My Training Log

[amounirl]

8-27-12: BS Day

Bench
185x5/7/8/5

Pendlay Rows
135x5x8

DB Bench
2x20x50s

Cable rows
20x90
20x100

DB Pullover
10x35
10x50
10x55

Side Raises
10sx20/15

Kinda BS day today. My eating schedule, food access, and stomach size/appetite are all f*cked up right now so it'll be a while before I can bulk properly, so I'm not starting the 5x5 yet. I'm going to cruise for the next month until I move up to UCSB on September 22nd. Probably not the smartest or most disciplined idea for the next month, I could just man up and force everything down, but I kind of need the mental deload from all the discipline over the last few months, ever since I started 5/3/1. College will be such a huge transition that upping the intensity of my lifting shouldn't be a big deal compared to everything else, and I've got an unlimited meal plan so I"m basically set to bulk like a madman. I'll do the 5x5 then till I'm back at the strength I had before cutting, hopefully leaner. From now on I'm cutting with stimulants (ephedra, caffiene, aspirin), it takes too long and therefore I lose too much strength cutting naturally. Maybe I should've done paleo, but it's too late now anyways. On the bright side I"m incredibly lean right now, well not really incredible but leaner than I ever remembered being, cruising around 197-200 lbs BW.

Anyways, today's lifting session, just hit up 185 on bench and focused on form, so the reps are pretty measly. Pendlays went well, technique felt great on those, lots of upper back and not forearms, just like it should be. DB bench was low, just high rep BS. Same for cable rows. Tried out pullovers and I think they're good, just not very much pressure on the lats at the top, might try lying cable pullovers sometime if I can find a half decent setup. Otherwise there's really no good free weight way to hit the lats like that well. Side raises are always a formality, but thankfully I'm now in the habit of doing them. Was going to do flys but my training partner was hungry and all the cable set ups were taken, so we just went and got burritos.

Gonna be doing strongman on Wednesdays from now on, thinking my schedule will go: Sun-Squat, Tues-Bench, Weds-Strongman, Fri-Deadlift. Works with my training partner's schedule since he's already started school and doesn't have class on those days, and works fine with my schedule too. Hopefully this "go by feel and do a lot of sets" approach isn't too stupid and won't lose me too much strength. Hell it might even be beneficial because it's so different from my previous training. The key to gains is progression, and I don't know how I'm going to implement that. Maybe I'll just use heavier and heavier weights every week and get what reps I can. Yeah I'll do that. I hope it works.

 

[amounirl]

8-29-12: Strongman Wednesday

Axle C/P
worked up to 200x1 clean and press

Sandbag Carry
200+ lbs for ~50 ft

Doesn't look like much on paper but I was pretty tired after this session. Could be due to a headache that was aggravated by training, or it could be the new protein I had today (for both). Or entirely other factors. Either way it was a good training session and I had fun. My fingers are all messed up from the sandbag and my thumb I messed up in kempo last week definitely doesn't feel too hot, but it's all worth it. Most likely will be training strongman on Tuesdays from now on, I"ll just have to see what days my gym training partner can train early and schedule around that. One possible template is Tues: Strongman, Thurs: Deadlift/Push press, Sat: Squat/front squat, Sun: Bench/Rows. And I'll probably just be doing kempo on Mondays, maybe Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Hopefully everything will work out.

 

[amounirl]

8-31-12: Deadlift and OHP

Squat
worked up to 5x185 just to warm up for deads

OHP
110x5/8/8/8

Deadlift
Worked up to 2x455, then did 2 sets with 405 standing on a plate: 405x2/3

Bradford Press in between Deads
4x12x65

Flys and Rows
Nothing of note, just trying to feel the muscle, bodybuilding style

Sternum Chin Ups
3x5xBW

Pretty good day today. This morning I saw a video of some guys doing some cool athletic stuff, including muscle ups, so I decided to go to the park near my house and try it. First 2 times I didn't get it, then I got a really sloppy one: My First Very Sloppy Muscle Up - YouTube

Got a much cleaner one at the gym in between sets of squats, although I'm still "cheating", by putting one hand over the bar first instead of both at the same time. Just obviously didn't grab the monkey bars at the gym. Still pretty happy about it, will definitely be incorporating those along with dips, chins, and other bodyweight exercises. I want to be more athletic this time I bulk. Also did the Monkey bars for the first time in 10 years, feels like a really good back exercise, especially in the traps, since they have to work to prevent my arm from being dislocated by 200 lbs. Will probably end up doing this type of stuff on off days.

OHP was decent, just doin 5 lbs more than last week, I usually end up doing 4 sets on compound movements because my friend does 5 sets, but doesn't need as many warm ups as I do. Today I was experimenting with a new set up on deads, kind of what Mike Tuscherer does where he rocks his knees into the bar to get tighter. I did something similar successfully on my warm ups, but on the 455 set I ended up stiff legging it quite a bit. I think since I've stopped doing good mornings my hamstrings and back have gotten too weak to maintain a good angle, thankfully now that I"m going to have a dedicated squat day again that problem should be fixed though, by GMs. Deficit deads the first rep of the first set I stiff legged, but the other 4 reps of my deficit deads were good, so again I think it's just a problem with heavy weights. At least now I can truly respect good mornings. Did bradford presses for shoulders between sets of deadlifts, then did some bodybuilding crap inspired by the iron evolution article by dave tate. Might just start doing that after the powerlifting work, for size (leverage is functional). Did some sternum chin ups on my friend's door frame chin up bar a few hours after the gym.

Also just ate indian food after the gym, and now I'm going again with family to get more indian food. Gains gains gains. This time I bulk I'm just going to worry about performance: good athletic cardio, good strong powerlifting. I'll probably get pretty fat and unsightly, but as long as I can be strong and be athletic, I"m fine with it till I cut up again in December, this time with stimulants.

 

[amounirl]

9-2-12: Squat

Squat
1x5x225
2x8x225 1 with belt
2x5x225 paused/slow with belt

Front Squat
2x5x185
2x8x185

Good Mornings
10x65

Short day today, my squat technique was pretty bad today so I kept it light. Sadly since I haven't squat over 300 in more than 2 months, light has become heavy to me. Guess I'll have to start from square 1 again. First 3 sets technique was still not that good, but the 3rd was a little better because the belt helped me feel my form better. Boxers tore in half on the 3rd set. 4th set technique was really good, 5th it was decent. Going slow, pausing and using the belt definitely helps, I think I'll just continue to add 10 lbs every week and do all my sets slow and paused. Was really worn out after these and my hamstrings felt like they were going to tear any second, and after front squats my back was cramping up a lot, so I didn't want to go heavy on the GMs, even putting 135 on my back I started to feel uneasy about them, so I just did them with an extra large ROM and light weight as a mobility exercise. My legs have become pitifully weak and it's going to be a pain in the ass (literally, my glutes are sore as hell) to bring them up to an acceptable level again. Thankfully now that I'm eating like a man again my testosterone and aggression feel back up, and I'm a lot more motivated in the gym, which ends up pissing me off more since I"m so weak now, which gets me even more motivated. Performance>aesthetics, I'm now starting the DAAM diet, disregard abs, acquire mass. Cutting this way was a huge mistake, I'm pretty sure of the 20 lbs I lost most of it was muscle, so next time I'm doing a Sheiko 4 week peaking cycle, eating a ton of calories but low carbs on off days and before lifting (carb backloading), and using creatine and the legal version of ECA stack. Fasting doesn't work for me. Dedicated cardio wont' be necessary, and ephedra extract is gains friendly, so overall I don't think I"ll lose muscle and strength like this time around. Now all I need to do is build that muscle and strength I'll seek to preserve.

 

[NoFatChicks91]

Sorry to hear about the unsuccessful diet. I have a suggestion about the squat problems you are having. I often have the same problem and on days where I can tell it's impacting performance I spend 10-15 mins just stretching the shit out of my hips. It helps my form and my lifts overall. I couldn't squat 135 before I did mobility exercises. Now I can get 245+

 

[amounirl]

Sorry to hear about the unsuccessful diet. I have a suggestion about the squat problems you are having. I often have the same problem and on days where I can tell it's impacting performance I spend 10-15 mins just stretching the shit out of my hips. It helps my form and my lifts overall. I couldn't squat 135 before I did mobility exercises. Now I can get 245+

Hey thanks for the tip man, I'll definitely have to try that next time, any particular stretches you recommend? I usually do some dynamic hip swings, sit in a "tribal squat" and get my feet as wide as possible, and do forward and side lunges for the quads, hams, and groin, and do all this for about 5-10 mins before I squat, but it always helps to get some new stretches

 

[amounirl]

9-4-12: Morning Bench/Pendlay Rows

Bench
190x5/8/9/5
135x3x3 dynamic

Pendlay Row
4x9x135

Front Plate Raise
25x8/12/12

Just went to the gym for a brief morning session, training strongman this evening around 5:00 but I wanted to bench sometime before my next bench day, Sunday, so that I don't go for more than a week without practicing my technique. Also I wanted to be able to eat all the delicious carby leftovers we have in the fridge, without feeling like I'm wasting potential gains and getting fat. Good gym session, no training partner but it actually helped. My current training partner often comes to the gym stoned, so his lack of motivation usually dampens my intensity as well, but today I smoked through it, no pun intended, with good focus and power. The only problem was I didn't have a spotter, asked somebody to spot my first set but the weight was easy enough that I knew I could get the other 3 sets without worrying about it, just didn't push for any reps that I wasn't 95% sure I could get (the 9th rep on the 3rd set was somewhat questionable, but I got it). Did a lot of band pull aparts, more seriously than usual, between bench sets, and my upper back, mostly traps, was pretty sore by the end of it. Happy to see my strength going back up, I look and feel bigger, slightly less lean, yet my bodyweight is still 197 at the gym. 190x9 is 10 lbs off my 9 rep PR I set at 210 BW.

Pendlays were good, hit some front plate raises between sets, big ROM all the way overhead. I like doing the pendlay rows with light weight and higher reps, lets me feel it more in my lats and focus on technique instead of trying to push through it and feeling it mostly in the forearms.

I might also add that I did a slightly closer bench grip than usual, just because I use a very wide grip compared to what I see most raw powerlifters using, even though I don't really have a shoulder structure suited to pressing, which worrys me that I'll be seeing shoulder injuries in the future. Felt good with the closer grip, less shoulder pain (not that I usually have that much) and just as much power. On the 4th set I did slower paused reps, and on the dynamic sets I did 1 rep slow, then 3 fast, just to be able to tell the difference, I heard about JM blakely doing something similar for his dynamic work, thought I'd try it out. Overall a good, short session.

 

[NoFatChicks91]

Here are some stretches I do.

I really like the pigeon hip stretch especially if you do it on a box, that way you can sink lower and lower as those hips loosen up and really stretch them out.

Another one I like requires a pole-like object. I use the poles on the squat rack to do this. You squat facing the pole while grabbing it with both arms, wedge your elbows into your kees and push them apart. Pull yourself into the pole while doing this. Imaging yourself trying to pull your torso forward while you wedge your hips with your elbows. If it hurts you are doin it right!

Here are some videos

Pigeon Pose Floor/Box - CrossFit Charlottesville Underground Mobility Project - YouTube

Pigeon Pose Floor/Box - CrossFit Charlottesville Underground Mobility Project - YouTube

 

[amounirl]

Here are some stretches I do.

I really like the pigeon hip stretch especially if you do it on a box, that way you can sink lower and lower as those hips loosen up and really stretch them out.

Another one I like requires a pole-like object. I use the poles on the squat rack to do this. You squat facing the pole while grabbing it with both arms, wedge your elbows into your kees and push them apart. Pull yourself into the pole while doing this. Imaging yourself trying to pull your torso forward while you wedge your hips with your elbows. If it hurts you are doin it right!

Here are some videos

Pigeon Pose Floor/Box - CrossFit Charlottesville Underground Mobility Project - YouTube

Pigeon Pose Floor/Box - CrossFit Charlottesville Underground Mobility Project - YouTube

Hey thanks for the links man, I've done the pidgeon stretch on the floor before but not on the boxes, good stuff, and I'll definitely try the pole one. Much appreciated!

 

[amounirl]

9-4-12: Evening (or according to Coachdeez, Night) Strongman

Axle C/P
Worked up to 3 cleans and 3 presses with 180. Felt really strong today despite benching earlier, so I'm pretty confident that my strength is going up by a lot. I'm finally feeling good with the axle technique, it's not nearly as awkward as it's been in the past, though I'm still using too much arms. The weight felt easy but it was my cardio that was fatigued at the end, might have been able to hit 200 for a triple, or 210 for a double today, but I just wanted to do 90% of my PR/training max for 3 reps. I definitely think push pressing in the gym has helped a lot, will definitely continue doing those next time I start up 5/3/1 again, or somehow find a way to work it into the 5x5.

Sandbag Medley (just over 50 feet)
150 lb sandbag for 50 ft
run 50 ft back
200 lb sandbag for 50 ft
run 50 ft back
250 lb sandbag failed to lift, so I got it up with assistance and carried it about 5 ft
200 lb sandbag lifted with assistance, carried about 10-20 ft
150 lb sandbag lifted with assistance, carried 50 ft, then looped around which added about another 15-25 ft

Was gassed as hell at the end of this, and my legs and back, which had been sore earlier and cured by the axle, were now just as sore as before. The last time I've ever been breathing this hard was my first kempo class, the time before that was the first time I ever ran "the superlap", an evil 1.5 mile run that was mostly uphill (only down part was the stairs) invented by our middle school teachers, in 7th grade. Even 3 rounds of intense sparring, 1.5 mins on .5 mins off-after hitting bags for an hour-from last Thursday was not this hard. Plus the strength component, this is the most exhausted I can ever remember being. Just listing all my cardiovascular achievements.......

Aaaanyways, overall a really good training session, I feel so much better and more motivated than I did when I was cutting, I now enjoy lifting again. Just overall had a great day today, maybe it was the fact that I slept 12 hours with maybe only 1-2 hours of interruptions last night, or the fact I foam rolled this morning, or several other factors. Either way life is good right now, and training is going well in every way. Been walking on off days, taking my 10 yr old brother to the park and doing pull ups and monkey bars with him, and all sorts of other stuff recently, so it could just be me becoming in better shape and strengthening my back. Either way, my performance in strength and cardio is going up despite my gaining bodyweight and bodyfat, and eating pretty much whatever I want, and until the next time I cut, that's all I care about.