Training Log: Entry 641

DE lower

Speed low box squats of 180+bands
10x2

Notes: Focused on bringing the hands in, and arching hard.  First time in a while of not wearing a belt.  Back felt great.

Low box squat of 325+chains
3x3

Notes: Finally back at 100%, these were challenging but not impossible.  Gonna hit the low box with the straight bar for a while, then transition to the safety squat bar.

Band good mornings with average
25,25,17,17

Notes: These are such a killer, and great rehab for my back.  I need to throw in one more PC movement I think.

Band wood choppers w/light superset with Hise shrugs w/325
10/20, 10/15, 10/15

Notes: Despite not liking twisting oblique work, this was a nice change of pace.  Still need to dial in form, but felt a good stretch.

Training Log: Entry 640

ME upper

Floor press
Barx10
95x3
135x3
155x3
185x3
225x1
275x1
295x2
295x1

Notes: Still not 100%, but couldn't stand to go any longer without lifting.  Didn't wanna take out a new 1rm PR, so I went for a heavy double at 295.  Excellent pause, long duration.  Had nothing left in me for supplemental work, so just hit the bodybuilding stuff.

Band pulldown w/average+light
4x10

Notes: Held for a pause at the bottom of every rep. 

Unilateral Nuetral grip standing band rows light+2minis
3x10

Notes: Didn't time rests, just kept switching hands.

Band flyes w/2minis
3x10

Notes: Felt a little twinge in my right shoulder on the last et.  Gonna go back to a single band for higher reps.

EZ bar curls supersetted with band pull aparts with average band
15/8,10/5/10

Notes: Had nothing left, so just went for the pump.

Been sick for 6 or so day.  Bad flu took me off my feet for 3 days, and now just working on a cough and some mucus.  Hopefully another 3 days and I'll be back to 100%.

Training Log: Entry 639

ME lower

Safety squat bar box squats to parallel

Barx10
95x3
135x3
135+chainsx3
185+chainsx2
225+chainsx1
315+chainsx1
365+chainsx1
365+chainsx1
335+chainsx1

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWcyxpIek_A

I just realized the SSB weighs 60lbs, not 45, so add 15 to everything

Notes: Only time in my life I felt like I was gonna puke after squatting.  Doesn't help that I've discovered I'm sick, but still, this was intense.  If you were to ask me what muscles this movement works, I wouldn't be able to tell you  I just know that it really kicks your ass.  I actually found myself pushing the handles away at one point on the rise from the box.  I'm wondering if this is training me to push my elbows forward, or a way of cheating the movement.  I will need to research and experiment.

I took video, by I'm dogass tired from this cold.  Some other time.

Elevated trap bar lifts of 345
3,3,4

Notes: Elevation is helping this movement.

SLDLs of 255
10,10,15

Notes: Felt bad, so cut the sets down and increased the reps on the last set.  Really killer.

Band ab pulldowns w/average bad
3x40

Notes: A fast acceleration really hits th abs better.

Training Log: Entry 638

RE upper

Worth noting that triceps were still bombed from ME day.  Don't hold the end of a tricep extension next time.

Bench press of 185+chains
18,6,6

Notes: Fatigue in triceps played a role, but was still happy with the outcome.  Gonna stick with this for a while.  Contemplating doing 3 week cycles of different grips as an experiment.

CG bench press
225+chains
1x3
195+chains
3,4

Notes: Weight was too much on 225, wasn't pausing, just touch and go.  Scaled it back.  Triceps were dying out on the second half of the rep.

Band flyes w/mini
2x20,2x15

Notes: I think this is gonna be a great movement for my shoulder health, and a little bit of chest hypertrophy.  It's hitting just where I want on the pec delt tie in, which is where I tend to feel the most pain on the bench.  Trick is gonna be adjusting resistance.  Might need to grab a micro mini.

Pull-ups
20,10,7,7,6

Notes: Finally hit my goal of 50 total reps in a reasonable amount of sets.  I'm using rest pause as needed, and some of the reps are ugly, but I'm doing this more to get volume into my lats than to win a contest.  Deciding if I want to start adding weight now or using a different grip for my next workout.  Lats are getting nice and big.

Band face pulls w/average+CG EZ bar curl w/65lb superset
15/10,12/10/12

Notes: Really started hitting the rear delts here.  Think having my lats so fatigued made me use good form.  Curls were just to get the blood flowing. My biceps are starting to exist, so that's always good.

 

Worth noting that I've been cleaning up my diet a little the past few weeks.  More fruits and veggies.  Looking pretty as a result.

Training Log: Entry 637

DE lower

Low box squat of 175+lights
10x2

Notes: Speed was on fire today, prolly thanks to the deload.  Need a little more weight and better control.

Low box squats of 295+chains
3x3

Notes: Like all other supplemental work, cut the sets and reps.  Need a little more poundage here.  Focused on holding in my breath and breathing into my stomach, and it made the weight feel incredibly light.

Band good mornings w/average
25,21,16,13

Notes: This fries my back so bad.  Form is kinda a mess, but it's what I need.

Straight legged swings w/average band
1x25 per leg

Notes: Didn't get the same effect from this as I did last time.  Might need to lower the height I hand the band from.

Saxon side bends w/20lbs superset with Hise Shrugs w/295
7/25,6/15,5/15

Notes: The side bends are just destroying my core.  Dunno when I'll switch them out.

Training Log: Entry 636

ME upper

Floor press
Barx9
95x3
135x3
155x3
185x1
235x1
275x1
300x1
310x1

Notes: Butt came off the floor on the final rep.  Didn't really get much of a strain on this day, just trying out the new form.  I can get such a better arch off the floor since I'm setting up on my floor matts.  This is a nice way to train the pause though.

Strict press w/185
3x3

Notes: Cut the sets and reps, increased the weight to really get a strain on this.  Good bit of lower back action on the last set, but no twinge, which is good.  Really developed some great power here.

EZ bar standing tricep extensions w/65lbs
15,15,10,11

Notes: Couldn't get anything from this aside from some elbow pain.  Tried close and wide grip with nothing.  Gonna stick with some sort of pulldown next time.

Unilateral standing band row w/light+mini per hand
1x20, 3x15

Notes: Man this movement is great, getting an awesome stretch in my lats.

EZ bar curls w/65lbs
15,15,12,10

Notes: Biceps are so fried, they seem to be getting bigger too.

Tricep pulldown w/average
1x20 with 5 second hold at end

Notes: Just wanted to make up for the extensions.

Training Log: Entry 635

ME lower

Good mornings suspended in the 12 pin.
Barx6
95x3
135x3
155x3
185x3
225x1
255x0
245x3

Notes: Took a page from the EFS book about a longer warm-up.  Hit the twinge in my back on the set of 255, but at least have some positive notes.  The twinge is much faster than before, and the pain that accompanies it is very fleeting.  This is in stark contrast to the first few times I encountered it, wherein the twinge itself would last for what felt like 1-2 full seconds and the pain would last for 3-7 days.  It now lasts for about 2 seconds, and I can finish my workout afterwards.  It's a funny kind of progress, but progress none the less.  I think in a few months, it'll be a memory.  For now, I'm gonna keep my GM work high on the reps, maybe try for 5-8, and use the same protocol for any sort of PC ME work.  Might need to get some 3/8 chains to get this to really work.

Trap bar lifts on an elevated platform on 25lb plates of 315
3x4

Notes: Cutting the sets and raising the elevation.  Might stick with this and start upping the weight.

SLDLs of 245
5x8

Notes: Focusing on pulling the bar to me, which I think was one of my weaknesses with the deadlift.

Band ab pulldowns w/average
3x30

Notes: Might need to break out the ab wheel soon.

Trap bar shrugs of 225
13,12,10

Notes: Pulled my left serratus anterior on the first set around rep 6 (no, I am not kidding).  Kinda killed my momentum.  I decided to give these a more serious go ever since I obliterated my traps with the DB shrugs on my break.

Training Log: Entry 633

RE upper

Bench press of 170+chains
20,8,6

Notes: Didn't want to try fo 22 with a new weight, this worked well.  The deload seems to be paying off, I'm feeling great.  Was touch and go, but I still killed the momentum before continuing.  No bouncing.  Practiced on pulling the bar apart and driving my traps into the bench.

CG bench of 185+chains
5,4,4

Notes: Board press just hasn't been working, might rotate it to my ME day next time I try to hit it.  Decided to keep the volume and sets low on my supplemental movements for a while to see what happens.

Band flyes with mini
4x15

Notes: Modified this movement to hit more of the shoulder than the pec, right at the delt-pec tie in.  Got the desired result, my shoulders were fried towards the end.  Chest had a minor pump, but prolly left over from the RE work.  Think this will really help my shoulder stability.

Pull-ups
17,7,6,5,6

Notes: Not sure if I did one more set on accident or not, but that's the jist of things.  Really building up on pull-ups, it helps to have a rep goal.

Face pulls w/light+superset with CG EZ bar curls of 65

12/10,12/10,12

Notes: Pausing on the face pulls to ensure good form and get a "squeeze".  Notice that biceps are coming along now.  The second day of work has really helped recovery.

Training Log: Entry 632

Got a long one for today.  Recording 4 workouts.  After the RE workout, I had to leave on business for 6 days.  Holed up in a crappy "gym" that only had DBs up to 80lbs and a smith machine.  Brought all my bands and other goodies to try to compensate.

RE Upper

Bench press 165+chains
20,8,6
2 board press of 185+chains
7,5,5,5
Trap bar raises
4x10
Pull-ups
15,7,6,5,5,4
Band Pull-aparts w/average superset with CG EZ bar curls
10/10, 10/8, 10

 

ME lower

Band Good Morning
Warmed up with combinations of lights, averages, and minis.  Ended up using 1 average, 2 lights and 2 minis for 2x5
DB split squat w/80lb DBs
3x5
DB SLDLs w/80lb DBs
3x10
Band pulldown w/average
3x20
Neck harness w/50
10,10,5

 

ME upper

DB press w/70lb DBs (5 minutes rest between sets)
15,15,16
DB strict press w/50lbs
6,6,6,5
Band pulldown w/2lights
20,20,15,20,15
Unilateral neutral rip band rows w/light+mini
4x15
Note: Keeping notes to a minimum, but this movement was awesome.  Got a great stretch in my lats.  Just like my previous lat row, but done one arm at a time. 
EZ bar curls w/65lb
15,15,10,8
Band pull apart w/average
1x20

 

DE lower
DB set-ups w/80lb DBs
5,10,5
Note: Platform too unstable to do any effective work.
Band Good mornings w/average band
25,20,15,12
SL unilateral standing reverse hyper?
2x50
Notes: Basically looping a band through the pull-up bar, sticking my foot through so it catches the heel, and then slinging the leg back in a reverse hyperish movement.  Found out my left hamstring is much weaker than my right, as it started to fatigue at 30.  I might try to research this movement more, and see what I can do with it.
Saxon side bends w/20lb DBs
4x5
Neck harness w/50
10,10,8
DB shrugs w/80lb DBs
2x20

 

Used this time to deload.  Got the EFS Basic Training book, and read through it on my break.  Got a lot of great ideas from it.

Training Log: Entry 631

DE lower body

Band box squats of 205+lights
8x2

Notes: Weight was pretty heavy, suppose a decent way to end my 3rd week wave.  Might deload the bands next week, as I'll be away on business for 6 days anyway.

Box squats of 275+chains
7,7,6,6

Notes: Goddamn does this kill my hips and quads.  I love this movement.  It even is frying out my lowerback, becoming good PC work, which is just what I need.  Doing my best to recruit my hips from out of the hole, which is something I've been missing in my squats.

Band pull throughs w/light
4x8

Notes: Cut the reps per set and increased the set total.  Good recovery work after the heavy box squats.

Saxon side bends w/15lb DBs supersetted with neck harness w/50
7/10,7/7,7/6

Notes: Side bends are really getting a good stretch.