot right now so I'm not sure how training and cardio will work out. Felt good to finally have a holiday where I could swim/walk around in just shorts and know I had a better body than everyone else at the lake haha. Never experienced that before.
I was planning on doing legs today, pressing tomorrow then just upper back and lats (no deads) on Saturday but with the foot issue I'm not sure what I can do.
I may have to get it stitched, the cut is pretty deep right through the thick skin on the ball of my foot. Im limping around the house lol. It bled alot and I couldnt get it to stop when I first did it, eventually I had to tie a t-shirt around my foot. It is like a razor blade cut - you can see right down into the skin. I've got an appointment with a nurse in a few hours so I'll see what she says.
I really want to squat, while I was away I roughly mapped out my target weights for the next 11 weeks leading to the meet...
Resetting to the base diet has me hungry almost all the time
I found that eating mostly carbs made me lethargic and I couldnt get full. That is a pretty good sign as it shows my body had adapted to use fats for the primary fuel source and save the glycogen for intense exercise.
I really want to squat, while I was away I roughly mapped out my target weights for the next 11 weeks leading to the meet...
Resetting to the base diet has me hungry almost all the time
I found that eating mostly carbs made me lethargic and I couldnt get full. That is a pretty good sign as it shows my body had adapted to use fats for the primary fuel source and save the glycogen for intense exercise.
Late morning workout today:
Squats
110 x 5
154 x 5
198 x 5
242 x 2
286 x 3 third rep was a grinder
some lighter sets to work on form
Standing Calves
132 x 25, 15
shut it down, pretty hard to get good calf contractions without hurting my foot, didn't want to open up the cut and prolong the healing
"Natural" GHR
3 sets of 6-8 reps
Lying Leg Curl
2 sets of 15-20 reps
Leg Press (slow negatives)
285 x 15
305 x 10
Abs
Hanging: 3x10-15
Ab Wheel: 3x10 (slow)
Cardio x 15 mins
Squats
110 x 5
154 x 5
198 x 5
242 x 2
286 x 3 third rep was a grinder
some lighter sets to work on form
Standing Calves
132 x 25, 15
shut it down, pretty hard to get good calf contractions without hurting my foot, didn't want to open up the cut and prolong the healing
"Natural" GHR
3 sets of 6-8 reps
Lying Leg Curl
2 sets of 15-20 reps
Leg Press (slow negatives)
285 x 15
305 x 10
Abs
Hanging: 3x10-15
Ab Wheel: 3x10 (slow)
Cardio x 15 mins
My strongest set was probably when I did 264x8. But the biggest weight I've ever got under is 286. I hit it two weeks ago for 3 reps, and again this morning for 3. I have 10 or 11 weeks until my meet where I want to hit 330.
I'm hoping I can take the 3 rep sets up to around the 295-303 range, then I'll drop to doubles and squeeze out a few more weeks of progress, then finally for the last 2 or 3 weeks before the meet just work with singles.
I estimate my 1rm right now to be about 305-310. Putting 20lbs on my squat in 10 weeks is reasonable IMO. Technique work will help a lot. I need to arch out of the hole more.
I'm hoping I can take the 3 rep sets up to around the 295-303 range, then I'll drop to doubles and squeeze out a few more weeks of progress, then finally for the last 2 or 3 weeks before the meet just work with singles.
I estimate my 1rm right now to be about 305-310. Putting 20lbs on my squat in 10 weeks is reasonable IMO. Technique work will help a lot. I need to arch out of the hole more.
Chest, Shoulders + Biceps today
Bench
Bar x 5 x 2-3 sets
88 x 3 x 2 sets
121 x 5 x 2 sets
154 x 5
187 x 3
198 x 3
209 x 3
Lots of sets to warm up and adjust technique, finally getting there
Seated DB
33's x 8
50's x 14
55's x 9
Did a set with the 61's but shoulders crashed and I only got a few reps
Flat DB
28's x 8
39's x 8
55's x 8
61's x 6
66's x 4
Low Incline Flyes
3x10-12
Straight Bar Curls
5x9-10
Rope Cable Curls
3x12-15
Stability work using kettlebells suspended from bands - 4 sets
Cardio x 20 minutes
Bench
Bar x 5 x 2-3 sets
88 x 3 x 2 sets
121 x 5 x 2 sets
154 x 5
187 x 3
198 x 3
209 x 3
Lots of sets to warm up and adjust technique, finally getting there
Seated DB
33's x 8
50's x 14
55's x 9
Did a set with the 61's but shoulders crashed and I only got a few reps
Flat DB
28's x 8
39's x 8
55's x 8
61's x 6
66's x 4
Low Incline Flyes
3x10-12
Straight Bar Curls
5x9-10
Rope Cable Curls
3x12-15
Stability work using kettlebells suspended from bands - 4 sets
Cardio x 20 minutes
Yeah my foot is prety much healed now, looks like Ill be able to train calves properly again in the next couple of days. My finger is real sore though and I actually made it bleed again today while at the gym. Had to just grip everything without my index finger on the bar.
Because of my holiday I had to re-arrange my training this week slightly so Ill end up hitting back again on Friday. Because of that I decided to just do some speed deadlifts with a little assistance work for hips, then just hit lats but no upper back, wanted to stay strong for Friday where Ill pull a close max triple. Finished with a little tri work and some abs.
Speed Deadlifts w/ doubled red bands
(bands add aprox 65lbs at the top)
132 x 2 x 3 sets
154 x 2 x 2 sets
176 x 1 x 3 sets
220 x 1 x 2 sets
Sumo Deads
3 sets of 15 (light weight)
Two Handed KB Swings (in conventional DL stance)
35's x 20
44's x 15 x 2 sets
Chins
5 sets of 8 w/ a medium width neutral grip
DB Pullover - 3 sets of 8-12, worked my tri's a lot harder than I thought
Reverse Grip Bench - 4 sets (not great)
Abs
Weighted Decline Situps: 3 sets of 8 w/ 35lb KB
Pulldown Abs: 2 sets of 25
then some sets of light benching to work on technique
Going to drop the pullovers for a while. Moving tri's to back day and hitting them when they were fresh (ie not tired from presses) has been working well so the pullovers defeated the whole objective. Back work will now be deads -> BB Rows -> Chins/Pulldowns with 1-2 sets of shrugs thrown in while Im unloading the bar after deads.
Because of my holiday I had to re-arrange my training this week slightly so Ill end up hitting back again on Friday. Because of that I decided to just do some speed deadlifts with a little assistance work for hips, then just hit lats but no upper back, wanted to stay strong for Friday where Ill pull a close max triple. Finished with a little tri work and some abs.
Speed Deadlifts w/ doubled red bands
(bands add aprox 65lbs at the top)
132 x 2 x 3 sets
154 x 2 x 2 sets
176 x 1 x 3 sets
220 x 1 x 2 sets
Sumo Deads
3 sets of 15 (light weight)
Two Handed KB Swings (in conventional DL stance)
35's x 20
44's x 15 x 2 sets
Chins
5 sets of 8 w/ a medium width neutral grip
DB Pullover - 3 sets of 8-12, worked my tri's a lot harder than I thought
Reverse Grip Bench - 4 sets (not great)
Abs
Weighted Decline Situps: 3 sets of 8 w/ 35lb KB
Pulldown Abs: 2 sets of 25
then some sets of light benching to work on technique
Going to drop the pullovers for a while. Moving tri's to back day and hitting them when they were fresh (ie not tired from presses) has been working well so the pullovers defeated the whole objective. Back work will now be deads -> BB Rows -> Chins/Pulldowns with 1-2 sets of shrugs thrown in while Im unloading the bar after deads.
Chest, shoulders + bi's today
Bench
88, 110, 132, 165 x 5
187 x 3
204 x 3
215 x 3
Seated DB
33's x 8
55's x 10
61's x 5
Flat DB
4 sets of 6-8 w/ 61's
Incline DB
2 sets of 8-10 w/ 50's
Straight Bar Curls
5 sets of 9-10
Preacher Curls
4 sets: 8, 8, 8, 6
forearms and bi's super pumped
Bench
88, 110, 132, 165 x 5
187 x 3
204 x 3
215 x 3
Seated DB
33's x 8
55's x 10
61's x 5
Flat DB
4 sets of 6-8 w/ 61's
Incline DB
2 sets of 8-10 w/ 50's
Straight Bar Curls
5 sets of 9-10
Preacher Curls
4 sets: 8, 8, 8, 6
forearms and bi's super pumped
Kind of a crappy workout today, not had enough sleep lately so I guess that could be the cause
Deads
worked up to 341x3 not great - couldn't keep my arch as per usual
tryed out GMs which were awkward as fuck lol
KB Swings - 3x15
Bent Over Rows - 3x5
Seated Rows - 5 sets
BB Tri Extension - 4x15
Abs - 4x15-20
Deads
worked up to 341x3 not great - couldn't keep my arch as per usual
tryed out GMs which were awkward as fuck lol
KB Swings - 3x15
Bent Over Rows - 3x5
Seated Rows - 5 sets
BB Tri Extension - 4x15
Abs - 4x15-20
Kind of a crappy workout today, not had enough sleep lately so I guess that could be the cause
Deads
worked up to 341x3 not great - couldn't keep my arch as per usual
tryed out GMs which were awkward as fuck lol
KB Swings - 3x15
Bent Over Rows - 3x5
Seated Rows - 5 sets
BB Tri Extension - 4x15
Abs - 4x15-20
Deads
worked up to 341x3 not great - couldn't keep my arch as per usual
tryed out GMs which were awkward as fuck lol
KB Swings - 3x15
Bent Over Rows - 3x5
Seated Rows - 5 sets
BB Tri Extension - 4x15
Abs - 4x15-20
Been thinking a lot about what to do with my training and how to tackle the problems I've encountered. I've decided I'm going to take a risk and make some big changes. I'm going to drop my squat right back to the 230-250 range for 5-8 reps. This should be sub max and allow me to get a break from maxing out on the squats. I'm going to drop deadlifts for the next month. I have also found that I can't get any progress going on any of the back work I do. For this reason I'm going to replace deadlifts with high pulls for a month. The explosive nature should overload my upper back while allowing me to practice really ripping the bar off the floor - something I struggle with.
I'm going to start squatting twice a week also.
And I'm going to start doing my chest work on an incline. Incline db used to be a main stay for benchpress assistance and my bench used to be my strongest lift so I figure I'll go back to that.
While my squat and DL are deloaded I'll be working hard on strengthening my quads and spinal erectors. These are the areas that fail first in my squats and pulls. So my training will look like this for the next month:
Monday:
squats for a 3-5 rep set
front squat probably hit a 2x2 or 3x3
calves 3 sets
weighted hypers 5 sets
leg press 2 sets
Wednesday
bench work up to a 2-5 rep set
ohp: 2-3 sets
incline db: 4 sets
bi's: 8 sets
Friday:
squat up to a sub max set of 8
high pulls 4-5 sets
tri's: 8 sets
accessory work: grip, calves, abs
I'm going to start squatting twice a week also.
And I'm going to start doing my chest work on an incline. Incline db used to be a main stay for benchpress assistance and my bench used to be my strongest lift so I figure I'll go back to that.
While my squat and DL are deloaded I'll be working hard on strengthening my quads and spinal erectors. These are the areas that fail first in my squats and pulls. So my training will look like this for the next month:
Monday:
squats for a 3-5 rep set
front squat probably hit a 2x2 or 3x3
calves 3 sets
weighted hypers 5 sets
leg press 2 sets
Wednesday
bench work up to a 2-5 rep set
ohp: 2-3 sets
incline db: 4 sets
bi's: 8 sets
Friday:
squat up to a sub max set of 8
high pulls 4-5 sets
tri's: 8 sets
accessory work: grip, calves, abs
JDid23
New member
even though your quads seem to be your weak point, it looks like you need more hamstring work to me bro. you have back squat, front squat, leg press all on monday, and only hypers which kinda hit your hamstrings. maybe add a few sets or RDL? you also don't have even 1 exercise for your upper back
lweaver: during the squat I drive out of the hole pretty well (glute strength) then get stuck half way up, often I start to loose my arch too.
during the deadlift I find it hard to really rip the bar off the floor. My hips also shoot up a bit and my back rounds.
jdid: back squats hit hams, so do the weighted back raises. Also you mensioned upper back, but high pulls are primarily an upper back exercise. This is just a temporary change, something I have never done for back before, that should provide some overload. I need a break from deadlifting anyway.
during the deadlift I find it hard to really rip the bar off the floor. My hips also shoot up a bit and my back rounds.
jdid: back squats hit hams, so do the weighted back raises. Also you mensioned upper back, but high pulls are primarily an upper back exercise. This is just a temporary change, something I have never done for back before, that should provide some overload. I need a break from deadlifting anyway.
JDid23
New member
i understand all your points, but think mine are still valid and should be taken into consideration. Having said that, good luck on your new program bro. hope it works out for you.
Trained legs in the early afternoon today
Squats
110 x 5
132 x 5
160 x 5
187 x 5
220 x 3
253 x 5 no sweat
Paused Front Box Squat
(parallel box)
132 x 3
165 x 3
176 x 2
198 x 2 x 2
Standing Calf Raise
132 x 33
132 x 18?
110 x 20? Last few reps weren't full rom
Weighted Hypers
66lbs BTN x 6 reps x 5 sets
Leg Press
305 x 12
330 x 6
Squats
110 x 5
132 x 5
160 x 5
187 x 5
220 x 3
253 x 5 no sweat
Paused Front Box Squat
(parallel box)
132 x 3
165 x 3
176 x 2
198 x 2 x 2
Standing Calf Raise
132 x 33
132 x 18?
110 x 20? Last few reps weren't full rom
Weighted Hypers
66lbs BTN x 6 reps x 5 sets
Leg Press
305 x 12
330 x 6
