Training Log: Entry 562
ME lower day
Deadlifts
135x3
225x3
315x3
405x1
475x1
540x1
550x0
Notes: Weight was feeling heavy today. It was time to rest. Got too greedy. Can't be a hero all the time. Lockout strength is weak, back is rounding too much, and have no leg drive. Need to add deadlifts from a deficit. Working on the lockout strength with reverse band deadlifts.
Training Log: Entry 561
RE upper
Bench press of 215
20,6,5
Notes: Bodyweight for 20, not too shabby. Last sets were killer.
3-board press of 275
5,5,4,4
Notes: These always are tougher than 2 board for some reason, hard to recruit the lats into the movement.
Bent over rows of 165
4x10
Notes: Yeah, it sucks, but I hit my rep range goal.
EZ bar curls of 75
3x12
Notes: Shoulder clicked on first set, not on the last two. Might go back to the hammer curls soon.
Light band pull aparts
15,11,11,11
Notes: Felt the right shoulder slip a little in the socket on the third set. Need to be more aware.
Training Log: Entry 560
DE lower
Speed box squat of 165 + light bands
10x2
Notes: Cut the weight down to keep my speed up. Worthwhile. Was hitting great sets with form because of this.
RDLs of 335
4x5
Notes: Set up away from the mirror next time, and go from the 6 pin, not the 7.
Front squats of 175
2x10
Notes: If they made an exercise that sucks more than high rep front squats, I haven't found it yet. Need to work on keeping the weight from rolling down my shoulders.
Ab pull downs w/light band
4x15
Notes: Nailed the form, felt the pain. Need more resistance next time.
Training Log: Entry 559
ME upper
2-board press
Barx3
135x3
185x3
225x3
275x3
315x1
375x1
395x1 (New PR)
400x1 (New PR)
375x1
Notes: Great new PR today. Totally redeamed myself from last week. Staying tight was absolutely essential. A great set-up, staying tense, and gripping the crap out of the bar made the weight feel extremely light in my hands. Now I need to do this with the full rom.
Strict press of 175
4x5
Notes: Little rest pause on the last 2 sets, but otherwise no leg drive necessary.
V-handle pull-ups
10,6,5,5
Notes: Wasn't in love with the chins, got better results from these. Chins seem to aggrivate my shoulders, while the nuetral grip feels very natural.
Jump shrugs of 365
3x12
Notes: Time off on these was good for me. Hit my rep range goal, need to decide if I want to stick with these or use some different types of shrugs.
Krista's Band Reverse Bench Press w/light band
15,10,10,10
Notes: No, not reverse band bench press, "band reverse bench press". My wife discovered this today while she was resting between sets. She was messing around with our mini bands, and when I saw her doing this, a lightbulb went off. I took some photos to demonstrate. Maybe it already exists.
Here's the set-up
Band strung across the uprights on the bench. From here, set up just like a normal bench press (please excuse shirtlessness, it's the only way I can stick to my bench)
And then pull down and apart to the bottom of your sternum, just as you would on bench press
Resistance can be altered using either different band tensions, or, in the case of my bench, a higher setting for the uprights
It's a great rear delt/lat movement, and is really bench press specific. It should teach you how to recruit your lats into the bench really well, along with how to "pull" the weight down on the bench rather than just relent under the pressure. I'm going to give it a 6 week cycle and see what happens.
If anyone has seen this movement before, let me know, along with what it's "proper" name is. If not, I'm naming it after my wife and marketing the hell out of it.
Training Log: Entry 558
ME lower
Front Squats
Barx3
135x3
185x3
225x2
275x1
340x1
345x1 (New PR)
325x1
275x1
Notes: Bar kept slipping for some reason, was partially zerching the damn thing up, felt like I was tearing my biceps or something. Should use some chalk next time, and focus on keeping my elbows up. Depth was awesome. Mighta had more in me for a higher PR, but wanted to keep this a little light and shoot for a record on deadlifts next week.
Band pull throughs
Light bandx15
Double light band
10,7,5
Notes: Decided to give the band pull throughs a go. Light was too easy, doubles were a little too much. Should try a light and a mini next time and see what happens. Still a great movement though, less loading on my spine and easier to hit high reps.
Saxon Side Bends w/20lb DBs
4x6
Notes: Perfecting form, not feeling pressure on the lower back as much as obliques.
Tricep pulldowns with the light band
1x20
Notes: Been feeling a little elbow pain recently, so decided to bring in some high rep pulldowns and see if it helps.
Training Log: Entry 557
RE upper
Bench of 205
20,8,5
Notes: I think this will definitely be a positive change. It was good to return. Look up when setting up the arch, rather than forward.
2-board press of 275
5,5,4,3
Notes: Misgrooved it on the last rep on the last set, and had the bar slip. Racked it after that. Doing these after high rep bench is tough.
Bent over BB rows of 165
10,10,10,7
Notes: Setting it down between reps was a disaster, aborted course after 3 reps of the first set. Got much better after that. I'm just weak on these for some reason, gotta put in the time.
EZ bar curls of 75
12,11,9
Notes: Space the hands out and face the palms away to avoid shoulder clicking.
Band pull aparts with the light band
15,10,10,10
Notes: The thicker band feels like it hits my chest earlier and is harder to pull apart for a fuller range. Maybe I'm just weak though.
My wife kept saying I was looking big while I worked out, especially my traps, chest and biceps. A nice compliment. Maybe I'm actually losing some fat and "looking" bigger.
Notes:
Took my DE lower day off to rest and re-evaluate my training. I did something I make fun of people for doing, and messed with success. My routine was working perfectly fine, and I added in DE upper work with bands while RE work was still getting me gains. My first week on DE, I noticed that my overhead press was a struggle, but still managed to add 10lbs. On my close grip bench, my joints were torn up, and a weight I had previously put up easily stapled me to the bench. I'm going back to RE upper work, and keeping the bands for DE lower work, reverse band deadlifts, and some assistance exercises.
Joe DeFranco would still call me a skinny bastard, and I agree.
As a positive, broke out the 2.5 CoC after 2 weeks of no grip training and made some improvements. I have not yet begun to fight.
