Thursday, October 30, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1740

(11) SSB Squats to Chains 445+chains
1x3

Notes: Tried to break it off the chains before this.  Got about 2" but lost the groove.  Rest of this cycle is just going to be down to chains.  Feeling MUCH stronger compared to last week.

GHR
3x10

Reverse hyper 180
2x15
1x10

Notes: Didn't want to load up the whole thing, went for higher reps.

GHR sit ups 25
3x8

Neck Harness

SSB squats


Notes: My diet has been good the past few days, even with some life stress.  Aiming for eating big while keeping carbs low, and have been pretty clean for me.  Cutting out a lot of my work junk food and bringing more meat from home.  Left shoulder is feeling substantially better.  Got more aggressive with my rehab and started taking motrin.  Still not 100%, but definitely moving in the right direction.  Also, been getting exertion headaches after all my lower body workouts recently.  Thankfully it's at the end, but interesting none the less.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1739

Bench press 245
5x8

Notes: Pausing on first rep of each set.  Week 2 of programming is going well.  So far, both workouts have been challenging, but right at my limit.  Shoulder is healing as well.  Going to keep up the rehab.

5 minutes of NG chins

Notes: NG seems better for the shoulder.


Lat pulldowns 90
Lots of sets


Shoulder shocker

Pull aparts

Pushdowns

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1738

(4) Mat Pulls 610
1x6

Notes: No rest pausing.  Just wasn't feeling it today, so went easy and called it a day.  Still a good "bad day" PR.

Been focusing on eating more, specifically more protein.  Up about 2lbs.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1737

DB incline press 55
3x20
1x15

Notes: Still doing some light work to help the shoulder heal up.

Chins
200

Cable rows 90
Sets x 12

Cable curls 50
3x12

Pull aparts

Monday, October 20, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1736

AM

Bench Press 210
5x10

Notes: Left shoulder felt great.  Focused on getting as tight as possible and pressing the bar as straight as I could.  Wasn't as easy as I thought, going to see how these percentages work out.  So far though, excited just to be on a plan, and not just play it by ear.

Chins w/45lbs
5 minutes

GB lat pulldowns 90
7x12
1x25

Shoulder/tricep work

Notes: Thinking that on this day I'll do my light assistance work and my other upper body day will be heavy assistance.


PM

1 minute of push ups
67

1 minute of sit ups
58

1.5 mile run
11:54


Notes: Mock PFT.  Would've been a 90+

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Going to post my bench progression plan here so that I have a few references as needed.

Week One
5x10x210
Week Two
5x8x245
Week Three
5x6x260
Week Four
5x4x280
Week Five
5x10x210
Week Six
5x7x260
Week Seven
5x5x280
Week Eight
5x3x295
Week Nine
5x10x210
Week Ten
4x6x280
Week Eleven
4x4x295
Week Twelve
4x2x315
Week Thirteen
5x10x210
Week Fourteen
3x5x295
Week Fifteen
3x3x315
Week Sixteen
3x1x330

Plan from Matt Kroc's book.  Will still have assistance work to figure out, but I'm looking forward to thinking less and working more.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1735

(5) Mat Pulls 610
1x11

Notes: Proudest I've ever been of a mat pull.  Only 1 rest pause, managed 7 reps in the first breath, which is an all time PR.  I actually seemed to get a second wind at the 7th rep, and exhaled purely to ensure I didn't pass out.  When I set the bar down, it was like the vacuum after a nuclear explosion as I exhaled all the air out of my lungs.  A neighbor was walking by with her dog and gave me a pretty funny look while I made sounds that existed in no language but I am fairly certain were still profane.

Kettlebell swings
3x10

Standing Ab wheel
9,9,8

DOH holds 405
60 seconds

Squats
6x405
3x405
16x315
8x315
18x225

Notes: This was absolutely badass.  Pattern here, hit a max amount of reps, next set, half as many, drop a plate, hit a max, rest, half as many, drop a plate, repeat.  Was going to do one more after the 18 of 225, but wife came home with pizza, and after helping carry things into the house, my legs absolutely flooded with blood and I was done.  Going to hit this again for a while.  Thinking I'll make my squat day more assistance work focused and this day more squatting focus.


Friday, October 17, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1734

(21) Reverse band bench 365
2x1

Notes: I honestly think I'm just going to scrap this and follow Matt Kroc's bench program that he laid out in his latest book.  I'm spinning my wheels, trying to get too creative, and just not really accomplishing anything.  Might be fun to give the keys to someone else for a while.

(28) Reverse band pause bench  385
3x7

Notes: Threw in a pause, made it interesting.  Might stick with this.

Chins
200

GB cable rows 90
5x10

Cable curls 50
3x10

Shoulder work


Notes: I need to just gain some f-ing weight.  I'm getting too obsessed with my appearance, and it's killing my pressing.  I shouldn't be below 200lbs unless I have a meet coming up.
Training Log: Entry 1733

(13) Chain Suspended SSB Squats 445+chains
1x4

Notes: I love how great of a grind this is.  I notice that my lats are always fried after this.  Interesting.

GHR
3x10

Reverse hyper 340
3x8

GHR sit up 27.5
3x6

SSB Squat
5x335+chains
10x295+chains

Notes: Still need to get in more volume.  Working out before work, and it's a balancing act between getting in enough work to be productive while still being able to GET to work and then be productive.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1732

Seated DB press 55s
3x15
2x12

Handles
100

Notes: Time to start getting serious about my shoulders.  They're getting jacked up.  I'm starting to think carrying my daughter around in her carseat may be the issue.  I think I'm going to spend a cycle just doing some high rep bodybuilding type stuff and see where it takes me.

GB lat pulldowns 90
7x12

Weighted dips 75
9+3+3

Pull aparts

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1731

(6) Mat Pulls 610
1x15

Notes: Finally managed 2 rest pauses (3 pick ups total).  Been a while since I had the energy to manage this.  Fell forward on the second rep and actually ended up pausing for a second to correct before getting another 7 reps, which speaks volumes of the sort of strength and control I am developing here.  As an aside, Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" seems to be a great song for max effort attempts, but in turn is a poor choice for weekly training.  I was getting too excited and had to actually calm myself down before my set.  When I was younger, I thought I needed to be ballistic before every attempt, but now I've learned that training in a non-excited state makes me much stronger.

Squats
405x5
315x15
225x15
135x15

Notes: Short training time, wanted to get the important stuff.  Found out squats are also bugging my left shoulder, so I'm taking my grip out a little further.  These weren't drop sets, just dropping weight per set.  Really liked this, think I need to keep it up to get volume and squat practice.  Might try smaller jumps and alternating front squats once I get to around 225.



General notes: I'm at a real stupid place with my bodyweight.  By all accounts, I should just be eating more and getting bigger and stronger, but I'm lean (for me) right now and enjoying it too much. Right now, being stupid seems to be the theme of my training.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1730

(22) Reverse Band Bench 365
1x5

Chins
200

(28) Reverse band bench 380
3x9

GB cable curls 50
3x10

Lateral raises/pull aparts


Notes: Really need to troubleshoot the shoulder.  Couldn't press overhead without pain.  May switch to DBs, or completely eliminate full OH pressing and work more on the surrounding muscles.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1729

(14) Chain Suspended Safety Squat Bar Squats 445+chains
1x4

Notes: I am willfully and intentionally choosing to be stupid here.  I know the SSB doesn't transfer to my barbell squat well, but with my shoulder being jacked up and my weight being light on the barbell, I want to just run this movement while I can.  It absolutely destroys me, and is honestly the only heavy lower body lifting I can do first thing in the morning due to how absolutely untechnical it is.  My lats amazingly enough are what got hit the hardest here.  Lets see what happens after the end of the cycle.

GHR
3x10

Reverse hyper 330
3x10

GHR sit up 25
3x8

SSB Squats 225+chains
1x20

Notes: Need to get more squat volume.  I'm definitely lacking.  Work this into saturday and sunday workouts.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1728

ME upper press

Push press 260
1x2

Notes: Shoulder issue bugging me again.  I have deduced that it is the eccentric on push pressing that is causing this issue.  I am simply not strong enough at that portion of the lift to be able to handle the amount of weight I am moving.  For a solution, I am going to stick with strict pressing for ME work, and possibly even start rotating between strict and push pressing.  I still want to keep this technique in place, but I am better at being strong versus fast.

Chins 5 minutes, 45lbs
51 reps

Lat pulldowns grenade balls 90
5x10

Push press 190
3x8

GB cable rows 90
3x10

Notes: Using an underhand grip here.  Feels very natural.

Dips w/45lbs
11+5+4

Notes: Should have been doing these for a long time.  Easy set up, and feels great.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1727

Extra training day

Notes: Intent of this day was to catch up on anything missed through out the week and bring up any weak areas.  Trying to make it a quick workout.  If possible, I'll try to keep working this into my weekly schedule.

5 minutes of incline DB fat gripz press 55
75 reps total

5 minutes of lat pulldown w/grenade balls 90lbs
90 reps total

Notes: First time I ever got a lat pump from this exercise.  Might've stumbled onto something here.

Kroc rows 105
25

5 minutes of SSB squats 245+chains
30 reps total




Saturday, October 4, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1726

(7) Mat Pulls 610
1x13

Notes: Hamstrings still torqued from squat session, played this easy.  Had a lot left in me, which is a good sign.  Blew out a blood vessel under my eye, which is a new one.  Plan is to finish the rest of my assistance tomorrow.

Standing ab wheel
3x8

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1725

(23) Reverse band bench 365
1x5

Notes: Not sure if I have this method totally dialed down yet, but as of this setting, the bar leaves the bands right at the very end of the rep.  Curious to see how this goes.  On a somewhat related note, my left shoulder has been feeling like broken glass and naplam for the past 2 weeks or so.  Seems to be posterior deltoid, near where it meets the pec/delt tie in.  Don't know if I tore another labrum or have an impingement or something.  Been toubleshooting with some band work, but for the most part just stupidly pushing through.

Chins
200

Lat pulldown 110
5x10

(28) Reverse band bench 385
3x7

Swiss bar press 185
6-2-1

Lateral raises/pull aparts



General notes: Lifting belt is feeling loose.  Walking around at 195 these days, may need to move it in a notch.  I'm liking being lean, but I've noticed that everytime I drop bodyfat, I get more and more beat up.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Training Log: Entry 1724

(15) Chain suspended squat 495+chains
1x6

Notes: I have identified my issue.  I have spent too much time without heavy weight on my back.  I've been front squatting and safety squat bar squatting for assistance work, but no actual squatting.  As such, I have lost my technique, and can't get this moving the way I used to.  I've cut out the front squats, and will stick with squats for assistance work.

GHR
3x10

Reverse hyper 330
3x8

GHR sit up 25
3x7

Squats 405
10+1

Notes: Goal was 20 in as few sets as possible, but took this below parallel and started bugging my hamstring on the 10th rep.  Tried one more and confirmed.  Good to know I can squat 405 to competition depth for at least 10 reps, but I really don't need to be doing that in my training anymore.  Next time, slightly above parallel.