Squat Day - Cycle 8

Squat Day
Cycle 8

Overall Impression:

very stressed out this week....and the last one too but its building right now lol....i didnt want to go and lift but i went anyways...pretty shoddy workout though i did hit the numbers i wanted to..

The Workout:

Squats
- 245 lbs x 3 reps x 4 sets @ 3 minute rest intervals
- 195 lbs x 9 reps @ 5 minute break after last 245 set
SO...lots to say:
1.) 245 for triples was ok. I warmed up very thoroughly and this time i took a wider stance than normal (normally i just go shoulder width or not-even and try to reach ass to grass) and to below parallel but just a hairbreath short of ass to grass. this kept my lower back tight and did not let me do the "butt wink" although i think i couldnt help but go all the way down on 1-2 reps.
2.) 195 bombed because i just wasnt in the mood. i dunno why....nothing on my playlist seemed to make me want to do that, i didnt feel like doing it.....i just decided "**** this im done" after rep 9 so i just racked it. maybe i shouldnt squat for more than 6 reps regularly...perhaps only once in a while maybe?

Unilateral Romanian Deadlifts
skipped

Regular Romanian Deadlifts
skipped...decided to give my lower back some much needed rest

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises superset with Lying Leg Raises = 12 reps x 2 sets and 10 reps x 2 sets respectively
- Front Plate Squats, Overhead Side Bends and Side Bends tri-set = 25 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets, 10 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets and 45 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets respectively
I love ab work...

Grip Work
skipped

Shoulder Prehab Work
- Overhead Shrugs

Military Press Day - Cycle 8

Military Press Day
Cycle 8

Overall Impression:

i hate morning workouts but thats when the gym is mostly free....oh well....

i weighed myself today. 172 lbs. weird.....

The Workout:

Standing Barbell Military Press
- bar x 5 reps x 2 sets
- 95 lbs x 5 reps
- 125 lbs x 1 rep
- 135 lbs x 1 rep
- 145 lbs x 1 rep
<4.5>
- 160 lbs x 1 rep (took a 4 minute break)
<3>
- 145 lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
- 145 lbs x 0 fail
- 145 lbs x 0 fail
so quite a lot of things to note:
1.) i added in one more warm-up set of 125 lbs. unlike last time, i did not fail at 160.
2.) my reps initially were very slow and sluggish - even with the bar alone. but this is probably because i was yawning while at the gym and i hadnt woken up...not even after the 160 set.
3.) however, past 145 on the warm-ups the reps became much more smooth
4.) 160 felt good. i am glad i rested so much before 160.
5.) i was supposed to do 5 sets of triples with 145 but after set 3, i got screwed. i took a 3 minute break between each set subsiquently (and the one's before as well) but i kept failing. i even tried to push-press the weight but i just couldnt. oh well...

EDT Training for Time Block = 15 minutes
- Flat Dumbbell Press @ 60 lbs = 8 + 8 + 8 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 42 reps total (-14 reps from last time and +10 lbs)
- Dumbbell Rows @ 70 lbs = 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 48 reps total (- 12 reps from last time and +10 lbs)
i was running out of time so i kinda hurried it up and quit in a little over 10 minutes. shit.

Facepulls
- 70 lbs x 10 reps
- 90 lbs x 8 reps
- 100 lbs x 6 reps
did these standing.

Ab Work
- Lying Leg Raises = 15 reps x 2 sets
My abs are pumped!!! lol...

Deadlift Day - Cycle 8

Deadlift Day
Cycle 8

Overall Impression:

hopefully my last back-off week...

The Workout:

Deadlifts
- 275 lbs x 5 reps
- 185 lbs x 5 reps
so here's the plus points of today's lift:
1.) i think form was good
2.) i was able to hold the 275 up and squeeze my glutes on almost all reps
3.) i think i lowered the bar a bit better
and here's the negative points:
1.) grip is shit. i think my grip is actually getting weaker as i progress weekly...wtf???
2.) last 2 reps with 275 were fucked up. i could barely hold the bar....

Bulgarian Squats
- 50 lbs x 6 reps x 2 sets

Glute Ham Raises
- BW x 8 reps x 3 sets

Ab Work
- Plank Test = 2 minutes and 5 seconds
- Hanging Leg Raises = 15 reps x 2 sets
- Front Plate Squats, Overhead Plate Side Bends and Plate Side Bends Tri-set = 25 lbs, 10 lbs and 45 lbs for 10 reps x 1 set respectively

Grip Work
- Farmers Walks (with straps) = 75 lbs dumbbells for 40 seconds and 38 seconds.

Bench Press Day - Cycle 7

Bench Press Day
Cycle 7

Overall Impression:

changed it up a bit...but before we begin...so here's something extremely odd...last monday, when i hit my Military Press record of 160, i weighed in at 173. i then decided i would up my protein intake to 300-350 grams a day knowing that that wasnt going to happen but it was important i set such a high goal because im actually having between 200-250 grams a day now. well, today i go and weigh myself and im at 180!!! how? how can this happen??

The Workout:

Pull-ups
- 6 reps + 6 reps + 6 reps + 6 reps = 24 reps @ 2 minute Rest Intervals
decided to start today's session with some pull-ups. they worked out pretty well.

Seated Unilateral Dumbbell Shoulder Press and Pull-ups Superset
- 50 lbs x 7 reps x 2 sets and 5 reps x 2 sets respectively @ 2.5 minute rest intervals
i decided to superset unilateral presses and pull-ups...

Skull Crushers and Bent Arm Pull-overs Superset
- 50 lbs x 7 reps x 3 sets and 50 lbs x 7 reps x 3 sets respectively

Pulley Push Downs and Reverse Grip Push Downs Superset
- 52.5 lbs x 12 reps x 1 set and 37.5 lbs x 8 reps x 1 set

Ab Work
- Overhead Plate Side Bends = 25 lbs x 8 reps, 15 lbs x 12 reps
- Regular Plate Side Bends = 45 lbs x 10 reps
- Lat Pull Down Sit-ups = 80 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets

Shoulder Prehab Work
some dumbbell shoulder protractions and some push-up plus work and a little overhead shrug work as well. nothing too heavy and nothing too effortful either. though reps were high but with light weights most of the time.

Squat Day - Cycle 7

Squat Day
Cycle 7

Overall Impression:

good workout today. i got 5 vids of squats and one of unilateral rdls. will post them later. this is one hell of a crazy week...

The Workout:

Squats
- 245 lbs x 2 reps x 4 sets @ 3 minute rest intervals
- 185 lbs x 15 reps @ 5 minute break after last 245 set
awesome workout i think. next week im going to try and get 245x3x4 and 205x10 or something. lets see.

Unilateral Romanian Deadlifts
- 65 lbs x 6 reps x 2 sets
i made the mistake of doing 6 reps with the left leg and 7 with the right on set 1 and then i did 7 with the left leg and 6 with the right just to even things out lol..

Regular Romanian Deadlifts
- 95 lbs x 10 reps x 1 set

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises = BW x 15 reps x 2 sets

Grip Work
- Standing Alternate Arm Dumbbell Curls = 35 lbs x 7 reps x 3 sets

Shoulder Prehab Work
- Shoulder Protractions

Military Press Day - Cycle 7

Military Press Day
Cycle 7

Overall Impression:

i have the worst week ahead of me...3 exams plus 1 paper and i havent done anything lol (well, i studied for today's exam but thats it)... i went into the gym today feeling like i didnt want to workout.

The Workout:

Standing Barbell Military Press
- bar x 5 reps x 2 sets
- 95 lbs x 5 reps
- 135 lbs x 1 rep
- 145 lbs x 1 rep
- 160 lbs x 0 = fail
- 160 lbs x 1 rep (took a 4 minute break)
- 145 lbs x 2 reps x 4 sets
- 145 lbs x 1 rep x 1 set
A lot of mixed emotions about this workout.
1.) compared to last workout i warmed up a lot less. perhaps this wasnt such a hot idea. next time ill warm up a little more than i did today but perhaps not as much as last time.
2.) i failed on 160 the first time. i have no idea why. i could've and should've nailed it but i got stuck mid way and i just collapsed. so i took a 4 minute rest (as opposed to 3 minutes prior to 160) and tried again and i managed to get it this time. but it was pretty sluggish and slow.
3.) the first set of 145 (double) was done after a 2 minute rest. it flew up easy. for the first 4 sets i rested 2.5 minutes atleast and i found that my second reps were a lot easier for some reason compared to the first ones.
4.) i prepared for my last double by resting for 4 minutes. maybe this was a bad idea. i got the first rep real easy and then i just couldnt do the second. i didnt want to rest and come at it again so i just called it quits.
5.) ive realized that i need to hold the bar at this point where my elbows naturally come ahead of the bar and no matter the weight of the bar it feels like air to me. i got this point when i did 160 the second time and i actually had this point the entire workout last time. im upset i couldnt get that groove spot back this workout. i only got it on the 160 second attempt and the 145 doubles till set 4. set 4 i sluggishly moved the weight up and set 5 i just couldnt budge that weight the second time. im going to try and find this spot again next time.
6.) im pretty happy that i was able to get the 160 the second time. i felt so sad after the first miss i think it gave me time to recollect myself and organize my thoughts and nail it the second time. next week the goal is to get 160x1 and then 145 for triples. lets see.

EDT Training for Time Block = 15 minutes
- Flat Dumbbell Press @ 60 lbs = 8 + 8 + 8 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 42 reps total (-14 reps from last time and +10 lbs)
- Dumbbell Rows @ 70 lbs = 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 48 reps total (- 12 reps from last time and +10 lbs)
a pretty large drop in reps but with the added weight i think its expected. next time ill try to increase the overall total reppage.

Facepulls
- 70 lbs x 10 reps
- 90 lbs x 8 reps
- 100 lbs x 6 reps
did these standing.

Ab Work
skipped

Deadlift Day - Cycle 7

Deadlift Day
Cycle 7

Overall Impression:

decent workout i guess

The Workout:

Deadlifts
- 270 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets
hopefully this is the last back off day

Bulgarian Squats
- 50 lbs x 6 reps x 2 sets

Glute Ham Raises
- BW x 10 reps x 3 sets

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises = BW x 15 reps x 2 sets
- Front Plate Squats = 25 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets
After all of my ab work i tried doing this ab exercises which is like the hanging leg raises but im supposed to raise myself perpendicular to the floor and then do pistons lol

Grip Work
- Pinch Grip Holds
- Static Holds
- Hammer Curls 40 lbs x 5 reps x 1 set

Bench Press Day - Cycle 6

Bench Press Day
Cycle 6

Overall Impression:

tomorrow is friday!!! hahahha...

i hate the bench press...

The Workout:

Bench Press
- speed-strength work @ 80% of 1RM with 165 lbs x 2 reps x 6 sets
reps were pretty slow and sluggish....but it was pretty easy...i didnt do any top sets because i really didnt want to...im lazy...

Pull-ups
- 9 reps + 7 reps + 6 reps = 22 reps (+2 reps from last time)
felt alright...

Skull Crushers and Bent Arm Pull-overs Superset
- 50 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets and 50 lbs x 5 reps x 5 sets respectively
slow tempo overall. heavy focus on negatives for the bent arm pull-overs. it was a good workout.

Shoulder Prehab Work
i worked on a LOT of stuff today...i dunno why but i slept last night in a weird position and my shoulders were feeling a little weird today...so i did a whole bunch of theraband work, internal plus external rotations, facepulls (very light) and i did a LOT of protractions...the push-up plus and the dumbbell press - plus. i feel better now

Squat Day - Cycle 6

Squat Day
Cycle 6

Overall Impression:

my hammies and glutes were sore today...i dunno why....perhaps from all the GHR's i did last time? who knows...so anyways, this was a kinda weird workout session.

oh, and i have upped my protein intake to 350 grams minimum...i just realized yesterday that for last 10 days ive just been having 250 grams or something...thats bad. so anyways, small improvement here...

The Workout:

Squats
- 275 lbs x 2 reps x 1 set
- 225 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets
- 185 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets
- 135 lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
something was just off today....im not doing this the way i used to before....im popping out of the hole really fast but then im struggling around midpoint. so here's the plan: im not gonna do something this crazy again...it took me over 40 minutes just to complete the squat part of this workout. come next workout onwards, i am going to be doing 3x5 and then 2 sets of whatever i want. i will start out 3x5 with 225 and build from there by adding 5 lbs per session. but no more reverse pyramiding...it ends up being a whole lot of work which isnt really what i need right now. after i do the 3x5 workout, ill do 2-3 sets of high reps.

Unilateral Romanian Deadlifts
- 45 lbs x 7 reps x 2 sets

Regular Romanian Deadlifts
- 135 lbs x 10 reps x 1 set

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises = BW x 12 reps x 2 sets

Shoulder Prehab Work
- Shoulder Protractions

Military Press Day - Cycle 6

Military Press Day
Cycle 6

Overall Impression:

so...i am back to standing barbell military presses. finally. lots to talk about today's workout.

firstly, i worked out in the evening today. i had had only 1 meal prior to this. that meal consisted of a sandwich with roast beef, plenty of red wine vinegar and half a pound of tofu on the side. thats all. i also slept for 4 hours last night. i was NOT expecting to bring my "A" game to the gym. far from it. but, i was pleasantly surprised...

weighed in at 173 lbs today.

The Workout:

Standing Barbell Military Press
- bar x 15 reps
- 95 lbs x 6 reps
- 125 lbs x 4 reps
- 135 lbs x 2 reps
- 145 lbs x 1 rep
- 155 lbs x 1 rep (old PR)
- 160 lbs x 1 rep (New PR)
- 145 lbs x 1 rep x 5 sets
So, i set a brand new PR today. rest intervals from 95 to 135 were timed in at 2 minutes. from 135 to 155 rest was 3 minutes. i took 3.5 minutes before 160. the singles with 145 were clocked in with rest intervals at 2 minutes.
ok, so details about this. my motion was smooth and very easy. i could've done 165 if i really wanted to but i wanted to be conservative. i had taken my micro-loading plates with me to the gym but im happy i didnt have to use them on the heavy sets, before i used to sort of "stall" at mid point. now, i slow down only when it comes close to locking out. im very happy with this.
160 is 93% of my BW and thats a lot to press overhead. especially since i did it with perfect form - bar touching clavicle and zero leg drive. i wish i had taken a video....the whole damn football team was there so i barely got to grad a power cage....i grabbed one and left 4 guys who turned up just a second behind me without one and they were kinda annoyed...oh well
regarding the 5 singles i did with 145, they were more or less ok. my total number of sets above 90% of my 1RM are 8. (145, 155, 160 and then the 5 singles with 145). i wish i had taken longer rest intervals. initially the first couple of singles felt very light but i was pressed for time so i kinda didnt take the extra rest that i should have. i was able to do all the 5 singles without having to "grind out" even one of them. im very happy about this but it would've been even better if i had just taken the time to rest. ah well, next time.

EDT Training for Time Block = 15 minutes
- Flat Dumbbell Press @ 50 lbs = 11 + 11 + 10 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 56 reps total (+13 reps from last time and -5 lbs)
- Dumbbell Rows @ 60 lbs = 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 60 reps total (same reps as last time and +10 lbs)
ok so i kinda goofed up on this. i forgot that last time i had taken 55 lbs for the flat bench press....i forgot to enter that in my logbook so i took 50 this time (being conservative). next time ill take 60 and for dumbbell rows ill use 70.

Facepulls
- 100 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets
nice!

Ab Work
- Lat Pull Down Sit-ups = 90 lbs x 4 reps x 2 sets

Deadlift Day - Cycle 6

Deadlift Day
Cycle 6

Overall Impression:

my eating habits are atrocious! so, im guessing that i mostly undereat 99% of the time but over the course of friday and saturday this is what ive managed to gulp down (and its not all healthy - infact, barely anything is healthy for me):
3 16 oz steaks
3 tubs of ice cream
2 huge servings of chips and queso
sushi
2 cheese quesadillas
jeez...i need to stop eating so much utter junk!

as for today's workout, i think it went well. its still a back-off week so deads were not done with high volume at all. i also took a whole bunch of videos.

The Workout:

Deadlifts
- 270 lbs x 5 reps
today was a back-off day. got in everything nice and easy.

Bulgarian Squats
- 50 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets

Glute Ham Raises
- BW x 10 reps x 2 sets
- BW x 8 reps x 1 set

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises = BW x 15 reps x 2 sets
- Front Plate Squats = 25 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets

Grip Work
- Wrist Roller work with 25 lbs

Bench Press Day - Cycle 5

Bench Press Day
Cycle 5

Overall Impression:

weather is awesome today....70-81F. i love this. been carrying a stop watch to the gym off late

The Workout:

Bench Press
- speed-strength work @ 75% of 1RM with 155 lbs x 2 reps x 6 sets
- Incline Close Grip Bench Press = 165 lbs x 4 reps
strength-speed work was alright. rested 60-70 seconds between sets. Incline CGBP was pretty cool. i just wanted to change things. im bored of flat bench pressing.

Pull-ups
- 8 reps + 7 reps + 5 reps = 20 reps
3 sets to failure all with over 3 minute rest intervals.

Skull Crushers and Bent Arm Pull-overs Superset
- 50 lbs x 5 reps x 5 sets and 50 lbs x 5 reps x 5 sets respectively
slow tempo overall. heavy focus on negatives for the bent arm pull-overs. it was a good workout.

Ab Work
skipped...i was lazy (damnit!)

Squat Day - Cycle 5

Squat Day
Cycle 5

Overall Impression:

so...third workout day in a row..
sunday = morning workout deadlifts
monday = early early morning workout military press
tuesday = late late evening workout squats

why? im gonna be neck deep in work for the next 2 days and i dont want to miss my squat day or carry it forward...so well, tried to cram it in today. it was a good workout IMO.

The Workout:

Squats
- 245 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets
- 225 lbs x 6 reps x 2 sets
- 185 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets
- 135 lbs x 5 reps x 1 set
245 for 5x5 was the original goal but something was a bit off today...my foot placement or the way i was lowering the bar - i dunno what but it wasnt as it should have been. so, i did only 2 sets of 245 and then stripped the bar to 225 and the like. good workout though.

Unilateral Romanian Deadlifts
- 65 lbs x 6 reps x 2 sets

Regular Romanian Deadlifts
- 135 lbs x 10 reps x 1 set

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises = BW x 12 reps x 2 sets
- Front Plate Side Squats = 25 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets

Shoulder Prehab Work
- Shoulder Protractions

Military Press Day - Cycle 5

Military Press Day
Cycle 5

Overall Impression:

first day of EDT-type work...pretty good...worked up an insane sweat...i think the entire area i was working at looked like someone had taken a shower at lol...

The Workout:

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- 55 lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
same as last time

EDT Training for Time Block = 15 minutes
- Flat Dumbbell Press @ 55 lbs = 8 + 8 + 6 + 6 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 43 reps total
- Dumbbell Rows @ 55 lbs = 10 + 8 + 8 + 10 + 8 + 6 + 10 = 60 reps total
Good workout. i think this will help a lot with hypertrophy. atleast, i want it to help with hypertrophy.

Facepulls
- 100 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets
nice!

Ab Work
- Lat Pull Down Sit-ups = 80 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets
- Overhead Side Bends 10 lbs x 5 reps x 1 set
i am lazy lol...

Deadlift Day - Cycle 5

Deadlift Day
Cycle 5

Overall Impression:

cool workout. i need to get in more food pre workout. my pre workout meal was just milk and whey. shite! good workout though...

The Workout:

Deadlifts
- 250 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets
- 135 lbs x 6 reps
today was a back-off day. got in everything nice and easy. i used a snatch grip for 135x6.

Bulgarian Squats
- 50 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets

Glute Ham Raises
- BW x 10 reps x 3 sets

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises = BW x 15 reps x 2 sets
- Front Plate Squats = 25 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets
so on squat and deadlift day i will be doing Hanging Leg Raises & Front Plate Squats and on military press and bench press day i will do Lat Pull Down Sit-ups & Overhead Side Bends. a note about this exercise: if you hold the plate in front of you down on the Front Plate Squats in the bottom position for 5 seconds and then you come up, your abs get jacked!!! lol

Grip Work
- Static Holds + Shrugs = 135 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets
- Medium Fat Bar Static Holds = 115 lbs x 2 sets
this was pretty intense because i held the bar till failure...

EDT Influence

ok so some new changes to my current program....

im going to be incorporating some Escalating Density Training principles on my upper body days.

right now, this is my exercise selection for bench press day and military press day:

Military Press Day
Press
Pull-ups Density Training
High Pulley Cable Rows
Tricep Work

Bench Press Day
Bench
Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Rows
Facepulls

this will now be changed into:

Military Press Day:
Press
EDT with Dumbbell Rows and Dumbbell Bench Press for 15 minutes
Facepulls

Bench Press Day:
Bench
Pull-ups Density Training
Tricep Extensions and Bent Arm Pull-overs superset

this is how my training will be from next week....its just a bunch of small small changes...

Bench Press Day - Cycle 4

Bench Press Day
Cycle 4

Overall Impression:

got 5 hours of sleep last night. woke up @ 6 and hit the gym @ 7. it was fucking cold again and all i had on was a t-shirt and shorts (it was 31F)....workout was good though...i fucking need to rework my diet....perhaps i should change that to "i need to actually start eating good food" LOL

The Workout:

Bench Press
- speed-strength work @ 70% of 1RM with 145 lbs x 2 reps x 6 sets
- 2 second Paused Bench Press @ 90% of 1RM with 185 lbs x 2 reps
short and simple.....the strength-speed work was tres easy.

Dumbbell Rows
- 80 lbs x 10 reps x 3 sets
- 80 lbs x 5 reps
- 80 lbs x 3 reps
I tried to video tape this damn exercise and i forgot on the first 3 sets of 10 reps, so i went and tried for 5 reps but i couldnt get it to work. so, i did the last 3 reps again and this time the damn camera actually worked!!!

Dumbbell Bench Press
- 70 lbs x 6 reps x 2 sets
scary shit...im gonna reduce the weight to 60 and do 2x12 or something next time...

Facepulls
- 100 lbs x 12 reps x 1 set
i was lazy

Ab Work
skipped :P