- Stats -
Height: 6’0
Weight: 220 lbs
Age: 31
BF%: ~15%
- Lifts -
OHP (standing, slight push at bottom): 2 x 225 lbs
Bench: 2 x 285 lbs
ATG Squat: 315 lbs
Deadlift: 465 lbs
- History -
Started weight training at 19 years old. Upper body only as I was under the illusion that martial arts and gymnastics was all I’d ever need for legs. I had a 2 year break around 24 years old. Got back into it @ 26 years old. No clear direction. Program hopping, mostly. I’ve been seriously dedicated to increasing strength for a little over a year now.
I did 5/3/1 for 8 months. Then followed Thibs’ “Get Jacked…Fast” for 12 weeks before my wedding. At 199 lbs and 7% BF, it was the best shape I’d ever been in. Since then I’ve been following the HP Mass principles. I’ve completed 11 weeks with moderate success in strength gains.
- Goals -
Bench 315, ATG Squat 405, Deadlift 500. When I get there, I’ll re-evaluate. But my Squat is looking like the hardest one to accomplish ATM. Hopefully I can get a video up for a little help from other T NATIONers.
A pretty good upper body pressing day.
A1. Standing OHP: Ramping sets of 3, MTW of 205 lbs, 2 waves
A2. Shrugs: ISO hold 3 x 6 @ 285 lbs
B1. Incline BB Press: Ramping sets of 3, MTW of 225 lbs, 2 waves
B2. Facepulls: Iso hold 4 x 8 @ 140 lbs
C. Flat BB Press: Ramping sets of 3, MTW of 255 lbs, 2 waves
D. DB Hammer Curls: Held at midpoint - 25’s by 10, 30’s by 10, 35’s by 10
E. Preacher Curls: “Perfect Rep Style” 2 sets of 50 lbs, max full reps, max upper halves
Back is recovering from a slight injury of the erectors around sacral area. So I had to ditch the squats. But I went on a 1 1/2 mile walk with the wife after dinner to try and cheer myself up.
Strong showing overall. I’d like to eventually progress to a true auto-regulation using these principles. But for now I have to follow it the way it was calculated. If anything, it makes sure I continually do more and more volume until my base strength gets up there a bit.
Starting tomorrow, I’m throwing the PLP challenge in there. Anything to “do more work” throughout the day.
This is a picture I found from last September. Last day of “Get Jacked…Fast!” 7-site Jackson/Pollock caliper test put me in the low 7% range. Eyeballing it, I don’t agree.
Pretty good day, today.
A1. Standing OHP: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 205 lbs, 2 waves
A2. Shrugs: 3 x 8 @ 285 lbs
B1. Incline BB Press: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 225 lbs, 2 waves
B2. Face Pulls: 3 x 8 @ 140 lbs
C. BB Bench Press: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 255 lbs, 2 waves
D. Leg Press: 298, 388, 478, 568, 658, 748, 838, 928 x 3
Conditioning: 100 jump ropes, 10 burpees. 2 sets.
GPP done throughout the day: Band Pull aparts x 40. PLP starting at 10 reps each.
Rather than scrap lower body lifting all together, I opted to try leg pressing. Didn’t feel any stress on my lower back, so I kept climbing in weight. Hopefully I’ll be able to squat and deadlift on Thursday & Friday, though. Leg pressing just doesn’t satisfy the way squats and deadlifts do.
Hump day.
PLP Challenge: Pull-ups, reverse lunges, clap pushups x 11
Neural Charge Training: box jumps, plyo pushups, broad jumps, medicine ball slams
Extra: 5 minutes Tai Chi
GPP: 100 band pull aparts
No heavy training today, but still managed to get in enough other work to feel semi-productive.
I haven’t gotten any funny looks for grabbing an I-Beam in the backroom to do pullups, yet.
Good day…really good day. I was able to squat and deadlift without any lower back pain.
A. ATG Squat: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 245 lbs, 2 waves
B. Deadlift: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 325 lbs, 2 waves
C. Standing OHP: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 205 lbs, stopped after hitting MTW…inflamed tendons
D. Preacher Curls: Perfect Rep style, max reps of 50 lbs x 3 sets
GPP: 60 band pull aparts
PLP Challenge: pull-ups, reverse lunges, clapping pushups x 12
Would’ve been late for dinner if I’d have done anything else…big no, no in my house. But just having the ability to get through the squats and deadlifts was satisfying enough.
If anybody is actually reading this log, any tips for inflamed tendons in the shoulders? I’m getting tired of having to cut the exercise short on lower body lifting days. Perhaps the deadlifts are causing some strain.
[quote]B to the rian wrote:
If anybody is actually reading this log, any tips for inflamed tendons in the shoulders? I’m getting tired of having to cut the exercise short on lower body lifting days. Perhaps the deadlifts are causing some strain.[/quote]
I know a lot of physio-intelligent people recommend not training biceps and shoulders on the same day. I think it’s because one of the bicep tendons crosses the shoulder or something like that. I don’t know if you’re following a set program, but that could be the cause of your pain.
I don’t always do curls after shoulder pressing, but I always feel my shoulders inflamed when doing OHP’s after deadlifting. Plus, curls are done after shoulder pressing, and I don’t feel pain during them even if I felt pain doing the shoulder presses right before them.
I feel exhausted today. And I felt very mellow walking into the gym today. Glad things picked up and I got some good work in after that.
PLP Challenge: Pullups, reverse lunges, clapping pushups x 13
A. ATG Squats: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 245 lbs, 2 waves
B. Deadlifts: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 325 lbs, 2 waves
C. BB Bench Press: Ramping sets of 3, 255 lbs, 2 waves
Extra: Numerous cleans and push presses demonstrated for highschool football team members with 135 lbs on the bar.
My shoulders were a little sore today, but they didn’t feel inflamed when demonstrating push presses. Interesting since I did them while I was in the middle of my deadlift sets. For now, Tiger Balm at night will have to do as a remedy.
I’m wondering where I can stick Power Cleans in during the week. Feeling the 135 lbs easily float up and onto my shoulders made me miss doing them.
Not much to report
GPP: Fasted morning cardio. 3 miles.
PLP Challenge: Pullups, reverse lunges, clapping pushups x 14
GPP: 1.5 mile walk with the wife in the morning, 1.5 mile walk with the wife after cheat meal
PLP Challenge: Pullups, reverse lunges, clapping pushups x 15
In serious need of a massage on my shoulders. Could be the clapping pushups causing the problems.
You and I are on the same program with similar MTW’s (your uppers are much heavier than mine though) and I also am about to include PLP with my HPM routine as well as including O-Lifts here and there. Are you doing PLP 6 hours before or after regular workout as instructed or are you doing it with the workout as a warmup/closer? Just curious to see when it would still work best.
During the week, I break up the PLP into 2 sessions. One at ~8:30 AM and the other around noon. My workouts start a little after 5 PM. On the weekends, I just get them done all in one shot (circuit style) whenever I can actually get my ass out to the playground to use the chin/pullup bar.
A woman at work is doing the PLP with me, so it’s easier to stay on task during the week.
Well worn today.
PLP Challenge: Pullups, reverse lunges, clapping pushups x 16
A1. Standing OHP: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 205 lbs, 3 waves
A2. Shrugs: 4 x 8 @ 270 lbs (+ whatever the machine weighs)
B. Incline BB Press: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 225 lbs, 3 waves
C. BB Bench Press: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 255 lbs, 3 waves
D. ATG Squats: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 245 lbs, 3 waves
I just read today that an acquaintance of mine managed to squat 290 x 3 for 4 sets. This is after only 1 month and 7 days since tearing an ACL. Oh, did I mention my acquaintance is a girl with a BW of ~185 lbs? She snapped her ACL in a PL meet after attempting 550 lbs. Hey, she succeeded at 500 lbs on the lift before it.
So tired today.
PLP Challenge: Pullups, reverse lunges, pushups x 17
A1. Standing OHP: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 205 lbs, 3 waves
A2. Face Pulls: 4 x 8 @ 140 lbs
B. Incline BB Press: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 225 lbs, 3 waves
C. BB Bench Press: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 255 lbs, 3 waves
D. Deadlifts: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 325 lbs, 2 waves
Changed from clapping pushups to normal pushups. My shoulders have gotten worse in the last 2 weeks. The only thing that has changed is the addition from the PLP challenge.
My back started getting uncomfortably tight during the deadlifts. Cut the workout short by 1 wave to spare potentially hurting my erector muscles again. I need to be strong for Thursday’s and Friday’s lower body days.
Note: I hate customer appreciation days at the gym. The last thing i need is Wing House girls prancing through the free weight area while i’m doing standing OHPs.
2 nights of less than optimal sleep…I think i pushed it too far. I feel wrecked.
A. ATG Squats: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 245 lbs, 3 waves
B. Deadlifts: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 325 lbs, 3 waves
C. Single-arm DB Snatch: 60x3, 70x3, 80x3, 90x3, 100x1 (each arm)
PLP Challenge: Pullups, reverse lunges, pushups x 19
Ever since I started this damn PLP challenge, my shoulders have been getting progressively worse. I may just drop it all together.
Better today.
A. ATG Squat: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 245 lbs, 3 waves
B. Deadlifts: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 325 lbs, 2 waves
C. BB Bench: Ramping sets of 3, MTW 255 lbs, 3 waves
At the top of wave 2 on deadlifts, I felt an all-too-familiar nerve pain shoot up my back. I cut the exercise right then and there for the day. Hopefully I don’t wake up with an injured back.
I’m very eager for next week’s max testing. Hoping to break all my previous PR’s.
As of now, I am dropping that damn PLP challenge. It’s been nothing but hell on my shoulders. 13 weeks of HP Mass lifting and my shoulders were fine. Less than 2 weeks of adding PLP and my shoulders went to shit.
Very light day.
GPP: 100 band pull aparts, band overhead triceps extensions x 60 ea arm, 1.5 mile walk with the wife.
Scale weight hangs at 219.6 lbs. Quick caliper tests average a 12.25% BF.
1 day down, 1 PR broken. I feel like it’s going to be a good week.
GPP: 80 band pull aparts, 45 band overhead triceps extensions
A. Standing OHP: 100x3, 165x3, 185x3, 205x3, 215x3, 225x3 (PR), 235x2 (PR)
B. BB Shrugs: 225x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x6, 495x2, 225x10, 315x8, 315x8
C. Farmer Walks: Single 45 lb plate, 4 laps around the entire gym switching arms at the halfway mark of each lap.
I’ve seen a few guys load up the barbell with 5, 6 & 7 plates per side to do shrugs. I just wanted to see what the big deal was. I get a lot better stimulation with an iso-hold @ 315 lbs than fast shrugs with significantly more weight.
I was pleasantly surprised to feel 225 go up 3 times with a lot left in the tank.
On the way out, I had a face/palm moment as I spied a late-middle aged couple smoking out by their car. Whether they were done or getting ready to go in didn’t matter. Either way is stupidly counter-productive.
Tomorrow is my attempt at breaking my ATG squat PR. This one worries me the most as Squats are my worst lift no matter how hard I work at them.
Day 2 and another PR bites the dust.
GPP: 60 band pull aparts, 45 band OH triceps extensions
A. ATG Squats: 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 245x3, 265x3, 285x3, 295x3 (PR), 305x3 (PR), 315x2 (PR)
B. Leg Press: 4x10 @ 478 lbs
C. Reverse V-Ups: 2x10
More GPP: 3 mile leisurely walk with the wife.
Squats was my biggest concern this week for setting a new PR. No matter how hard I train them, I seem to never gain any significant strength. Good to be able to handle 315 for 2 reps now.
3 more days to go. No PR should be left unbroken.
