I know its been a few weeks since my last post but I have been busy with work (in a good way) and have been dealing with a little back injury. I will post my workout from last night and will spare you all the boring training sessions I had to do while resting up.

ME Squats and Bench
bar x10
135x10
185x8
225x5
added 12" box
225x3
275x1
315x1
350x1
380x1
405x1

Working sets 5x5@315+80lbs of chains

Bench- I have been dealing with a strained left pec so benching has been tough on heavy sets and ME work.
bar x10
135x10
185x6
225x4
275x1 paused
295x1 paused
315x1 missed

I really felt the pain on the eccentric part of the bench and new as soon as it was unracked i wouldnt get it. Oh well.

working sets close grip bench 5x5@250, 255, 255, 260, 265. drop set @225.

some triceps work. Felt pretty good to get to squat heavy after having to rest my back for a few weeks. Hopefully my pec can heal quickly with some lacrosse ball work and some stretching.

7/16/12 ME Squat and Bench

I had a great time at the NSCA Strength and Conditioning Conference and learned a ton of great information from some awesome coaches. Only downside of the trip was not being able to lift how i wanted to. i was able to hit up a local health club but it was a pretty awful place, nice people but impossible to train there. so i pretty much just did some bodybuilding style workouts. i also decided it was a good time for a deload week and to switch some things around in my training

I have moved deadlifts to their own day and will now bench on my squat days. i am tired of my deadlifts not moving and want to try lifting when rested and not always after squats. hopefully it goes well.

Delaod squats and bench

squats
bar x10
135x8
225x6
275x1
add 12"box
275x1
315x1
365x1

315+80lbs chains 4x4

bench
push-ups
165x10
165x5
225x3
286 2x1
close grip 4x4@225

oh press
95x10
125x10
135x10

triceps rope pulldown
3x12@60

i will be deadlifting on wednesday as well as other pulls. i will still be deloading.

7/11 ME bench

Going to make this short and to the point since i am leaving to head to rhode island for the NSCA strength and conditioning conference.

warm- up, gpp
bar x 10
165x10
165x8
225x5
265x2
292x1
315x1
330x1 (pr)
tried 335 and got about half way up and just couldnt get anymore

back of sets 5x5 close grip@265

floor press 5x5@250 superset with rows 5x8-10

pulls ups couple sets 8,6,5,5,4

i will try to update from rhode island, i do plan to lift while i am there.

7/9 ME Squats and deads

I was feeling pretty tired for a few days and wasn't expecting much out of this training session. I just couldn't seem to get enough rest and felt sluggish. So the plan was to do what i could and treat it like a natural deload week.

warm-up, gpp
bar x10
155x10
225x6
265x3
add 12" box
320x1
341x1
365x1
385x1
407x1
420x1 (pr)
425x1 (pr)
i was surprised that i was able to hit a pr today, the weights never really felt heavy but everything defiantly felt slow.

back of sets 5x2-3@ 365
these felt awful and slow and heavy.

Deads
i worked up to 496 for a single then did some back off sets 3x5@385...im taking a new approach to my deadlifts. my deadlift hasn't moved in months so im taking a step back and adding more volume in at lighter weights. i will be working at a 5x5 for a little while and see if i can get some solid gains out of it like i have in the past. i will also be adding higher rep pulls on my dynamic day like a snatch grip and will be adding rack/box pulls.


ab wheel roll out 4x10


wasnt a great workout other than my squat pr. i have accepted that i cannot be my best every workout and that everyone will have there good lifts and bad lifts, just the way it goes. i have accepted it but i dont have to like it!


www.liftheavybehappy.com  

7/6/12
DE squat and deads

warm up, gpp
bar x10
135x8
135+80lbs chains x 5
185+80lbs chains x3
185+160lbs chains x1
205+180lbs chains 10x3 with 1 minute rest between sets

band pulls
135x5
135+grey band (average) x3
185+ grey band x3 the weight felt good here so i decided to start my working sets

6x3 @185+ grey bands with one minute rest between sets. I like using the bands not only for the explosiveness off the floor but it also feels like the bar is always trying to slip out of my hands which is helping me squeeze the bar tight.

snatch grip deads
5x6@225...these were a light weight but i will be working these into one of my pull days as high rep.

good mornings
3x12@95


7/7/12
DE bench

warm up, gpp

bar x 10
135x10
135+40lbs chains x 5
135+80lbs chains x3
155+100lbs chains 10x3

DB press 3x10@100

T-bar row 5x6@115

OH Press 3x10@165

pull-ups 3x5@bw

Triceps rope pull down 3x12@60

Liftheavybehappy.com 

ME Bench

I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the 4th than with some max effort bench

warm up, gpp
barx10
135x10
225x5
275x1 paused
295x1 paused
315x1 paused
325x1 paused
this is a new pr for me by 5 pounds. I know not that impressive but again I have never been a very good bencher but i will take any pr not matter how small

back of sets
3x3@295 all reps paused
i decided to have some fun and breakout the sling shot. I will be using the sling shot for a few weeks to see if i can force some new gains with overloading and get my nervous system firing better.
Sling shot 295x6
315x5

Floor pres
3x3@275
added sling shot 275x10

low pull cable row
5x10-12 increasing weight each set

lat pull
4x10@170

skull crushers
3x10@70

rope pull downs
3x10@60

behind the neck press
3x10@135...i know a lot of people dont do these because of the "risk" but these work well for me and hit the shoulders/lats in a different way that traditional strict presses.


www.liftheavybehappy.com

ME Squats and Deads 7/3

Max effort squats and deads...power was still out at the gym I usually train at so I had to go to another gym. I was able to make the best of it and set a new 12" box squat pr!

warm up, gpp
bar x 10
135x8
135x5
225x5
added 12" box
275x1
315x1
365x1
390x1
weights were feeling good and i was pretty quick so i decided to go for a pr
415x1 (pr) this is the second week in a row with a pr, there was a slight grind on this rep but it still came up smooth so i was happy.

After working up to a max i did some back of sets
6x3@355

Next up was deadlifts
165x5
265x3
365x2
430x1
485x1
my form wasn't feeling the way i wanted it to so i stopped at 485. i've noticed my set up getting sloppy and my hand placement on the bar needs to be adjusted. im gripping the bar to close and its causing my hands/arms to rub against my thighs and slow down my lockout when bringing my hips through.

5x3@430...feel great pulling from the floor, just need to work on my lockout.

leg curl 3x10@80
hypers 3x10
neutral grip pull ups 3x5@bw

 

Friday 6/29 DE squat and deads

Friday was dynamic effort squats and deadlifts. These are not done on a box.

warm-up, foam roll, gpp

Squats are 10-12 sets of triples with 1 min rest between each set.
bar x 10
135x8
135x5
135+40lbs of chains 1x5
135+80lbs of chains 1x3
225+100lbs of chains 7x3
my 7th set felt a little slow so i took some weight of and did a few more sets. I really am trying to keep my speed up on these so if it feels slow I have no problem (or ego) with taking weight off to finish.

185+100lbs of chains 4x3
The speed on these were much better than my 7th set, dropping weight was defiantly the right call.

Band pulls are 4-8 sets of triples with 1 min rest between sets. Sets are determined by how I feel after squats.

I used the orange bands from elite fts, I believe they are "light" resistance. Pulls are done in my oly lifting shoes just like my squats. It creates a slight deficit when pulling and I don't mind when I'm training. Plus I feel more "grounded" when I pull in them.

Band pulls were 6 sets of 3 @225+bands. My form felt the best it has felt in a few weeks so I was happy even though the weight wasn't as heavy as its been in the past. I'm still somewhat new to band pulls but having pulled without them I can already tell I am more explosive from the floor.

After squats and band pulls I was pretty content with my lift so I finished up with some light rdl's and some ab roll outs.


Saturday 6/30
We had a huge storm here that knocked out power all over and the gym I train was one of the many places without power. So it was off  to one of the local commercial health clubs, which is always a funny adventure for me. Seems like 99% of the people there are unhealthy...After navigating my way through the "cardio theater", "personal trainer" t-shirt guys and soda machines...yes soda machines, I was able to find my way to the weight room, well what they call a weight room. After establishing myself as the alpha male it was time to get to work.

DE bench/assistance work
warm-up, foam roll, gpp

bar x 10
135x10
135x6
185x3
185+bands x3

Bench was 10x3 @195+bands.1 min rest between sets. The bands were the orange "light" bands.

Low pull cable row 4x12@160
Strict press 4x10@135
Lat Pull 4x12@ 175
Triceps rope pull down 3x10@ 60

Went to guy buy a protein shake on my way out only to find out they don't sell "supplements" but was told they have powerade and soda.Classic.

It was interesting to watch people make up exercises and be totally clueless on how to train and then watch people copy the people who were making up those exercises...generic health club, you will not be missed.