Doin' Work in the Steel City

[b]Current Stats[/b]

Height: 5’9"
Weight: 225
BF: see shitty cell phone pics below
Measurements: To come soon

[b]Current All-Time PRs (EDITED)[/b]
Bench: 405x1, 315x10, 225x26
Standing Press: 225x5, 185x15
Squat (raw): 505x1, 475x3
Squat (wraps): 575x1
DL: 605x1, 500x7

Additional info: I don’t deadlift heavy raw, ever. I always wear suit bottoms (old Crain suit) and sometimes put the straps up. This is due to a serious hip injury and the subsequent surgeries that followed. I can no longer pull conventional, and pulling heavy sumo without any hip support will cripple me for at least a week.

[b]Current Training Setup[/b]

M: Squat/Speed DL or Heavy DL - I only pull heavy once every 2 or 3 weeks. The other weeks I will squat heavy and then do speed pulls. Typical assistance work following this is usually leg press and leg curls, some ab work, and calves.

T: Prowler work - I have a Prowler at home and push it in the street of my housing plan. I typically push it from my mailbox to a neighbor’s, then back. The distance is about 35 yds one way. I will push it using the uprights for a lap (long strides, full hip extension), then row it using chains and cable handles down and back, then push it with the uprights using only my upper body for a lap. I’ll repeat this anywhere from 2-5 times, depending on energy levels, my current goals, and the day of the week. I don’t use much weight for this, only 90# right now.

W: Heavy Bench or Speed Bench/Heavy MP - I bench heavy every other week. On the other weeks I will do speed bench to work technique, and MP heavy. Assistance work is higher rep chest and shoulder work, mostly with DBs.

R: Prowler - Same as T, though usually this is the day I’ll kill it since the main lifts are out of the way for the week.

F: Back - Hypertrophy-oriented work for lats and traps. Usually different rowing and pulldown/chin variations, with shrugs and face pulls for traps/upper back.

Sa: Arms - Hypertrophy-oriented. I do this session at home in my garage. I have a pretty decent setup but I like the atmosphere at my gym for the other days.

Su: Prowler - Same as T and R.

As the weather gets shitty, the Prowler work will be dropped in favor of some light kettlebell or bodyweight stuff. Just something to get me moving on the off days.

If you’re familiar with his stuff at all, you’ll notice that a lot of John Meadows’ training techniques have been working their way into my program for assistance stuff. I started using his tips for shoulders about 3 months ago, and the results have been pretty good. Since then I’ve started using his techniques for arms and back as well.

The past few month I’ve been working up to some significant (for me) PRs in the bench (405) and deadlift (600). Once I hit those, I’ll back off the maximal work for a while and focus more on rep work for those lifts.


This pic is from July 27, at my leanest this summer. I was about 220 here.


Here’s a flexed pic. I don’t know a damn thing about posing.


Here’s a pic of my quad after pushing the Prowler. I think this was a few weeks before the other two.

Dude you’re fucking thick and lean AND strong. good shit.

HERE FOR THE GANGBANG.

Last two training sessions:

8/22 - Heavy DL

Sumo pull from floor - worked up to 550x2
Leg Press - 400x20, 490x20, 580x20
Leg Curl - 51x12, 59x12, 67x12 (weird weights; it’s an old Nautilus machine)
Ab superset: Ab Pulldown/DB Side Bend - 130x15,12,10 / 90x15,12,10
Standing Calf Machine - 4 sets of 15, moving up in weight each set (can’t remember weights)

Notes: Started the 550 pull too far out in front of me, so it was a little slower than I would have liked, but the second rep flew up. I always pull reps from a dead stop, no touch and go.

8/23 - Speed BP/Heavy MP

Speed BP - 135x2x5, 185x3, then 225,235,245,255,265 x 3
MP - worked up to 225x4
DB Press (palms neutral) - 100x10, 110x10, 120x8+3 RP
Inc DB Press - 80x10, 90x10, 100x6+2 RP
DB Lateral Swing (from John Meadows) 45x2x50, then 45x50 + 25x25 + 12x15 drop set
CS DB Rear Swing (from John Meadows) 45x40,32, then 45x40 + 25x20 + 12x12 drop set

Notes: Only 1 rep away from my all-time PR MP, so that felt good. The bench sets were all fairly smooth and fast; still trying to groove my bench technique though. It was absolutely terrible before. It’s still not great, but I’m working on it.

[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
Dude you’re fucking thick and lean AND strong. good shit.

HERE FOR THE GANGBANG.[/quote]

LOL thanks dude. You’ve made some crazy improvements yourself.

[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
Dude you’re fucking thick and lean AND strong. good shit.

HERE FOR THE GANGBANG.[/quote]

x2. I can tell this log will be amazing.

you are that funny dude. strong lifts. I will be following

Hit back today with my long lost training partner. Haven’t trained with him in about a year. Mayhem ensued.

Meadows Rows - 25,50,75x10, 100x3x10 <New favorite lat movement. Wow.
DB Dead Stop Rows - 100x2x10
Stretchers - 100x2x12
Pulldown - 190x2x10
WG Machine Row (Elbows Flared) - 230x3x8
Face Pull/DB Shrug Superset - 65x3x15/145x3x15

Also stopped to stretch lats hard for 60s each several times during session.

Notes: I basically lifted this entire program directly from Meadows’ article on back training here. It is monstrous. I feel like I’m 10’ wide right now, 7-8 hours later. My entire back has been so pumped the past few hours that I’ve been walking around like some douchebag in an extra-medium Affliction t-shirt on $3 Jager Bomb night. In. Sane. I honestly can’t find any room for improvement with this, movement-wise. It hits everything, in every way. I will try to progress in weight or reps on these the next few weeks. Then I will jack the volume up. Then I will fly away on my new wings. Fuck, I’m going to be sore as shit tomorrow.

Arms this morning. Another Meadows program copied set for set:

1A) Cross Body Hammer Curl - 35x10, 50x3x10
1B) Rope Pressdown - 37.5x12, 57.5x4x12

2A) DB Preacher Curl - 30x10,9,9
2B) Dip - BWx20, 20x15, 40x11

3A) BB Curl - 85x3x10
3B) Inc Skullcrusher - 75x15,15,12 - super slow down, big stretch at bottom

Notes: Lats are sore as hell from yesterday, like I knew they would be. Solid session overall. Finished in 45 min. Inc Skullcrushers are a great finishing move because of the stretch you can get on them.

8/28/11: Prowler stuff

I did it like I normally do it (I’m married, monotony is one of the only things guaranteed to me in life now) for 10 laps total with 90#. I only took a break every 3 laps though, since the Prowler felt like it was floating on air. It’s funny like that. One day, 90 on the Prowler can feel like 180, and on another it can feel like 10. I just adjust my rest periods to get the desired effect. Easy, shorter or no rest, harder, longer rest and maybe fewer laps.

Squats, legs, and abs tonight:

Squat w/cambered bar - worked up to 405x1, 315x8
Speed Deadlift - 315x6x3
Leg Curl/Leg Ext Superset - 3 sets of 12, working up with 1sec peak contraction on each rep
Ab Pulldown - 120x15,13,9
Standing Calf Raise - 300x15, 320x15, 340x12

Notes: First time using the cambered bar in a few years, so I cut it off at the 405 single. Was probably good for another 20-30 lbs but no sense going for broke on these right now. I am nearing my peak for bench and dead and don’t want to put any more stress on my body than I need to, especially shoulders and elbows (hence the use of a cambered bar). Also used a high bar position to take some strain off the lower back.

The leg curl/leg ext superset was cool. Legs got a great pump. I haven’t done extensions in years.

After I hit my strength goals, I have every intention of bumping up the volume a little on lower body work, especially calves. My thighs are pretty decent (my one genetic blessing), but my calves are shit since I hardly ever train them consistently. I will make a point of it now. Should get some better pics of the wheels up soon too.

I too had a big infatuation with the Meadows programs and copied most of the sample days set for set. Unfortunately, I was getting deeper and deeper into a caloric deficit, and I tried wayyy too much volume. Ended up hurting me. But yeah, I look forward to seeing how you do with it. I still incorporate MANY MD principles.

as they say over in Asia… “Horry Sheeeeeeeeeeeeit!”

you’re a friggin tank man. this log is gonna be bad ass

[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
I too had a big infatuation with the Meadows programs and copied most of the sample days set for set. Unfortunately, I was getting deeper and deeper into a caloric deficit, and I tried wayyy too much volume. Ended up hurting me. But yeah, I look forward to seeing how you do with it. I still incorporate MANY MD principles.[/quote]

Yeah if you’re depleted I can’t see how his stuff would be much fun. Maybe still use the exercises but with much less volume. The Meadows row is going to be a mainstay in my back training from now on though, dieting or not. I’ve never had a better MMC with my lats than I did with that movement.

[quote]gregron wrote:
as they say over in Asia… “Horry Sheeeeeeeeeeeeit!”

you’re a friggin tank man. this log is gonna be bad ass[/quote]

Thanks man, appreciate the kind words.

8/31/2011 Bench, Chest, Shoulders

BP - worked up to 350 for a single (video), then decided to try 375 and got it 4" off my chest.
3 Board Press - 375x1, 390x1
DB Hammer Press - 120x9+2 RP
Inc DB Press - 100x8+3
DB Lateral Swings (2 Drop Sets) - 60s for a lot, then 30s for more, then 15s for a few more (video)
Chest Supported DB Lateral Swings (2 Drop Sets) - 55s for a lot, 30s for more, 15s for a few more

Not happy I missed 375. Rest of session went ok, though I had to cut some things a little shorter than usual because it took my group 90 min to fucking bench tonight.

Video:

why do you do lateral raises with such a short ROM?

Good work. You’re one thick mofo. Half sleeve looks good too. I’m sure you’ll be pressing 4 plates in no time.