Maple Syrup Strength (littlesleeper)

On another note, I am going to be heading to a gym in town tomorrow morning at 8:30am that my coach from junior football opened semi-recently (within the last year - but I just found out about it). This is the man that started my fitness journey in grade 9. He would bring me leftovers to feed me to make sure I was bulking up and he personally trained me through high school. I walked into grade 9 at 5’2" 120lbs and finished at 5’8" 185lbs with a 405lb squat, 465lb trapbar deadlift and a 285lb bench. I played offensive line, and was put on the All Star Team (within our school board) multiple years. I even got a couple touchdowns as an offensive line. All of these feats I can thank this man for. I haven’t seen him in probably close to 10 years and am really looking forward to going to his gym, catching up and getting some serious work in. If I remember anything from his coaching style back then, this workout is going to be extreme.

A friend of mine has trained there a couple times now and said that Coach told him to bring me in for a lift. After hearing about my most recent lifts he told my buddy that he would fix my bench press (it is clearly the lift that sticks out as being a weak point). It is an exclusive gym for friends and classes that he runs out of it. I guess he has a little open gym session for friends at 8:30am on Saturday mornings, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this became a weekly thing for me. It would be beneficial to have a coach’s eye looking at my form and objectively identifying weak points for me. Apparently it is an old auto shop and still smells of motor oil. My friend said it was dirty, grungy, chalky, loud and chains hanging everywhere…sounds perfect!
I’m going to take this evening off, so that I can bring 100% tomorrow and likely try to show off a little. I’m not opposed to doing some ego lifting tomorrow, I’m already mentally preparing myself for it.

8 Likes

High school changes people.

I’m sure the 6" in height helped me stack some mass on my frame, but I took a “Powerfit” class (just lifting weights, with a few “health” assignments along the way) each year and 3+ days a week I would work out on my lunch. I also played football, hockey, baseball and threw shotput and discuss for the track and field team (I was not competitive in the throwing events, but it was an excuse to skip class for a couple days when the track meets were held).

More directly responding you your comment, yes, I agree. High school absolutely changes people! I had an awesome experience in high school, but I know others who did not.

I am not competitive in the throwing events at all…but I’m still getting stronger. Haha. For me, personally, since I’m pretty focused on getting into a good college, high school has sucked. Academics take up all of my time, unfortunately.

That’s all that matters! Size was not on my side for throwing events, but it wasn’t on my side for playing offensive line either lol

Your goal is to get into a good college, and you’re doing what is required to achieve that goal even if you have to sacrifice some “fun” in the present time. I respect that.

1 Like

Sounds like you’re in for some fun Sleepy. Go have fun and catch up I’m sure it’s gonna be awesome.

1 Like

Yep sounds like it will be a good session, can’t wait for the write up.

1 Like

02/02/2019
This morning was my workout at “Traphouse Barbell” with my old football coach. It was awesome! It really was great to catch up with him, and he has lots of awesome toys that I think will help strengthen some of my weak points. GHR, reverse hyper, a variety of bars (swiss, 3" thick, cambered, bamboo, etc), and tons of bands and chains. He does 3 week waves programming with tons of lift variations. He said we will max out on two lifts per week and then have two days per week of speed work. I asked similar to Westside Barbell conjugate? He said that it was similar, but he based it mostly off of Russian programming.

He had me show him my bench press from my comp and he just yelled “TRICEPS!” and we got to work.

“Traphouse Barbell W1D1”

Bench Press from Pins ~4-5" off Chest (Weak Point) with Red Mini Bands
135 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 1
305 x 1
315 x 1
365 x 1
385 x 0

Not bad, considering my comp max is 350lbs!

Black Slingshot Bench (80% Max)
300 x 3
300 x 3
300 x 3

I can’t exactly remember the number of reps/set, but it was at least this.

JM Press with 3" (50lb) Bar
190 x 10
190 x 10
190 x 10

Here we really focused on keeping elbows tight and pushing the bar away from my head (towards my feet).

SUPERSET
Seal Rows with 3" Bar
190 x 6 (3s hold at top)
190 x 6 (3s hold at top)
190 x 6 (3s hold at top)

Set the bench up on two small plyo boxes. These felt great, a good targeting of my back muscles here.

Pullups
5
5
5

Could barely eek out 5reps, I was fried.

SUPERSET
Over and Back Presses with Bamboo Bar with Hanging 25lb Plates
20
20
20

Shoulders were on fire!

Banded Facepulls
40
30
25

Traps/shoulders were running out of steam.

SUPERSET
Standing Banded Crunches
50
40
30
25
25
25

Banded Triceps Extensions
50
40
30
25
25
25

Crunches were all done on the green band, while the triceps I would just move down the resistances as I failed. I was down to a little micro band by my last set. 0% left in triceps after these.

Finisher
100 3" Barbell Curls (50lbs)
I was supposed to do them straight without putting the bar down…this didn’t quite happen.
I think I got to 60-70 before putting the bar down, forearms were screaming. Did the last 30 in 3 sets of sloppy 10reps.

Then I stuck around for another 45mins just shooting the shit and working on some shoulder and hip prehab. I did some prone Y’s, T’s, W’s, and I’s with 5lb plates, some “banded marches”, a few different side raises in different planes, and a few other things.

Coach wants me to work out with him for at least a month and he said he will fix me. I’m looking forward to it! So I’m going to be working with a coach now moving forward for at least the next month and get to have new toys to play with. He also said I need to get a sled for dragging to help with strengthening up my hips. Added to my list of equipment to buy for my new weight room once we are in our new place this summer.

Awesome workout! I was surprised that this workout only took ~1.5hrs including warmup, a lot of different movements mixed in there. I was at the gym for ~2hrs total, lots of chatting/catching up mixed in.

9 Likes

You are doing a westside styles training welcome to the conjugate club.

2 Likes

Here are the gym rules you are greeted with when you walk through the door.

4 Likes

Great write up and sounds like you had a really good session. I realy like those gym rules especially the one around training and not working out. I expect to see some great improvement in the bench over the next month. Go get it man.

1 Like

Thanks Hog, willing to let have someone else take the programming reins for the next little while. I’m looking forward to giving it a good trial run.

1 Like

Thanks Simo. Coach is quite confident I’ll find new strength in all 3 lifts by giving his training a go, so I’m all in. Hoping to find a meet around early June so I can go in and give it a good rest.

1 Like

I read through that endless list of exercises you did, thought to myself that was at least a 2 hour workout.
Then you did this

After that insane workout, you’re right up there with @T3hPwnisher in insaneness level.

But unfortunately you can’t lift at that gym anymore, look at rule no 9, no chance you can lower a DL loud and noisy.

Love them rules Sleepy.

4 Likes

I’m jealous man. That program is just walhat I’m trying to learn and you have a personal coach teaching it to you and watching to provide instant feedback…

2 Likes

It was definitely a solid workout, although Pwn would have completed it in 45mins or less…

Haha, I chuckled reading that rule as well. I have never dropped a deadlift from the top, and RARELY lower it hard enough to make much noise, but I appreciate that I won’t get kicked out of the gym in the off chance that I do!

This whole opportunity just seemed to pop up out of nowhere. I’m extremely grateful to be coached and learn an entirely new (to me) training style. Hoping after 4+ weeks of working directly under his guidance I can start applying a lot of it to my regular training on my own.

Regardless, I could see myself training in there with him at least once per month going forward just to change things up from working out alone in the basement!

3 Likes

I also woke up at 218.2lbs, new weight loss PR for 2019. This is probably the first morning where I actually looked in the mirror and thought “hmmm, I think I might actually be getting a little leaner”. Wife also mentioned that I’m looking leaner already.

I behaved myself last night and only had 3-4 pints. These could have just helped me dry out a bit for this morning.

January 2019 Progress:
221.6lbs - 218.2lbs = -3.4lbs

2 Likes

I know we wear about the same length of pants but I forgot your height. How tall area you again? The reason I ask is that we might end up being close to the same weight during this year’s T-ransformation and I can’t help but think that you’re going to be jacked and I’m going to be skinny…

I’m going to have to post some videos of myself dominating the young guns on the basketball court to build my ego back up. :laughing:

4 Likes

I’m just a 5’9" shorty! Hopefully get down to around 205lbs again this transformation, but I’m going to make sure that I’m fully fueling this new style of training and not selling myself short.

3 Likes

Fueling programming…yeah just finished the first day. I’m crushed. Stupid post workout can barely talk my cons is so fried. I blacked out the last rep of DE bench sets

1 Like