Anytime's Come Back

Training Logs
21

Bench day, I wanted to train on Sun because I’m trying to move program around, more on that latter. Felt like shit this morning, because I fell asleep on the love seat, and slept there all night, felt like my spine was twisted if that makes sense.

Bench-------facepulls(home made TRX against the wall, leaning back)
135x10-----mex15
185x10-----mex15
225x5------mex15
250x5-------mex15
285x3-------mex15
275x5-------mex15
275x5-------mex22

45/incline DBs---------side latterals, latterals first, fast pace between supersets
65x10-----10sx30
90x10------20sx20starting to burn
90x8------30s,yeah
90x7------20sx21
65x13-----10sx47, livin in hell

Kids screaming, latter

22

This might sound cheesy, I was out at the big house cutting the lawn for two hours today, and came up with this. Normaly I’d scribble it down on paper to read to kids at a recovery meeting, but since I have a log now what the hell. Remember these are the ramblings of an uneducated weight lifting philosopher : )

WHY DO I LIFT ? ever ask your self that, I was riding around on the lawn tractor today, and my pecs were bouncing around, my lower back was tight from last deadlift session, and the thought entered my empty mind. Why, I’ve got wives, kids, buisness’s, properties to deal with, why take time from my hectic life, to enter a dungey garage, and move a bunch of rusty weights up, and down, where’s that going to get me.I got to thinking about my motives, what drives me to push so hard.

I know why I started, 9yrs old down in the basement, lifting, with dreams of getting big enough to push dad around as hard as he did me. Then I joined a boxing Gym at 12 for the same reasons, and saw my first weight pit. The coach gave me a simple routine; squats-dips-chins, I worked hard, and consistant, this helped me become a better hockey player (brawler). I remember at 19 playing junior thinking I might make the NHL, and leave Maybeary behind. The coach called me in half way through the season to cut me, said I wasn’t good enough, but they wanted me to stay on, and keep working with the team in the weight room. Those were good times, training other’s.

The next stage of my life, I fancied my self a criminal -loan sharking, drug dealing, armed robberies- Got busted, learned some more about weight lifting on the inside, it helped me stay positive. Than the addiction came, I know I needed the weights then, the only friend I had some days. When it came time to get clean, I knew how, I knew paitance, I knew goal setting, I knew progression, and most important I knew disapline.

Along came a family of my own, and weightlifting became a way to make a living. I opened a gym, and started training young athlete's again. Once more those same lessons-paitance, progression, disapline, helped  to make it a sucsess. During those years time was hard to come by, and my own lifting got put on hold, five years slipped by while I passed on what I'd learned to a new generation. 

 So now here I sit at 40, with 3 hard months of lifting back under my belt, wondering why. Cheesy I guess, but I know I wouldn't be sitting here, where I am, all that I have, without the weights. It may not seem like I acomplish much out there in my dungey garage, but it got me this far... through alot, and I'm willing to bet with paitance alot further. So I guess thats why I lift !
23

In for excellent rants.

Congratulations on turning your path around, and keep up the hard work. In my humble opinion, lifting is the best anti-depressant! Nothing beats sitting down after a hard session and knowing you did as much as you could and left nothing behind, particularly if it involves a PWO beer haha.

24

Thanks, curious does panzer stand for harley engine

25

I know Sturart Mc Roberts says the biggest guy in the gym isnt always the smartest. I also know while I was at my buisiest as a strength coach I hardly had time to train myself, but Im getting real sick of all these skinney guys telling me how to get big.

heres my take after 20+ years of lifting, coaching; On the big three lifts (4 if you incliude the press) I like lots of sets of 6 and under. On secondary lifts--any compound lift that isnt one of the big 3 ( Rows, DB presses, step ups, and lunges) I like to work in the 6-15 rep range. For all the isolation, single joint exercises I like to keep the reps over 15 to 25, and somtimes 100.

What Ive seen in gyms is the opposite of this, I see guys not going heavy enough, or spending enough time on the big 3. I see the same guys going way to heavy, and spending way to much time on isolation stuff. For me alot of time worring about injury prevention, cant train when your injured. I see injuries happen when A guys are pushing the big lifts to far ( drop sets, negatives) instead of keeping reps in the tank, and upping the volume. B guys going to heavy on isolation stuff, I hate seeing hundred lb kids trying to use 50s for side latterals, I start off my latterals with a 10lb plate in each hand.

The point is this, on the big moves my mind is on moving the weight, and putting work in to get stronger. On the isolation stuff my mind is on feeling the muscle, and burn–this has nothing to do with weight. latter

26

Man I just found this,I’m In jake.Good stuff going on In here and will be following.

27

My 19yr old son called, first words were that he pulled 405 for a triple. he’s stuck with my genetics at 6ft, and 180 hard earned pounds, were not really suited for heavy lifting with long skinny arms, and legs with small joints. Any way here’s the funny part, after he tells me about his lift, that I know he’s been chasing.

He tells me that him, and his girlfriend put an offer in on a house, I found this funny. here’s my 19yr old kid working nights to put himself through school, about to buy a house, and he felt it was more important to tell me about his recent deadlift workout before mentioning the biggest purchase of his life. lol, I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. latter

28

squats, and cleans, I’m learning but suck, it’s like an upright row with a 2inch dip and catch, lol here goes

cleans----knee to elbow(abz)
135x5-----mex10
155x5-----mex10
185x4-----mex10
165x5----mex10
155x6----mex10

squats------alternate DB curls
135x10-------30sx40
225x10--------65sx10
275x5---------65sx10
305x5--------65sx10
285x7--------30sx40
275x10-----30sx40

squats-----rev spyder curl
250x10-----55x15
250x10------55x15
250x10----55x15

I f@#kin hate this workout, I suck at squats, and cleans, but I want to be good at both so I push through. On the squats, I’m still squatting from the bottom (till I build somthing) so the toughest rep is the first one.

Also because of my bad knee, (it’s called a terreble triad on the inside of my left knee) I have to squat off my heals, through my glutes, and hams, I’ve found a way to squat that takes pressure off my knee’s, but it’s hard to get the first rep up out of the hole. I also lift with no suport gear, wraps, belts, and what not, nothing against that stuff.

It’s just my goal right now is a 1500lb total, in just shoes, and shorts, it’s personal got to finish what I started, then we’ll see. I think right now i can squat about 315x10, or 400x1, but i’ll test my 1RM the week between Christmass, and Newyears. Me, and my kids have a mock meet than, when they’re all home from collage. I’m hoping to be about 1350 raw by then we’ll see, in the mean time I’ll keep putting work in at around 80% intensity, and just keep upping the weight each week.

I’m going to rant about this latter, how I see kids training at 110% intensity week, after week, and never getting any stronger, a little latter when I have time. latter

Remember just because we live in a hard world, doesn’t mean you have to have a hard heart!

29

Sub Max training ; Here’s a story I was told years ago by a coach, and i’ve since told it to other kids i train, here it is.

Two twin brother’s they can both bench 225x10, they don’t train togeather. One brother “Ted” week 1 he goes in and benches 225x11 all out, screaming, and shouting, he’s got a buddy who helps him on the last rep or two, sayin all you. Anyway next week he puts 230 on the bar, and gets 11 reps same fashion, blows his load on one all out set, mabey a drop set, and then on to the rest of his workout. with this style of working out Ted manages to add 5lb a month to his bench (60lbs a year)
His brother Ned he goes in the first week and benches 225 for 7 solid reps, this didn’t burn him out, so he does 3 more sets, for a total of 4sets of 7x225. The following week Ned quietly comes to the gym, all by himself, and does 230 for 4 sets of 7, then goes on to the rest of his workout. With this style of training Ned manages to add 5lbs a month to his bench (60lbs a year)
So both systems get the same results (60lbs a year) but Ned is managing to handle alot more volume with heavy weight, 35 reps vs 11 reps+drop set. Ned ends up building more strength, and muscle, while avoiding strain, and injury, from the bad form that comes with 110% effort. Why does nobody get this.
80% effort, and 80% of 1RM are two different things. I can use 80% 1RM and still put 110% effort in. 80% effort means leaving 2-3 reps in the tank. So if you took your true 10 RM and only did 8 reps that would be 80% effort. You can train at this level and still progress week to week, probably faster. BBer’s train balls out year round, and I have no idea why, but it’s crept into strength, and athletic training. It causes injuries, and stalls strength so I don’t know why. latter

30

[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Thanks, curious does panzer stand for harley engine[/quote]

No man, just a Darkthrone song. I’m bad enough with four wheels let alone two!

31

This will be fun to watch. BTW you mentioned Goldberg as physique you admire, I saw him in a lobby of the hotel i was stayin at in miami about 2 weeks ago. Keep in mind I’m 5’7 and a buck seventy five. Guy was just unreal looking. Looked like he could pick me up and rip me in two. I started doing power cleans again right after that…

32

I like the look of the big power house, tight, but a BBer 6pack is optional. My clean is weak, and pathetic to watch, but the way I do it seems to be all muscle, and not much technique, so I’ll take the growth, and muscle through it. thanks for the shout out. latter

33

Waittz, said it’s going to be fun to watch, lol I was thinking that will be true because of “A” I’ll realize at sompoint I’m not the guy I was 13 years ago, or “B” I’ve been training 18yr for the last 8 years, and have it in my head that I’ll be able to improve at the same rate they do.
Training is fun right now, and I think it’s because I’m not pressuring my self. 1500 lbs is realistic, and I don’t have a time line to get there, so just enjoying the ride. latter

34

In for Anytime Jake training…

35

Thanks Matty, you’ve been one of my go to guys here, when I get BBing question at the gym. I try to avoid training BBer’s, because it’s not where my expeiance is, but the last couple years, i’ve done pretty well with a couple, just by comming here, and being picky about the authors, and poster’s I listen to.
Wanted to say a bit about juice. Its been on my mind lately, about 5ys ago somone at the gym gave me a tren/test mix, ands I ran 3 bottles in a row (3mths) my weight stayed at 230, but I went down 5 holes in my belt, got lean, and strong. i’ve since played with different cycles, and had great results, (that didn’t last)

Here’s the problem I seem to have, when I’m on the gains–size, and strength-- seem to come to easy. After a coup[le weeks on, my training changes, I start chasing the pump, and stop doing the low rep, high volume training, that works so well for me. If my legs blow up with some leg press once a week, why do a grueling squat, and also deadlft workout. This has been whats happened to me in the past.

I’m not a PLer really, I’m a guy who trains / coaches athletics strength training, and like to do a PLing meet once a year, to see where I’m at. At 27, and 200lbs totaly natural, and without a belt or wraps, I got 1480, thats been bugging me for alot of years. Also I’m sick of telling my kids " I used to be able to do this" so I’m trying to do this clean, and raw, for my own reasons, but if somthing changes, and It’s not comming like I want.

I will anounce any changes to this plan ( gear, or juice added) I have nothing against a little gear, and once I get 1500, I might add some gear, and juice, to shoot for 2000–lol, but we shall see, thats along way off. latter

36

I always toy with the idea of doing a Test only cycle, now I use test in a TRT dosage, but when I am healthy again I may consider a blast cruise kind of method. Im already shut down test wise, dont want anymore kids, have pretty firm grasp of monitoring my levels and have people more in the know than me to help me along the way. Thats a long way off until I get my neck straightened out.

Have you ever considered Auto Regulation Style training, especially if there is a total you want to hit I feel it really gives you a more exact picture of where your numbers are.

37

Thanks Matty, ya I’m just playing around right now as far as the weigh 1RM is concerned. We do a mock meet every year, with all the guys at the gym, and that I train, we set it up just like a meet, and judge each other. So until then I’m just pushing the volume, and build back my strength base.

I pulled 405 pretty easy with one of my kids back in march. He came to my house for advice because his dead was stalled, and while we were going over things I pulled the 405. That was probably my first dead in 5yrs it made me decide to start training again.

I’m in the middle of swinging my program around, so I squat, and dead heavy on Sun morning, splitting them up was fine at first, but my workload is getting up around 10 000lbs for each of those workouts. Thats a lot for my lower back, better to put them togeather, and split the volume.

This is how I used to train at my strongest, then do a push workout-Tues, pull workout -Thurs, and posibly (optional) a BBing workout- Fri, this would be for arms, and latterals. This is what I’m heading for, i started this comeback with 5 days a week, and as I got stronger dropped to 4 days a week, and now mabey 3 days + an optional BBing day.

Matty, as far as auto reg. I don’t have a set plan for the day. On my main lift for the day, I aim for 12 sets total, I ramp up in 5s and keep adding weight till I get to my working weight for the day, and I go by feel, I have a top number written down to reach, but after that I go by feel, and bar speed. Thew other day I planed on 5x5 with 315 On the 3rd the last rep was slow, so I dropped the weight to 295x5 then 275x5,

Now rather than go up in weight next week, I’ll stay at 315, and go for 5x5. So once I’ve ramped up, I’ll do 4-6 sets of 4-6 reps with my working weight, then I’ll drop the weight by around 10% and rep till failure, then drop another 10% and rep out again, then finally I’ll drop another 10% and do 3-6 sets of 10–supersetted quickly with my weak link.

Because I don’t have an exact idea what my 1RM is right now, I’m just going by feel, I do believe strongly in leaving 2-3 reps in the tank on big sets, so it’s hard to say. the rep calculator puts 315x10 at 420, so I’m around there with squat and dead, and i think I can get 315x5 in the bench, so whatever. i don’t know what point I was trying to make, but I hope that answered it lol. latter

38

Earlier this year I had a thread about opening my second comercial gym, in case anyone is wondering here’s what happened.
A small town about an hour from me anounced in the paper that they were closing the rec center / weight room, I looked into it saw that they had around 800 member’s, and decided to open another gym there. i made all the arrangements, found a place, and lined up equipment, started a thread here for people to learn the process.

My aim was to open in the same month that they shut down. They wanted 50 grannd a year from the town to stay open, the town said no, so they anounced they were leaving. the mayor told the town not to worry because he had made arngements with me, but what he was really doing was using me to negociate with the rec center, in the end they agreed to stay for 20 grand a year instead of 50, and i moved on. I learned a lesson in politics, the mayor basicaly told them go ahead and leave, I’ve got somone else, and that was his bartering chip. latter

39

It’s lovely to be strung along then dropped when you’re no longer useful. :confused:
Some people have no honor.

40

I believe everything happens for a reason, and I wasn’t really ready, in the position to be opening a second gym. i’m on house arrest, and am dealing with a bunch of legal shit right now, that plus having to hire someone to run my gym, has me pretty tight money wise. i also bought a new house this year, without selling my other house, so I was going to be spreading myself thin, and possibly putting everthing else I have at risk, just to open second gym. I would have never thought about it, other than I saw a hole that needed to be filled. Right now I’m kind of glad it didn’t happen.

So I’m going to change my program around this week. i’m skipping Fri. deadlift session, and I’m going to put it on Sun. with squats, new program will look somthing like this ;

Sun. Squat 5x3 (add reps when possible) Deads 5x3 (add weight when possible) Trap bar-- for some high rep work as finisher
mon. Bench 10x3 supersetted with face pull,
wed. Step ups 5x5, than some BBing stuff rows, arms, latterals ( this workout should be fairly easy, and optional)
Fri. military 10x3 supersetted with pullups

The program Ive been following is great, and has done alot to bring back my strength base, I have been following it for about 4mths, but Im gettng to beat up squatting, and deadlifting on two seperate days. So Im going to push them togeather like I used to. The program Ive been following is the same one I use with most of the young athletes I train.

It works real well helping kids get to 1000lb total, and this is my goal with them. My lower back needs a break, so Im going to try this. I always comit to a new program for 3mths, then I revaluate, I believe in evolution, not reolution in programing, so as things come up I adapt my program to find a solution, dont just throw it out the window. I`ll see how this all works togeather, it looks good on paper, but I might make small changes in the first week workout to workout. latter