No Heroes

Hi. I’m Emmet. I want to get stronger. I started lifting weights when I was 16 and found some 8# DBs in my father’s closet. I’ve trained mostly like an idiot. I used to pull all my routines from M&F and skip the leg days. My last term of college, spring 2011, I started bulking up, pulling deads, squatting, and trying to figure out how to get stronger on my own. Turns out, I was pretty shitty at figuring it out on my own. I got bigger, but not much stronger. After bashing my head against the wall, going through another bulking cycle, and getting pretty pissed off about how weak I was, I found 531. Did that for a few cycles, and now I’m about to finish Juggernaut.

I won’t shoot test or anything. I don’t knock that–I have a lot of buddies that do. It’s just not for me.

Stats:

H: 5’7"
W: 170-175#
BF: 13-15%

I’m not worried about body measurements. I can tell what’s getting bigger by the mirror and how my clothes fit.

My goals:

  1. Deadlift 500# by Sept. 2013 without missing a lift along the way. If Ed Coan could leave his ego outside the gym, so can I. That dude almost never missed.

  2. Get a stupid big yoke.

  3. Get stupid big wheels.

  4. Do a raw PL meet sometime in 2013.

  5. Expect more from myself.

  6. Do what I can to keep all my training partners stronger than me, or get them stronger than me.

  7. Now that I don’t make excuses in the weight room anymore, I want that to carry over to the rest of my life.

1/20/13

Juggernaut 8W: Realization Day 1

1a) Military Press: 1x5@65#, 1x3@80#, 1x2@95#, 1x1@100#, 1x8@110#
1b) Pullups: 4x5, 1x20

  1. Fat Gripz DB Bench: 1x17@60#, 1xsubmax@60

3a) Hammer Row: 3x8@ Don’t know
3b) Rear Laterals: 3x20@5#

  1. Fat Gripz DB Curls: 4x8@20#

NOTES:

1a) I was supposed to go for a rep record over 8 reps today, but I’d failed/barely finished prescribed reps on the last sets of MP earlier in the wave. I just went for 8 good reps and called it home. I’m keeping the training max the same for the next wave. I was a little butthurt, but now I don’t give a shit. It’ll takes its own time provided I am diligent.
1b) I normally just keep it to sets of 5 for this superset, but repping it out for the last set felt awesome and is also fucking cool.

  1. Nothing to report.

3a) I was supposed to do some kind of row. I didn’t really want to mess with my lower back because I’m max repping deads tomorrow, so I just loaded up the hammer row with what felt appropriate and went after it.
3b) I like these. You should, too. I do them with 5# plates.

  1. Just some general hypertrophy. I try and squeeze the piss out of the DBs when I do these. I want my forearms to look like big, veiny cockshafts.

For the record, I’m doing Juggernaut with undulating waves. My next wave will be the 3’s wave. I’m doing a bastardization of Westside for Skinny Bastards as my assistance work, which was a great choice. My body feels healthier and it’s been way easier to masturbate in the mirror.

I like your attitude pal. I was EXACTLY like you before I found 5/3/1 as well. Also badass log title.

1/21/13

Juggernaut 8W: Realization D2

  1. Deadlift: 1x3@135#, 1x3@185#, 1x5@195#, 1x3@235#, 1x2@265#, 1x1@285#, 1x 17@305#

2a)Walking Lunges 2x30
2b) Glute Ham Raise 2x10
2c) Hanging Leg Raises 2x12

NOTES:

  1. I have to put these yoga mats under the barbell because the boss at my gym got pissy last week because I was “being too fucking noisey” while I was deadlifting. I’m sure I got a few extra reps out of the rebound off the pads, but it was an awesome day for deadlifting regardless. I earned my way up to a 405# training max. It should really be higher, but I’ve never pulled heavier than 335#, so when the 90% max rep pull comes around next month I don’t want to be super worried about it.

2a-c) I normally do these for a few sets a piece, but I had a client coming soon and wanted to stretch and roll out, so I turned the assistance work into an extended superset.

1/22/13

Conditioning:

Today, I biked home from work. The ride is probably 4 miles or so with some adequately challenging hills. I ride a single speed road bike. My legs always feel pumped and I always feel a little tougher biking home hungry and exhausted. Especially when I dress like an idiot and shiver the whole fucking way.

Side note: I designed a 531 style training protocol for a training partner of mine and ran him throught the first day of it. He’s done 531 and Juggernaut, but wants to focus more on MMA. I knew he wouldn’t do the 531 two day split, so I cooked up something new(ish) and novel that wouldn’t fuck with his MMA training too hard. I’m posting this to record my pursuit of keeping my training partners stronger than me. It’s an important goal for me. Being of service is necessary.

1/23/12

Juggernaut 8W: Realization D3

1a) Bench: 1x5@45#, 1x5@115#, 1x3@145#, 1x2@165#, 1x1@175#, 1x9@195#
1b) Pullups: 5x5, 1x21

  1. Flat Bench Fat Gripz Flyes: 3x10@20#

  2. DB Rows: 1x10@65#, 1x30@40#

4a) Karwoski Rows: 1x15, 2x12@110#
4b) Side Raises: 3x10@10#

  1. Reverse Grip EZ Curls: 1x40@30#

NOTES:

1a) Couldn’t find any 2.5s, so I had to up the weight on a few sets, including the AMAP set at the end.

  1. Usually do these Incline. Now I know why. I should just trust my instincts.

  2. I ended up cutting this short and repping out a light weight because I didn’t want to fuck with 4x10@65#, mainly out of boredom.

  3. Normally have more sets for this, but see point 3 for my reasoning.

1/24/13

Random Upper Body

Last week I had a hair up my ass and had to move some iron on the rest day in between my bench and squat days. This week was no different. Instead of just doing arms like last week, I opted for the upper body 100 of Wendler’s 100 Rep Challenge. Being neanderthalithically dense, I didn’t rest between the exercises and was humbled accordingly. The upshot lies in knowing my limits and getting excited about doing the 100 Rep Challenge after my last wave of Juggernaut.

1/25/13

Juggernaut 8W: Realization D4

  1. Squat: 1x5@45#, 1x5@135#, 1x5@175#, 1x3@215#, 1x2@245#, 1x1@265#, 1x12@285#

  2. Safety Bar Squats: 1x10@135#, 3x8@165#

  3. Lying Leg Curls: 3x15@unknown

  4. Decline Crunches: 4x10

NOTES:

  1. I felt like dog shit before squatting. I wasn’t surprised since I apparently had my bi-monthly round of night terrors all night. I just converted my exhaustion into total fucking loathing for the human race. That always seems to get me through a hard squat day. I don’t really hate the world, but everyone has anger and lifting helps me both harness and release it in healthy ways.

  2. Normally I do the Hack Squat Machine so as not to hog one of the only two squat racks in our gym, but no one else needed to squat and the Hack Squat was taken, so I got to use the safety bar. I could’ve gone heavier, I but I could feel my focus and energy deplete more and more with each rep.

  3. The machine’s numbers are worn off. They weren’t easy sets.

  4. At this point I felt my breakfast repeating on me. These were supposed to be weighted, but I just wanted to get it over with. I came for the squats, not the crunches.

1/27/13

Juggernaut 8W: Deload D1

1a) Military Press: 1x5@55#, 1x5@65#, 1x5@85#
1b) Pullups: 2x5, 1x20

  1. Fat Gripz DB Bench: 3x8@65#

3a) Hammer Row: 3x8@unknown
3b) Rear Laterals: 3x15@5#

  1. Fat Gripz Hammer Curls: 4x8@20#

NOTES:

  1. I’ve been doing a different set/rep scheme for this for the past three months, which was awesome. This, however, felt like the next step. I really focused on squeezing my lats at the bottom and pinching my pecs together at the top. My DB bench looks a lot like my normal PL barbell bench, but without the ungodly strict arch.

3b) Really focused on hitting the rear delts, not such much my upper back at the top.

GENERAL UPDATE

J8W: DELOAD WEEK

Work was mad busy, and it was deload week, so nothing exciting happened.

Here’s the two things I learned:

  1. Fat Gripz are awesome for bench technique work.

  2. My hammies dominate my quads to the extent that it felt awesome doing leg extensions. I hadn’t done them for a couple years, and I always hated them. I don’t think they’re awesome, but they felt like what I needed to be doing.

2/3/13

Juggernaut 3W: Accumulation D1

1a) Military Press: 1x3@45#, 6x5@100#, 1x6@100#
1b) Pullups: 7x5, 1x6

  1. Fat Gripz DB Military Press: 1x25@20#, 1xSubMax@20#

3a) Cable Row: 3x10@100#
3b) Plate Raises: 3x15@25#

  1. Barbell Curl: 3x10@50#

NOTES:

1a) Really happy I kept my training max the same. I felt stronger, but well challenged.
1b) Didn’t have it in me to rep out the pullups for the final set. I did one more than what was expected of me out of principle. But 41
pullups in one session ain’t too shabby.

3a) Haven’t done this one in ages. Kept the weight manageable and focused on the contraction. I leaned forward per Dan Trink’s suggestion in his latest article and that helped a lot.

2/4/13

Juggernaut 3W: Accumulation D2

  1. Deadlift: 1x3@135, 1x3@185, 1x3@225, 6x5@305, 1x7@305

  2. Glute Ham Raise: 3x8@10

NOTES:

  1. These took forever. I had to cut the workout short again because I wanted to be able to chug some post workout chocolate milk before my next client came in. My abs were exhausted from pressing my diaphragm against the weight belt.

  2. These are my favorite and most effective deadlift lockout exercise. Held some weight on to make it more challenging.

2/5/13

Cardio. Set the treadmill on the steepest incline possible, set it to 0mph, and sprinted. When that sucked, I waited for the belt to stop moving, then I ran backwards. I switched between these two, hating it the whole time. Then I said hey to some buddies and they made me do a chain suspended goodmorning. I was bitchy about it, but it was easy.

Carb backloading a little. Felt good today.

2/6/13

Juggernaut 3W: Accumulation D3

1a) Bench: 1x5@45, 1x3@95, 1x3@135, 6x5@175, 1x8@175
1b) Pullups: 10x5, 1x10

2a) Karwoski Rows: 3x20@60
2b) Rear Laterals: 3x25@5

  1. Kroc Rows: 1x10@50, 1x16@55

  2. Fat Gripz Zottman Curls: 3x8@20

NOTES:

1a) I wrapped my legs around the bench while setting up my arch and squeezed the piss out of the bench with them while benching. 175 flew off my chest so fast my upper back came off the bench. This was the best day of benching in my entire life. The weight wasn’t remarkable, but it was the first time benching ever felt good and fun. I forgot to pause the reps until the max rep set, but that felt even better. My erector spinae are FRIED from how hard I arched, though.

2a) Too light.

  1. My grip was fucked at this point. Might move these before 2a-b next week.

  2. I love these. Haven’t done them since college and oh how I missed them.

2/8/13

Juggernaut 3W: Accumulation D4

  1. Squat: 1x5@45, 1x5@135, 1x5@185, 1x3@225, 6x5@280, 1x6@280

  2. Decline Crunches: 4xSubMax

  3. Lying Leg Curl: 3x12@90

  4. Leg Extensions: 4x12@90

  5. Calf Raises: 4xWhatever

  6. Safety Bar Box Squat w/ Chains: 5x2, worked up to a heavy double

  7. Reverse Band Speed Sumo Deadlift: 6x1, rest pause@275

NOTES:

  1. Blew my boxers out at the bottom of the last set. Whoops. No belt first three sets, then my lower back felt weird so I put one on.

5-7) Buddies came in to do their DE lower body work and I couldn’t say no. Never done bands and chains stuff before. All in all, it was about 3 hours of legs. I’m hungry, tired, and sore. They kept going after the deads, but I had to call it quits.

2/10/13

Juggernaut 3W: Intensification D1

1a) Military Press: 1x5@45, 1x3@65, 1x1@95, 1x1@105, 4x3@110, 1x6@110
1b) Pullups: 8x5

  1. Fat Gripz DB Military Press: 1x20@25, 1x10@25

3a) Barbell Row: 3x10@135
3b) Plate Raise: 3x25@25

  1. Barbell Curl: 3x10@50

  2. Decline Crunches: 3x15

NOTES:

  1. Form improved. Shoulders felt finnicky, but I haven’t been eating enough so it wasn’t a surprise.

3a) Felt awesome. Another exercise I haven’t done for a while. I could have done more weight, but I was playing it safe.

  1. Had some painful APT after Friday’s squat saga, so I decided to put more ab work in as I’ve been slacking in that department anyway.

2/11/13

Juggernaut 3W: Intensification D2

  1. Deadlift: 1x10@45, 1x5@135, 1x5@185, 1x3@225, 1x1@285, 1x1@315, 4x3@335, 1x6@335

  2. Glute Ham Raise: 3x10

  3. Walking Lunges: 2x30@60

NOTES:

  1. Normally, I get into the groove when doing deads, but this time I deadstopped every rep. I pulled 335 for 6 by mistake over the holidays. Needless to say, Juggernaut has yielded some sweet, sweet gains.

2/13/13

Juggernaut 3W: Intensification D3

1a) Bench Press: 1x10@45, 1x5@95, 1x5@135, 1x1@175, 1x1@185, 4x3@195, 1x6@195
1b) Vertical Pull Medley

  1. Floor Press: 3x8@135

3a) Karwoski Rows: 3x12@115
3b) Rear Laterals: 3x20@5

  1. Fat Gripz Zottman Curls: 3x8@20

  2. Knee Raises: 3x15

NOTES:

1a) Felt solid. Really working on my set up.

  1. These are my new best friends. Lots of great info on bench weaknesses. Threw them in because I’m entering a meet on May 4th and I want to use the Cube Method to peak for it. A buddy of mine is sponsoring the WPA Raw Nationals in FL and he wants me to compete in that, too. Crazy shit.

  2. Wicked APT means more abs and stretching.

2/15/13

Juggernaut 3W: Intensification D4

  1. Squat: 1x5@45, 1x5@135, 1x5@185, 1x3@225, 1x1@265, 1x1@295, 4x3@305, 1x6@305

2a) Leg Extension: 3x15@90
2b) Decline Crunches: 3x15

3a) Lying Leg Curl: 3x15@90
3b) Standing Calf Raise: 3x25@150

NOTES:

  1. I felt unfocused for all of these. I was frustrated with how heavy 305 felt, but I have nothing to complain about as I’ve never put that much on the bar for squats before. The last rep of the final set was informative in that 3/4 of the way up I had to grind through. Right as I felt that happen a small voice inside me said, “This is heavy. Bail.” Then I heard an even bigger voice that just said, “NO,” and I locked that shit out fast as fuck.

2-3) This was more like one big circuit, as I had a client inbound and needed to eat before they got there. Calf raises done at painfully high volume make my dick hurt, no lie.

2/17/13

Juggernaut 3W: Intensification D1

1a) Military Press: 1x5@65, 1x3@85, 1x2@95, 1x1@105, 1x1@115, 1x3@125
1b) Pullups: 6x5

  1. DB Military Press: 1x30@25, 1x10@25

3a) Barbell Row: 3x10@135
3b) Plate Raise: 3x25@25

  1. Mini Band Pressdown: 1x100

  2. Barbell Curl: 3x8@65

  3. Mini Band Crunch: 1x100

NOTES:

1a) I worked out in a friend’s garage today. The non olympic, starter barbell was awkward. I’m pretty sure it was 15#, but I’m not sure. I missed my fourth rep of 125, which pissed me off, but given that the weight was 5# heavier than I’d written down I’d say I did okay.

3b) These were done with a 25# hex dumbbell. What a stupid idea it was to replace lateral raises with these.

4, 6) He had some knock off pro bands. I was psyched.