My Training Log

[amounirl]

9-13-12: Deads and OHP

Squat
a few sets of 5x135, just to help build that muscle memory technique, and get my hips warmed up for deads

OHP
120x5/5/6/6/5

Deficit Deadlift
415x3 with 1 plate deficit
365x5 with 2 plate deficit

Bradford Press
65x15/16

Hip Thrust
10x135

Decent day today, wasn't feeling like I could even get 470x1, much less for 2, so I just did deficit deads instead. Get more out of lighter weight, since I might be a bit overtrained, one of the many factors that could contribute to why I wasn't feeling strong today (kempo workout was more intense than usual, BW was 196 at the gym, sleep/diet have been a bit off, and possible overtraining due to working with over 90% for too many weeks in a row). Squats were good, technique is getting better and better, OHP was all right, did a lot of push ups in kempo yesterday, plus I did a lot of pull ups for a rest day, 30-40, at the park yesterday with my brother, so it could be why I wasn't able to push the sets to 8 reps. Like I said, deads I wasn't feeling it, 315 went up slow raw, 365 was fast with a belt, but 405 was really slow even with the belt, so I went for a 10 lb deficit dead PR while I was fresh, then dropped it down even more, did 3 reps with 365 standing on 2 plates, but it was too easy, so I did 2 more reps, both decent grinders at lockout.

Next week I'll probably do some deficit deads, then do some overloading, so maybe work up to 3x425 deficit dead, then 3x455 regular dead, then 3x475 block pull off 1 or 2 plates depending on how hard 455 is. The week after that I'll be living in Santa Barbara, so I'll try 475x2 to "establish my dominance" in the college weight room, or deload if the block pulls killed me, then the week after that I'm starting the 5x5 at around 425 or 435.

Forgot to bradford press between sets so I did 1 before my last set, then 1 before or after hip thrust, which I just threw in for extra lockout work, even though I was already pretty well worked.

 

[amounirl]

9-15-12: Squat/Legs

Squat
265x5/7/8/5

Good Morning
3x10x135

Speed Deadlift
5 or 6 sets of 2 with 275

Short but good day today. Squats took a lot out of me, especially with this heat wave. Since I was pretty much dying in the heat I didn't want to try to squeeze front squats in, so I just focused on what I need, posterior chain work and deadlift technique reinforcement. Speed deads went great, 275 was flying up like it was nothing on most reps. Did this in oly shoes with my belt worn 1 notch loose.

 

[NoFatChicks91]

Great deadlifts bro!

 

[amounirl]

9-16-12: Bench/Upper Body

Bench
200x5/7/9/5p (200x9 matched my 9 rep PR I set back when I weighed 205-210 and was using creatine, 5p as in 5 reps paused for the last set)

Pendlay row
155x5/7/8/5

Dips
BW x10
BW+20 x8/8/8/6
BW x10/11 (11 was with wraps)

Drag Rows
10x95
10x115
2x10x135
10x145 (followed by 12 shrugs)

T Bar Row
1 plate x 30 reps

McDonalds
1000 calories at least

Good day today, getting stronger and stronger without gaining much bodyweight. Somehow even though my scale weight isn't increasing, decreasing if anything, I look bigger and fatter. Doesn't make sense at all but the primary goal is high rep strength right now, so maybe I'm getting more puffy and less dense, so to speak. Either way progression is progression, once I start the 5x5 I should get denser and this gives me a good base of size to work up from. This would essentially be the hypertrophy stage of a periodization program, so I'll try to maintain the size as I train more exclusively for strength. Bench was strong today, might have had 10 on 200 but I didn't want to hit failure and ruin this gradual but undeniable progression, so I left it at 9. Pendlays felt a little weak but I still got 25 reps in 4 sets so I was happy I didn't have to do 5 sets. Dips I had a little competition with my friend, he ended up beating me and getting 14 after we both finished our weighted dips, but I'll beat him one day when I'm fresh! Drag rows were good, really glad to finally be hitting my traps properly. Just did some t bar rows at the end to finish off the back.

Later today I'm going to be going to my friend's small apartment complex gym to give him and my other friend some lifting tips, they don't really have any free weights from what I understand but I'll try to get them on a decent routine with whatever they have. So I'll probably end up doing some more upper body stuff then. Then tonight we're having guests for dinner and we're going to have a lot of food, so I'll probably head to the park and do some pull ups just to get in that anabolic state before eating a lot. Plus I love doing pull ups. Won't be logging that but I've been doing about 30-60 pull ups of varying grips, 3 times per week with my brother, from which I've noticed gains in the width of my lats, an increase in my work capacity, and a decrease in time needed to rest between sets.

 

[amounirl]

Decided to take a rest day today even though I was going to do front squats, lower lat, and upper chest work today. Feeling pretty sore and worn out, plus it's grappling week in kempo which is very physically demanding, so my next lifting session will be on thurs. Just doin some shoulder rehab work around the house with light dumbbells today. I'll also go do some pull ups with my brother this evening, but with more focus on the arms (narrower grip fat bar pull ups and hammer grip chins), since my bicep/forearms are the only things that aren't sore at all right now. Might throw in some hill sprints. My chest, shoulders, traps, and adductors/hamstrings are killing me!

 

[amounirl]

9-20-12: Hips and Shoulders

High Bar Squat
5xbar
5x95
5x135
2x5x155

OHP
5x125

Deadlift
3x425 1 plate deficit
1x475 block pull off 1 plate
8x405 touch n go block pull off 1 plate

Bradford Press
4x10x75 from between DL sets

Very short day today, was in and out in 1.5 hours. Really liked high bar squats, felt it a ton in the glutes. Thinking about switching over to high bar squats in January when I start 5/3/1 again, I'll just slowly start loading them in conjunction with low bar squats, on my dynamic day in place of leg press. Once I start them as a main movement though I'll need to prioritize good mornings over front squats for assistance work, to make sure I don't neglect my hamstrings. I'll be doing dynamic box squats to warm up for deads on deadlift day as well. I think high bar actually fits my build better, I have to lean so far forward and use so much back when I do low bar squats because of my short torso and long femurs, but with these, I put the bar up on my traps and still sat back to use my posterior chain, kind of like Misha Koklyaev, and it feels a million times more natural to me. Even though I was leaning forward a bit and using back/posterior chain, I had no buttwink, hit depth easily, and felt very strong, except for the huge discomfort in my unconditioned traps.

OHP felt very weak, decided to just do bradfords instead, my shoulders have been a bit funky since sunday when I did all those dips. I also think I overdid it on the pull up training, and actually managed to overtrain my back (I use a lot of lats and traps on OHP). I did about 40-50 reps on Sunday when I trained with my friends, then I did about 60 pull ups throughout 7 sets on tuesday, then afterwards had about 5 unsuccessful attempts before finally getting a muscle up, think I tweaked my shoulder and the area where the traps meet the lats while doing those. Doesn't help that I grappled pretty intensely monday and wednesday night, 3 two minute rounds in a row of jiu jitsu. Yesterday and this morning my back actually looked smaller, and it's been really sore and actually even hurting. Then I just felt really worn out overall today, basically all that tells me I've overtrained my back, something I never before thought was possible. I'll have to take it easy on friday, I'll focus on just coaching my brother.

Obviously since my back was overtrained, deadlifts were mediocre, was happy to get a PR on the deficit pull, but was very disappointed on the block pulls, got the 2nd rep up to my knees but I knew there would be no point and a potential injury in trying to lock it out, so I just dropped it. Decided I might as well get some actual work in so I did a high rep set with 405, no bouncing, just touch n go, all the time under tension killed my glutes/hamstrings. Since DL is a bit overtrained I'll do a semi deload next week, gonna start the mag/ort program and the first week only involves me going up to 405 for 2 sets of 2, which is basically a deload.

Not the best day but it's still productive, and I've learned to take it easier on my pull up training, and that I love high bar squats. Moving to college this Saturday, and on Sunday I'll be doing 20 rep squats (probably low bar) to kick off my weight gain. I'm sure it doesn't help the overtraining situation that I've weighed 197 for the last 4-6 weeks, but the unlimited meal plan I've got for college should help me change that.

 

[amounirl]

9-23-12: Squat/OHP

Squat
5x275
3x315
15x225

OHP
105x8/9/10
135x5 push press

Dips
2x12xBW+10

Short day today, my first workout at UCSB. The gym is decent, much better than the 24 hour fitness at home, but the one thing that pisses me off about it is the fact that you can't have your workout bag with you, there's these cubbies really far away and out of eyesight from the squat rack where they need to be, and that has me really uneasy. Wouldn't be surprised if the guy comes up to me on my deadlifts and tells me I can't use chalk. But otherwise it was good. Low bar squat technique felt amazing today, maybe the fact I had to ride my bike halfway across campus to the gym helped warm up my hips, because I barely needed to stretch. I could have gone heavier but my focus was to do high rep squats today. 15 wasn't to failure but I didn't want to hit failure and ruin this training block. I'll be doing the 5x5 next week, starting on Saturday. OHP was pretty decent as well, felt pretty strong, and dips were good, didn't aggravate my shoulder too badly.

Met a bodybuilder who I knew from back in middle school at the gym today, as well as a few friends I met at orientation. I was OHPing with a friend who threw discus in highschool, he was only getting 105 for 3-4 reps, but when we went to dips he was destroying me, he got BW+50 for 5 reps and BW+70 for 3 reps. And he weighs 207. I need to step it up on those, otherwise looking forward to the training block. Dining halls are closed from 2-5 unfortunately, so I"ll probably end up just lifting then so I can make the most of my time. Kind of bummed that I got the unlimited meal plan without knowing that, but it's fine, I"ll just eat as much as possible when I can. Diet was very off the last 2 days, havne't weighed myself but I could be as low as 190, looking leaner and smaller without a doubt. There's also a small gym 3 doors down from my dorm room, they only have some machines and a cable machine but I can do external rotations so I'll be doing those on off days.

 

[NoFatChicks91]

Cubbies with no locks or anything on them? That's stupid man! Yeah I'd be worried about getting my shit stolen too.

Good numbers as always man 275 x 5 back squat is a way's out for me haha keep it up!

475 x 1 deadlift man if you haven't already 500 lb pr is coming your way

 

[amounirl]

Yeah no locks man, it's bullshit. Whatever though, it's otherwise a good gym. I got 500 a few months back but I lost a lot of strength cutting. Hoping to get 500 for a double in 3 months, starting ort/mag deadlift program: 500 deadlift - YouTube

9-25-12: Bench/Rows

Bench
3x5x210
5x185 very close grip

Pendlay Row
3x5x165

JM Press
85x10
105x8
125x5

Drag Rows
12x135 5 shrugs
10x155 5 shrugs
10x160 10 shrugs

Incline Push Ups (feet on box)
35 reps

Reverse Bench/Inverted Rows (awkward set up)
20 reps

Decent workout today. Most of the bars in the new gym are thicker than the standard bars, I asked and they still weigh 45, but the thickness is throwing me off a bit, plus the rings are spaced really wide. Also the bench itself is narrower so it's hard to set my shoulders. Even pinky on the ring grip feels wide for me. So I just tried to feel it out where I felt comfortable (I like a wide grip for strength but it bothers my shoulders). Rows went well. JM Press I was just trying to feel it out, elbows were bothered like crazy, will probably just do cable curls/triceps on Thursday morning in the little fitness room in my hall, then head for the rec center in the evening to do my deadlifts. Drag rows were good, there's a trap bar in the gym so I"ll probably make use of that for shrugs, and maybe do some trap bar deads on my deload week for Ort/Mag where you're supposed to rest the lower back. Incline push ups were good, felt more fatigue in the upper back than chest though, since I"m so used to supporting my shoulders and accelerating the bar with back and not chest. Might have to do cable flys for chest. Reverse bench was awkward but I felt it in the lats, biceps, and forearms pretty well, so it wasn't a complete disaster. Smith machine was taken, so I just went to the premade barbell rack, removed 2, and used the 3rd from the bottom as a bar. Overall a good workout. Afterwards I went to the dining hall and had 12 pieces of sushi, 2 bowls of broccoli beef, a fish steak with brown rice, and 3 cups of milk. Gotta love the unlimited meal plan.

Haven't been weighing myself but I look and feel good/strong. Testosterone has felt really high though for some reason, maybe it's all the girls or maybe it's the high meat diet, I've also been sleeping 8 hours per night consistently, and pretty active (biking everywhere, playing sports outside, walking). After my workout today I looked pretty damn huge with my shirt off. College is pretty great so far!

 

[amounirl]

9-27-12: Ort/Mag Deadlift

High and Wide Box Squat
3x5x135 dynamic

Deadlift
4x4x350
2x2x405
10x365 (4 rep/90 lb PR)

Weighted Chin Ups
3x3xBW+45

Tricep Pressdowns
30 reps total of varying weights

Box squats felt pretty good, very fast. Biking 3-4 miles to the gym is a great hip/leg warmup so I don't need to do very much but stretch my groin muscles before working lower body lifts. Deads were good today. Took a lot out of me but it wasn't anything unmanagable, so next week when I work with real weights (2x455) shouldn't kill me. Haven't done high rep straight deads in forever so it was a 4 rep/90 lb PR on the last set. No bouncing but no resetting either. I'm pretty sure it was one of the thicker bars but it didn't feel too bad. Didn't want to try using chalk because the gym owners can be pricks about it, so I just used eco chalk, not as good but it worked, though I did feel deads were a lot more taxing on my grip this way. Or it could be the thicker bar, which again I"m not 100% sure was one of the thick ones. Not a problem though. Technique felt spot on today, was very happy about that.

Weighted chins were tough as hell because my hands were already torn up and my grip was already tired from deads, but I busted out 3x3x45. I'll probably start doing those on Saturdays instead so I can actually work them hard. Tricep pressdowns are great, gotta get my triceps bigger and I like them for the long head a lot better than JM Press, only shitty thing is it's too easy to accidentally recruit the pecs and take pressure off the tris, when the weight gets heavy. Good day overall, going to do high bar squats, incline benches, and trap bar drag rows/shrugs on Saturday, along with some other stuff.