Definition of Insanity

Well, it’s been forever since I’ve posted on this site. I won’t bore anyone with the details, but I’m here now.

I’m signing up to compete in my first powerlifting meet. May 12th, Joneseboro, Ga.
stats now:

6’0 and 178.4 lbs bodyweight as of 2/11/12

Deadlift- was 305 in december.
OHP- 115 moooonths ago.
Bench- Never maxed, though I estimate 175 ish.
Squat- 225 a year ago?

needless to say I know I need to re-max. Frankly though, I’ve just been training heavy and basing workout percentages off old maxes.

I hit a pr 2 weeks ago in the deadlift though. I got 285 x 5, and I hadn’t done that before. I might’ve been capable all along but I never lifted with a 5 rep scheme. I used to always lift in 8-10.

I’m cycling 5/3/1 with bodybuilding asst work this month and hunkering down for all of march and april.

Today was chest and tris and it went like:

Bench (Machine) 5/3/1 scheme week 2.
115 x 3
145 x 3
155 x 3

BW Dips 4 x 10
Pec Fly 4 x 12 90lbs
Tri Pushdown 5 x 20
Pushup to fail 4 sets. 22,10,10,12

Cheers.

Diet Notes

Estimated goal 3200-3400 calories

Meat and Carbs.
Yesterday:
I ate oatmeal and 2 chicken biscuits for breakfast
Lunch was 2 Moe’s burritos with chicken and steak cheese lettuce rice and black beans
Dinner was a 10 oz New York Strip, baked potato, side salad, and cheesecake.

As long as I gain some weight and my lifts get bigger…I’m happy. Don’t much care about anything else.

When I lift I follow anaconda protocol 2, while my supplies last.

Today was Deadlifts and back

Deadlift-5/3/1 week 2
warmups 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 185 x 3
first work set 225 x 3, 250 x 3, 285 x 3
Let me just say man oh man I was not feeling this. I got the last rep up with form but didn’t dare push it past three like I normally would.

Bent Over Rows 4 x 12 75lbs
Chins 5, moved over to lat pull down and did 4 x 12 150lbs, and 135 for the last 3 sets
My grip was fried by this point

Good Mornings 4 x 10 45lbs, ramped to 75lbs for last 2 sets

Hanging Leg raises supposed to hit 4 x 12, but I got 2 x 12 before my grip failed again.

Looking forward to tomorrow, OHP and biceps!

Second workout for today

Soft tissue work and prehab stuff:
3x20 mini band pull aparts
3x20mini face pulls
3x20 mini shoulder dislocates

5x15 tricep push down with mini band
3 sets bb bicep curl 12x40, 10x50, 8x50, and 5x60lbs
Get-ups with 20lbs 3x10
Hip Thrusts 2x12 bodyweight and 2x8 with 50lbs
RDL 3x8 60lbs strict form

Just a light workout, extra volume, band work…nothing too rough.

Today was OHP and Biceps

Standing OHP 5/3/1 week 2
warm up with bar
70 x 3
80 x 3
90 x 6

5 x 10 Boring But Big Asst. Standing OHP with bar

barbell curls 2 x 8 at 75lbs

I had plenty of energy to workout more and had more planned for the day but I met a guy at the uni gym that I had never seen before. We ended up chatting and feeling each out and good vibes were had. Talked about training, strongman, and he might even compete with me in May.

He was doing deadlifts and tried to hit a PR at like 525lbs. I helped him load/unload and supported the efforts. He almost had it too.

I can stand doing a little less in the gym for potentially finding a like minded individual interested in powerlifting and maybe being a workout partner. I can handle that.

Oh man what a weekend. Friday me and the girl took the day off of work and took a much need recuperation day. The only physical thing we did was take a 2:30 hour walk around our side of town. We also hit the park. Saturday was another really nice day out so we hit the park up for some hill sprints and a neural charge type workout with box jumps and broad jumps.

Sunday was another rest day, and we ended up seeing a chinese/tibetan ensemble that was extraordinary. 12, 14, and even 16 years old played. Really good stuff.

Today was chest day, I wanted to hit squats but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Something tweaked my low back just right and I sure as hell didn’t want a full blown injury before may.

Bench 5/3/1 week 3
135 x 5
145 x 3
155 x 3
I could have pushed it but I have a scheduled max effort day on friday with some pals in my hometown. It felt great to rep out 155 though.

BW dips 3 x 10
last set I hit 1 x 8 and Idk my shoulder felt like it was “grinding” did not like that so I stopped short.

Pec Flies at 105 for 4 x 10

Pushups to failure 4 sets 15/15/15/15

Rope Pushdowns 4 x 15 at 80lbs

I did some light work capacity stuff in the morning, pushups, light rowing and some ab wheels.

today was OHP and Shoulders 5/3/1

again bearing in mind my max effort I pushed myself only to about an 7.5 out of 10. I’m sure I’m over compensating, but what can I say? I have been prone to injury all my life.

OHP
2 x 10, 8 warmup with bar.
Shoulder dislocates with mini band 10
band pull parts 2 x 15 mini band
75 x 8
80 x 8
85 x 5
90 x 5
50 x 5 sets of 10 Boring but big style

Side Raises 15lbs 1 set of 8

bent over rear delts raise 4 x 10 15 lbs

barbell curl 2 x 10 45lb bar 2 x 10 with 65lbs

Well, I thought now would be as good as any to start filling the log with pictures. This first picture is a comparison of progress between October 2nd and today.

Bear with me, I know the lighting is not optimal and I feel silly enough as is about that. But for now, this is what I got.

So this past Friday I took the time at the gym and maxed out with old friends. I wanted to test my deadlift, as I always do, and I wanted to judge my bench really bad. I was hoping for any increase on my deadlift and wanted anything above my last pr at 315. I hit 315 something like what seems t be years ago, and this past decemeber I could only pull 280. The last time I benched was 165 and I really was hoping for at least that much.

I got some videos, and I’m proud to say that I could have gotten 335 or maybe more on the deadlift if my left thumb wasn’t such a weak bitch. I am so happy to see my bench skyrocket, and I am beyond positive I could’ve had 200 without any finger assistance. If you watch the videos let me know what you think!

Just an update, just now recovered from a back injury and a severe lack of motivation.

Today was first day back into the gym, decided it was a good idea to hit legs.

Squats
60 x 10
80 x 10
90 x 10
110lbs 2x10
Leg curl 3x10 @60lbs.

I’m probably going to workout the rest of the week in a similar fashion and get re-acquainted with going to the gym. After this week I’m planning to go full monty with Wendler’s 5/3/1.

Shoulders.

OHP 30 x 10
40 x 10
60 x 10
70 x 10
80 3 x 8

Side Raise
15 2 x 10

Tri-Pushdowns
60 2x 10
70 2 x 15

I also started trying to pick up calories today, added in a half-gal of milk and will continue this until I find lactase pills don’t help or until I reach my goal bodyweight

Back and dead-lifts!

Okay so today is my last day for getting back into it. I just recently messed up my back and coming off recovery I told myself I would ease into dead-lifting again. I threw that out the window today and hopped in on some sets with some random stranger who was dead-lifting 225.

Anyway here’s what today looked like:

Seated Cable Rows
50 2x10
60 2x10
80 1x8
110 5x10

Dead-Lifts
225 3 sets, 1x5, 1x8, 1x5
245 1x3

I had planned on working at 135 and just hitting a high volume of sets/reps at a low weight. That didn’t workout because I have a small bit of an ego and wanted to lift with someone rather than by myself. Oh well.

Conditioning work on Sat/Sun not sure which yet and onto actual 5/3/1 on Monday

aa

So yesterday was Monday and my log post didn’t submit?

Anyway Monday was supposed to be 3x5 squats at 65%,75%,85% of training max. I ended up doing 5x5 at approx 70% because it felt really good and was difficult. I think I’m still trying to get back in the swing. I also did 5 sets because I didn’t check 5/3/1 manual before going and remembered wrong.

I then did hamstring curls, single leg 5x10 on left leg and 4x10 on right leg
Standing single calf raise 5x20
Decline sit-ups 5x10 with a 10lb weight and then a 15lb weight on the 2nd and then 4th sets.

Eager for OHP tomorrow

OHP
65%75%85% x 5
60lbs x 5, 70lbs x 5, 80lbs x 10 =)

Pushups 5x10
Rear Delt Fly 5x10 at 60-70lbs
Tricep Pushdown 5x10 80lbs

Also, on a side note. If you’re curious why my numbers are so pitifully low, I am using a training max that is 90% of my actual training max. Trying to avoid injury and get technique drilled. Second cycle I will use actual training max.

Deadlifts today =)

65%75%85%
175lbs x5, 200lbs x5, 225lbs x5-Just required reps, I had an appointment after so I didn’t want to be in the gym terribly long.

Seated Cable Rows 110lbs 5x10
Lat Pulls 160 2x10 I did not like the setup at my Uni gym. The pulleys were weird, and the 160lbs felt like 120. With my appointment in mind I dipped after this.

Last friday was deadlifts I know, but after that workout I had to do some movement filming at my Biomechanics lab and had to do jump squats with barbell. I think it is a bullshit exercise anyway, and then doing it poorly and having a barbell smack into my neck on the landing didn’t help me. I really bruised my neck and was kind of worried about my spinal health over the weekend. Not wanting to push it, I swapped my days around and did deadlifts again yesterday so I can squat Friday.

It went like this

Deadlifts- 80%, 85%, 90% : 215x3, 230x3, 245x5
Cable Seated Rows 5x10 at 125lbs.

So, looking at my training plan, I realize I wasn’t benching at all. I naturally avoid this exercise because I have mild-moderate scapular winging in my right shoulder blade. The thought occurred however that I could do my bench work on Wednesdays and OHP on Saturdays at home because I have the bare essentials required.

In lieu of this epiphany, I did bench today, and it was fuggin awful

Bench
warmup empty bar 3 x 10, focusing on upper back tightness and form
65, 75 and 75% again? Yeah, I did not go into the 80+5 percentage range or even consider it after the first set at 75%. 95lbs=65%, and 115lbs=75% just btw…

Then for some reason, I did my normal OHP accessory work. Pushups 5x10 and reaer Delt flys with 70lbs 5x10

All in all though, I think what really made this workout so bad for me was how awful benching felt. I was really unstable, and flexing like crazy just on an empty bar…I ended up with an amazing pump and felt great when I looked in the mirror.

Wow oh wow. Didn’t workout last friday, over the weekend or this past Monday. I got some phantom illness earlier in the week that seemed to culminate on that thursday with nausea and vomiting. I had some kidney/low back pain and with some bad toilet sessions on Saturday I tried to see a doctor Sunday. I got turned away because something screwy with my perfectly fine insurance and tried to hit the campus clinic on Monday.

I got turned away then too because I didn’t make an appointment and finally got seen on Tuesday only to be told nothing was wrong with any part of me they could observe. Except that I was ingesting too much dairy and was making myself throw up/nauseous etc.

I hit the gym today to makeup so I did Squat and OHP 531 same time
Squat- Warmup 40% 75lbsx5,50% 95lbsx5,60% 110x3
Work sets 75% 140x5, 85% 150x3, 95% 170x5

OHP Warmup 40% 45lbsx5,50% 55lbsx5,60% 65lbsx 3
Worksets 75% 75lbsx5,85% 85lbsx3,95% 95lbsx8

Decline sit-ups 1x20 @bw

Continuing the trend from Wednesday, I did two lifts today to make sure I stayed on track.

Deadlifts were first and overall I am very please with myself
135 x5 2 sets
155 x3 1 set
185 x2 1 set
75% 205 x5 1st work set
85% 230 x3 2nd work set
95% 260 x3 3rd work set

Bench- Some interesting dude was doing starting strength on the bench nearest me so I decided to say what the hell and worked in with him.
95lbs x5 1 set
115 x5 3 sets
He stopped ramping so I decided just to stay light and focus on being tight but after he did these 3 sets I wasn’t satisfied. I grew a hairy nut and threw 165 on the bar for 3 reps.
It felt great and the weight just flew up.

I then proceeded to do 3 sets of pushups with 5 reps seated rows at 175 in between.

Deload upcoming Monday, can’t say I’m eager. Finally feeling strong and don’t want to knock back the weights, but I guess I’ll just have to anyway to prepare for the next cycle