Me, Myself, and the Iron

Training Logs
21

Right now I go to UCDavis (a half-hourish south of Sacramento), and the meets in my hometown of Concord, which is like an hour south of here. The meet is called “East Bay Raw Challenge” and it’s through the USPLA.

I’m so pumped for this meet that there are a few abnormal things going on:
a) I’m getting schoolwork done ahead of time so I can get proper training in
b) There’s this huge houseboating party thing memorial day weekend… I’m not going cause then I wouldn’t be able to afford the meet or train for it either.

I feel like a kid counting down the days until christmas… except I’m looking forward to this more than I ever have for Christmas, lol.

22

Again, runnning on <4 hours of sleep, but damn great bench day…
BP
Bar x 20
135x5
165x3
170x3
185x3
195x3 (whoops, that was supposed to be 190… oh well)
205x2
205x1
215x1
195x3
185x3
170x3
135x10

DB BP
80 x 5 x 3

Weighted dips
+90x9
+115x4
+115x3
+125x3
+135x3
+135x2
bwx25

Tried doing floor presses here… wasn’t gonna happen lol

Cable flies
22.5x30
22.5x12

V-bar pull down followed immediately by tricep PD
42.5x15,25
50x15,15
57,5x10,10

My triceps/chest feel like exploding as I type this.

Bodyweight=138.6 (Probably because I ate a whole jar of peanutbutter last night =P)

23

a) watched The Black Swan last night with the gf → mind BLOWN.

b) for fucks sake someone help me before I go crazy. My deadlift has been stuck at 385 for wayyyyy tooooo long, and it’s even more frustrating because I used to be able to hit 405 at the same weight I am right now if not a few pounds less.

Today:
Deadlift
135x5
225x5
315x3
325x3
345x3
375x1
385x1
395x0
315x1 → at this I was so fucking disgusted with myself I just put away the plates and walked right outta the gym.

I can get the bar to like mid-2/3 thigh height, but I cannot lock it out. I refuse to get anything less than 405 at the meet. I don’t care if I lose. I want that 405 so badly.

24

Also, anyone got any suggestions on single prong 10 mm belts? Preferably on the more college-budget side than anything

25

First of all, you’ll hit 405 at your meet. Don’t even sweat it. They’ll most likely have an actual deadlift bar, which will feel awesome, and you’ll rip that shit off the floor fast. I wish I went for more than I did on my last pull at my meet, because it came up with such ease, actually surprised me.

Second, don’t take such small jumps as you approach your max. You did 345x3, then 375x1, 385x1, and tried 395. Next deadlift session, try hitting 325ish for a triple, then no more triples.

325x3
365x1
395x1

Or hit 365x1 and then 390x1, and try 405.

You’re burning yourself out by taking 10# jumps a few times at the top sets. Just load it up and rip it.

Thirdly, I don’t know much about belts other than the one I got was $70, but a lot of them I look for seem to be around that amount. Just make sure it’s thick, and as wide as your fed allows (most likely 4" wide) and for the love of god, don’t get a tapered one. You want it to hold the same width all the way around your body.

Kick ass, man

26

Thanks, I really appreciate the input (and encouragement!) The problem is I’ve always worked alone and never really had any sort of mentoring I guess and kinda winged it. I mean, I’ve lurked tnation for a bit and check out elitefts, but I don’t necessarily like taking everything on the internet too seriously for the very fact that it’s the internet.

27

[quote]yeeyek8 wrote:
Thanks, I really appreciate the input (and encouragement!) The problem is I’ve always worked alone and never really had any sort of mentoring I guess and kinda winged it. I mean, I’ve lurked tnation for a bit and check out elitefts, but I don’t necessarily like taking everything on the internet too seriously for the very fact that it’s the internet.[/quote]
No problem man. I train solo as well, in a shitty “fancy” commercial gym that has no love for powerlifting, so I feel where you’re coming from. The Training Log section here has been the most important thing that’s helped me in my lifting career thus far. These guys (and gals) know their shit, so ask away. You’ll get an answer.

28

Updates from yesterday:
After leaving disgusted from the gym, I went back 1.5 hour later and busted this out:

Reverse Band DL /W micro minis
315 x 1
365 x 1
395 x 1
405 x 1
415 x 1
425 x 0
415 x 1

Conv. DL
315 x 3

SLDL from deficit
135 x 10
165 x 10
185 x 10
205 x 4

Batwings
30 x 10 x 3

Pullups: 20 or somethin I don’t remember

GHR
bw x 15
+25 lb x 8
bw x 15

Later that day while waiting for my gf to get out of class:
Front squats
135 x 5
165 x 3
185 x 3
205 x 2
225 x 2
245 x 1

Shrugs
135 x 20
165 x 18
185 x 12
205 x 5

Hang snatches
bar x 4
95 x 3

This was just kinda outta boredom…

Today’s… had no idea what i was gonna do, went pretty light.

Push Press
Bar x 10
95 x 3
115 x 3
125 x 3
145 x 3
155 x FUUUUUU (that means didn’t happen)

Good mornings
155 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 4
225 x 3
245 x 1

Hang snatch
bar x 4
95 x 2
105 x 1
115 x FU
95 x 2

Standing cable crunch
50 x 20
65 x 20
72.5 x 15
80 x 8

Decline Hammer Press
2 pl x 10
3 PL X 8
2 pl x 20

pullups x 16
bw pushups x 30

headin home for mother’s day aka having to deal with trying to make my mom understand why I dont need to eat a ridiculous amount of carbs like they do and it’s a personal choice and by them pushing me the way they are it’s disrespectful and pisses me off.

29

Another relapse again last night… I’ve realized two things because of it:
a) I only binge when my mind is not clear: last night it was because I randomly woke up at 3am and was hungry
b) I keep saying afterward that it’s okay, it’s only one relapse; a once per week average is way better than it’s before. However, it’s not acceptable and I shouldn’t be justifying this.

Anyway, today was a BADASS work out, mainly cause I was rockin’ them snatches today!

Hang clean:
115 x 2
135 x 2
145 x 1
155 x 1
165 x 1

Hang Snatch:
75 x 2
95 x 2
105 x 2
115 x 1
125 x fail
125 x fail
(both of these were really close, I hope to be nailing this weight next week)
115 x 1
115 x 2
115 x 2
115 x 1
105 x 3
105 x 3
95 x 4
95 x 4

BB Curl
60 x 10
80 x 10
90 x 8
100 x 6

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I could curl cause I never really train my biceps…

DB Hammer curls
40 x 10 x 2
45 x 8 x 2

Preacher EZ-bar curls
45 x 10 x 2

BW Dips supersetted /w Pullups
38, 10
18, 7
20, 9

DB Holds for time
105 lb each hand - 30 sec, 20 sec, 15 sec

I actually really liked how this workout was structured and will probably continue to use this format on one of my off days

30

Your reverse band DL jumps started great, after your 405 I would have tried the 425, and if I missed it, try the 415. Kick ass though man, you got a 415 locked out, so come meet time a 405 will be easy!

Your relapse is food? Ah ok, wasn’t sure the first time you mentioned it. Can’t be that bad man, you’re not a super fatty or anything, and a binge eating session isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it’s done after a brutal training session like you’ve been putting up.

Keep it up man, you’re doing great

31

I don’t know what it is, but I guess my shoulders have been getting a lot stronger now that I have em on a program…my only problem is, my original max weight for 5/3/1 is definitely lower than what I can hit for 1 RM with my OHP.

OHP
95 x 5
105 x 3
125 x 3
135 x 2
140 x 1 x 2
135 x 2
125 x 2
115 x 6
95 x 10

Incline BP
135 X 5
155 X 5
175 X 4
185 X 2
195 X 1 <— just wanted to see if I could even get it
145 x 10

Facepulls
50 x 20
57.5 x 13
65 x 6 (feet started slipping)

Partial DB Press
55 x 12 x 2
60 x 8
60 x 5

CGBP
115 X 10
135 X 6
155 X 1.5
115 x 7

My triceps were way too fried for CGBP

Pullups throughout: bw: 15, 12, 10, 8, 10, 10, 12, 15

BW: 137.2

Just ordered some new protein today! Should be coming in soon hopefully…

32

your strength is inspiring!!!
And your RIPPED…holy crap.
will be following
:slight_smile:

33

[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
your strength is inspiring!!!
And your RIPPED…holy crap.
will be following
:)[/quote]

hahaha shucks, thanks. You might have been partly responsible for my workout today – if anyone ever says anything nice about me, I have to prove em right (I don’t like making anybody a liar.)

Anyway, I have no idea what it is about me and submaximal-sleep workouts (<5 hours of sleep), but woke up this morning and did squats… well let’s just say I have no idea what the hell happened here.

Foam rolling and stretching
Bar x 15
135 x 5
185 x 5

200 x 5
225 x 3
250 x 1 (95% of my 1RM Max: 265)

275 x 1 (PR, I think. Full depth, felt easy)
285 x 0 (felt like I couldve got this had I gotten more sleep)
285 x 0 → practicing fast eccentrics? lol

Okay… here’s where the nuttiness began. I was thinking, " damn I wanna do something badass that will make me grit my teeth and possibly shit my pants…" so the first thing that came to mind was: 225 x 20. Then i thought, “why 225 when i can do 235?”

This didn’t work out. So instead, as a straight set, the only rest being the load/unloading of plates, I did this:

235x4
225x4
215x5
205x5
200x6

I dont know why, but I refused to drop to a weight below 200. Collapsed, exhausted and almost was gonna called it quits, but then I realized two things:

  1. I could still walk
  2. I still had the energy to load/unload plates

So after a few minutes of rest, I did another straight set (rest only being load/unloading again) that looked like this:

200 x 5
215x 5
225 x 3
235 x 2
245 x 2

THEN I really died and realized that my workout was over when I could only do a single rep of zercher squats @ 135 lb.

Needless to say my legs/knees want to shoot my brains out.

ALSO, realized my squatting is MUCH better with a more narrow stance. I kinda realized this because of how close my F. Squat numbers are to my normal squat. Feels soooooo much better.

34

Attempting 235x20 is crazy man. I don’t really ever do 20 rep squat finishers, but the couple of times I have done them was with 135. Maybe I’ll try something crazy like 185 next time. Or not, that shit’s hard!

Killer squatting man, congrats on a PR.

35

So uh… today was fucking AWESOME despite the lack of sleep:
a) great squat session this morning
b) dominated a midterm
c) …deadlifted tonight… and here’s what it looked like:

135 micro mini x 10
225 mm x 5
315 mm x 1
315 x 2
355 x 1
375 x 1
395 x 1 → Mind was blown. Small struggle, but definitely not crazy hard so I tried…

405 x 1. FUCK YES.

I would like to thank inkaddict for his advice on making larger jumps: I gave it a try tonight and it definitely paid off. YES!!!

36

Quick note about last night:
I realized I hit that PR a la natural… aka I was commando. I forgot I had just come from my gf’s place… =P So from now on go to the gym commando to hit PRs?

lat/pulling day
Just wasn’t feeling it this morning, idk.

Weighted pullups
+45 x 5
+70 x 3
+90 x 3

I just don’t like weighted pullups… at all… maybe its cause theyre harder than normal pullups, heh.

Anyway, my forearms felt FRIED – I could only manage 90 x 19 /w DB Rows and that was about it, so I just tried doing as much various BW pulling as possible (i.e. fat man rows, wide grip pull ups, wide → close grip pull up sets.) Tried out the singe arm pulldown variation shelby starnes posted awhile ago and he was right, you really can feel it in your “lower” lats.
Around 100+ reps of bw pulling Im guessing.

Weighed myself this morning: 140.6 lb.

Definitely right on track toward where I wanna be for this meet, minus my bench press.
Order my inzer singlet yesterday! excited for it to come in

37

[quote]yeeyek8 wrote:
135 micro mini x 10
225 mm x 5
315 mm x 1
315 x 2
355 x 1
375 x 1
395 x 1 → Mind was blown. Small struggle, but definitely not crazy hard so I tried…

405 x 1. FUCK YES.

I would like to thank inkaddict for his advice on making larger jumps: I gave it a try tonight and it definitely paid off. YES!!![/quote]
Congrats man, glad to hear you listened. The 315-355 jump was great, then 20# jumps twice, and you figured “Hell, I still got some in the tank, lets try and smash it” and look at that, it worked. When you do your meet, open your DL around the 350-365 range, and it’ll fly up. You’ll be amazed at the difference a proper DL bar makes.

38

Just thought I would share this pic my gf took today; she was grossed out, I was proud =P

39

Holy shit man! That’s funny she was grossed out, that’s how my wife would be too. Lucky for her, I’ll never have that “problem” haha

40

bp
bar x 5
135 x 5
165 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 1

225 x 1 -->1 board press really, didnt touch chest. but PR i guess
225 x 0 → cocky

supra maximal holds:
255 x 15 sec x 2
275 x 15 sec x 2

205 x 1.5
185 x 4, 3
165 x 10, 5
135 x 10

DB BP
80 x 5, 3
60 x 12, 11

Dips bw x 21

Today’s bw: 139.8

Also, kinda gross, but I need help: I haven’t pooped for 2 days… and I love pooping… so this is problematic. I dont get it cause I eat A LOT of fiber, probably 40 g everyday. Any ideas/advice/help? Anyone?! Thanks=]