Dhickey's Training Log

I was going to do this on my blog but it’s not working. Figure here maybe someone will get bored and offer suggestions.

I have been lifting on an off for 20 years. I am running about 6 months now after a few years off to sort out severe elbow issues. I was never into PLing so I am a bit of noob in that respect. I took me about 3 months just to do a bit of research and sort a program that I liked and would fit my travel schedule. So I’ve been lifting consistantly (for me) for about three months.

I travel every week for most of the week. I really only get 2 or 3 good workouts in a week. While on the road I mess around a little with bands, handstands, pushups, BW squats, etc.

I’m 5’10 and 240lbs or so. I could definately compete at 220 if I cleaned my diet up a bit. I would like to compete ealy next year in the USAPL meet in MN. Everything is going to be raw to keep things simple.

Last tested Maxes in early March :
Squat - 365 - Below parallel on a box
Bench - 335 - I don’t think this has gone up since March.
DL - 405 - These suck for me. Everything feels heavy and slow.

I am going to do mostly ME work. I’ll sneek DE work in where I can, especially for DLs. I am going to rotate 3 or 4 differnt main exercises for Squat/DL and Bench.

Squat/DL :
Box Squats w/ Bands - Going to rotate band strength.
Trap Bar DLs
Band-Lightend DLs - Going to rotate band strength.
Arch back GMs with SS bar - I might try chain or bands on these. Depends on how easy they feel at the top.

Bench :
Bench w/bands - Going to rotate band strength
2 Board Press - Don’t think I need bands or chain on these but we’ll see.
Floor Press - Will probably use chain on these to make them a little harder on the top.
Band-Lightened Bench - I may take these out.

Friday, June 13 - ME Squat/DL

Warm-up
Elliptical for a few minutes
Incline Sit-ups - 3 x 8

Trap Bar DL - Barefoot on thick spongy mat.
135x4
225x2
315x1
405x1 - Slow
425x1 - (PR, +10lbs)Pretty easy but slow.
405x3 - Slow

Seated GM - SSB
135x8
185x8
185x8
185x8

Incline Sit ups - Straight leg - SU Bench @ 60deg
BWx8
25x5
25x4
25x3

DB Romanian DL - Barefoot on thick spongy mat.
50s x 10
65s x 20 - Need to buy heavier DBs

Notes : My DL are really slow. Definitely need speed work. Because of travel DE is first to get cut. Need to squeeze it in. Abs are weak. Need to do Abs on Bench days as well.

Saturday June 14 - ME Bench

BW = 243

2 Board Press
135x12
185x6
225x3
275x1 - Exaggerated Pause. Index finger on ring
315x1 - Exaggerated Pause Index finger on ring.
365x0 - Exaggerated Pause. Ring finger on ring.
365x0 - Regular Pause. Index finger on ring.
315x3 - Regular Pause. Index finger on ring.

CG BP w/Bands - All Sets with Light (90lbs) Band. 2" from chest.
Bands x 5
135x5
185x5
225x5

Palms Facing DB Tri Ext/Press - Superset with PU’s
45s x 6
55s x 6
55s x 6
55s x 6

Pull ups - Palms away on Rolling Thunder Handles
BW x 4
BW x 4
BW x 4

Military Press - Kettle bells with bells toward ceiling.
25s x 8
35s x 8
35s x 8
35s x 8

Notes : This workout sucked. My wrists and shoulders felt a little jacked from DL’s yesterday. Remember not to do ME BP after DL’s. Also really light-headed. Forgot to take my meds last 2 days. I should have gotten 365 easy on two board press. Didn’t feel heavy but needed 2" on the left side to lock it out. Starting to do more tri’s anyway. Need wrist straps.

Sunday June 15 - OFF

Monday June 16 - Travel

Tuesday June 17 - Golf

Wednesday June 18 - Travel

Thursday June 19 - Travel

Friday June 20 - DE Lower

Warm up
Eliptical for a few minutes
Box Jumps

DE Squat - 12" Box. Barefoot on thick spongy mat
Bar + Ave Band (Bands = 140lbs)
135+Ave x 2
225+Ave x 2 - 8 sets

Band tension was a little heavy. I am going to go down to Monster Minis next time and work my way up. 4" camber bar jacked my right shoulder up. Going back to SS bar next time.

DE DL - Barefoot on thick spongy mat.
135+mini x 1
225+mini x 1 - 10 sets.

This was pretty light band tension. Going up to Monster Minis next time.

Box Jumps - 24" Box.
240lbs BW + 40lb Vest - 10 Jumps

Felt pretty good. Need taller boxes.

KB Swings
44x10
52x10
62x10
70x10

Kicked my ass.

Standing Crunch - Lat PD machine with bands added
50lbs + Bands - 4 sets of 8

Saturday June 21 - ME Bench

Bench w/Bands - Ave Bands (120lbs)
Bar x 12
135 x 6
185 x3
225 x1
245x1
225x3

CG BP w/Bands - All Sets with Light (90lbs) Band. 2�?? from chest.
Barx6
135x6
185x6
225x5

I am going to start doing these on an incline. On a flat bench it is hard to break regular bench form and really hit the tris. I feel like I’m hitting too much delts on these. On an incline you can’t help but keep your elbows out and I should be able to keep the delts out of it.

Tate Press - Superset with Rows
65s x 15
65s x 15
65s x 13

Need heavier DBs

Chest Supported Rows
152.5 x 6
152.5 x 6
152.5 x 6

Seated DB Clean
25s x 12
25s x 12
25s x 12
25s x 12

Go up to 30s next time.

Sunday June 22 - Off

Monday June 23 - ME Lower

Warm up
Elliptical for a few minutes
Box Jumps

Olympic Squat - SSB. Barefoot on thick spongy mat
Bar + Monst Mini Band (Bands = 70lbs) x 10
135+Mmini x 3
185+Mmini x 3
225+Mmini x 1
275+Mmini x 1
315+Mmini x 1 x 4

First time doing these in ages but they felt really good. Rock bottom and paused on every rep. Didn’t feel like my back was rounding at all to get to that depth. Go up to Light bands next time.

Arch Back GM - SSB. Barefoot on thick spongy mat.
135 x 5
185 x 5 x 5

Reverse Hyper - On back raise bench with Mmini band. Superset with abs.
3 sets of 10

Standing Crunch - Lat PD machine with bands added
50lbs + Bands - 4 sets of 8

Tuesday June 24 - ME Bench

BW = 240

Bench w/Bands - All sets with doubled Light (170lbs at top, 90lbs at bot). 2" below chest.
Barx10
95x2
135x1
185 - 5 sets of 1

Incl CG BP w/Bands - All Sets with Ave (140lbs at top, 80 at bot) Band.
Bar x 3
115 - 5 sets of 3

DB Tri Ext/Press - Superset wit PU’s
65s - 4 sets of 5

Pull ups - Palms away on Rolling Thunder Handles
BW - 5 sets of 3

Military Press - Kettle bells with bells toward ceiling.
35s x 9
35s x 8
35s x 8
35s x 8

Wednesday June 25 - Off - Travel
Thursday June 26 - Off - Travel

Friday June 27 - DE Lower

Warm up
Eliptical for a few minutes
Box Jumps

DE Squat - Little below parallel. Barefoot on thick spongy mat
Bar+Mmini Band (Bands = 70lbs)
135+Mmini x 2
225+Mmini x 2 - 8 sets

DE DL - Barefoot on thick spongy mat.
135+Mmini x 1
225+Mmini x 1 - 10 sets.

Standing Crunch - Lat PD machine with bands added
50lbs + Bands - 3 sets of 8
50lbs + Bands - 1 set of 9

Note : Quick workout because I other shit to do today. Used the 4" camber bar for squats again and didn’t bother me as bad. I really need to work on mobility for my right shoulder. Surgically repaired years ago but range of motion and just general positioning is off. May have to have someone look at it and give me some suggestions.

Saturday June 28 - ME Bench

BW = 240

Bench w/Bands - All sets with doubled Light (170lbs at top, 90lbs at bot). 2" below chest.
Barx10
95x2
135x2
185 - 6 sets of 1

Incl CG BP w/Bands - All Sets with 12" Mmini @ 6 hole. (70lbs @ top ,20lbs @ bot)
Bar x 3
135 x 3
185 x 5

Chest Supported Rows - Middle Pin
100 x 10
150 - 8 sets of 2

DB Tri Ext/Press - Superset wit H-Rolls
60s - 3 sets of 6

H-Rolls - 30deg Incline
20s - 3 sets of 6

Sunday - Off
Monday - Off

Tuesday July 1 - ME Lower

Warm up
Elliptical for a few minutes
Box Jumps

DL - Rack pulls from 2 pin. Right at knee.
225 x 3
275 x 1
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 1
455 - 5 sets of 1

Olympic squats - Safety Squat Bar. Ave Bands on all sets. 140Lbs.
Bar x 5
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
245 - 3 sets of 3

Straight Leg Situps - Incline bench
35lbs - 3 sets of 3

Was going to do Reverse Hypers on my homemade contraption but didn’t work that well. Have to make a few changes and it will be good to go.

Wednesday July 2 - ME Bench

Bench - 6" Foam Roller - All sets with doubled Ave band (130lbs @ bot, 260lbs @ top)
Bar x 10
145 x 1
145 x 1

DB Press w/Bands - all sets with doubled mini (50lbs @ bot, 80lbs @ top)
45s x 10
55s x 10
65s x 6

Chest Supported Rows
100 x 10
150 - 7 sets of 2
150 - 1 set of 3

DB Tri Ext/Press - Superset wit H-Rolls
60s - 2 sets of 6
60s - 1 set of 7

H-Rolls - 30deg Incline
20s - 2 sets of 6
20s - 1 set of 7

Thursday July 3 - Off
Friday July 4 - Off
Saturday July 5 - Off

Sunday July 6 - ME Bench

Bench - 6" Foam Roller board press style
135x12
225x10
315x10

Incl CG BP w/Bands - All Sets with Ave Band (60lbs @ Bot, 80lbs @ top)
Bar x 3
135 x 9

Chest Supported Rows
100 x 10
150 - 6 sets of 2
150 - 2 sets of 3

DB Tri Ext/Press - Superset wit H-Rolls
60s - 1 set of 6
60s - 2 sets of 7

H-Rolls - 30deg Incline
20s - 1 set of 6
20s - 2 sets of 7

Monday July 7 - ME Lower

Warm up
Elliptical for a few minutes
Box Jumps

Box Squat - Little below parallel w/4" Camber bar
135 x 8
225 x 4
315 x 2
365 - 2 sets of 2

365 felt pretty easy. This was my max in March and I feel like I could have gotten one set of 4. I am going to do a cycle with bands and weight. Each workout is going to be 405lbs at the top. I’ll start with the strongest bands and work my way down while adding weight to keep 405 at the top. Essentially every workout gets heavier at the bottom until I do 405 straight weight. If that goes well I will do the same thing with 455, 495 etc. I like planned progressions better than just maxing out on different exercises. I will rotate these with Dls. I may cycle my Dls with differnet pin positions as well.

RDL
135 x 6
225 x 6
275 - 2 sets of 3
275 - 1 set of 4

Straight Leg Sit-ups â¿¿ Incline bench
BW x 6
35lbs - 2 sets of 3
35lbs - 1 set of 4

KB Swings
70lbs - 3 sets of 12

Tuesday July 8 - Off
Wednesday July 9 - 0ff

Thursday July 10 - ME Bench

Bench - 3" Foam Roller - Similar to 2 Board Press
135x10
225x6
275x4
315x4

DB Press w/Bands - All Sets with 20" Light Band (30lbs @ Bot, 65lbs @ top each)
45s x 8

Chest Supported Rows
100 x 10
150 - 5 sets of 2
150 - 3 sets of 3

DB Tri Ext/Press - Superset wit H-Rolls
60s - 3 sets of 7

H-Rolls - 30deg Incline
20s - 3 sets of 7