11/12/08 Light Deadlift
Deadlift
135x5
225x5
315x3
365x3
365x3
Russian Deadlift
135x12
185x10
225x10
225x10
DB Shrug
90x12
100x10
110x8
110x8
Apex Row
180x12
200x10
210x8
210x8
Supinated Pulldown
180x12
190x10
200x8
200x8
Trying stage sets on my assistance work instead of straight sets across. You can see from my log that I believe variation in loading schemes is much more important than variation in exercise selection.
11/13/08 Bench
Bench
135x8
185x5
205x5
225x5
255x5
275x5
Pauses
245x5
245x5
Incline DB Press
75x10
85x8
90x6
90x5
Elbows Out Extension
30x12
35x10
40x8
40x8
Slant Board Situp
Bx10
Bx10
Bx10
Back in the saddle.
11/15/08 Squat
Squat
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
315x5
345x5
375x5
Pause Squat
315x5
315x5
DB Dynamic Lunge
50x6
60x6
60x6
Leg Curl
100x10
110x8
120x6
120x6
Apex Row (Semi-Sup)
180x12
190x10
200x8
200x8
Pulldown (Overhand)
160x12
170x10
170x10
Fun afternoon. I always do the pause squats beltless. They are no joke.
11/16/08 Bench Assist
Military Press
45x10
95x8
135x5
155x5
175x5
195x5
DB Clean and Press
55x8
65x6
75x4
Bent Pitcher Raise
25x12
30x10
30x10
DB Curl
35x8
45x6
50x4
50x4
Ab Wheel
Bx12
Bx12
Bx12
Nothing to write the folks about. As it turns out, a night of hard drinking is not conducive to lifting big the next day. But I got in the work I needed to.
11/18/08 Deadlift
Deadlift
135x5
225x5
315x5
345x5
385x5
425x5
Russian Deadlift
135x10
205x8
245x6
275x6
DB Shrug
95x12
110x10
110x10
Apex Row
180x12
200x10
210x10
210x10
Supinated Pulldown
180x12
190x10
200x10
200x10
I was in trial the entire fucking day listening to chiropractors and dentists, and afterwards had to talk to a windbag chiropractor for two hours while all I wanted to do was get to the gym…and when I finally got there, I somehow tweaked my neck and can now barely turn my head. I’m not really concerned about it long term or anything, but if that ain’t cruel irony, I don’t know what is.
11/20/08 Bench
Bench
135x5
185x5
205x5
225x5
245x3
275x3
295x3
Paused Bench
265x3
265x3
Incline DB Press
75x10
85x8
95x8
Pushdown
80x10
100x10
120x8
120x8
Slant Board Situp
Bx10
Bx10
Bx10
Not sure if my bench is going anywhere, but I’m got through another bench workout with no A/C joint pain. Very good sign for me.
11/22/08 Squat
Squat
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
315x3
350x3
380x3
410x5
Pause Squat
345x3
345x3
Split Squat (BB)
115x8
135x8
155x8
Leg Curl
110x10
120x8
120x8
Apex Row (SS)
190x10
200x10
200x10
Pulldown (Pronated)
170x10
180x10
180x10
My squat groove was not really there, but I’ve gotten stronger and can sort of muscle through them now. I am in love with the pause squats and attribute a lot of progress in my squat and my pull to doing these every week. They are beltless and the pressure that builds up staying tight for 4-5 seconds in the hole is awesome.
11/23/08 Bench Assist
Military Press
45x10
95x5
135x3
165x3
185x3
205x4
DB Clean and Press
60x8
70x6
75x6
Bent Pitcher Raise
30x10
30x10
30x10
30x10
DB Curl
35x6
45x6
50x6
50x6
Cable/Rope Hammer Curl
110x10
110x10
110x10
Ab Wheel
Bx15
Bx15
Bx15
I’m a trifle irked I couldn’t squeeze out 5 reps on the last set of presses. I felt like I was going to pass out and one of the eccentrics came down fast and way out of the groove which threw me. I failed about halfway up on the fifth.
11/25/08 Deadlift
Deadlift
135x5
225x5
315x3
385x3
425x3
465x3
Russian Deadlift
135x10
205x8
245x8
275x8
Apex Row
190x12
200x10
210x10
220x10
Supinated Pulldown
190x12
200x10
210x10
DB Shrug
75x20
75x20
75x20
Found out my coach and mentor just closed a deal to sell the gym…not happy about it. He’ll still be around but I doubt things will be the same. There was a computer in the office today and signs informing members of special Thanksgiving hours already…not a good sign. It’s a key gym which means it’s 24 hours, and if that changes, I don’t know what I’m going to do.
I may be training elsewhere soon…which is a big deal. All in all, a sad day in Ramoland.
11/27/08 Bench
Bench
135x8
185x5
205x5
225x5
255x5
285x3
315x2
Pause Bench
275x3
275x2
Incline DB Press
80x8
90x8
100x8
Pushdown
90x12
110x10
120x10
Slant Board Situp
Bx10
Bx10
Bx10
Bx10
Very good bench session today. The weight on the heavy sets felt very light and went up quick with no real grind.
11/29/08 Squat
Squat
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
315x3
350x3
390x3
430x3
Pause Squat
365x2
365x2
365x2
365x2
Bulgarian Squat
Bx20
Bx20
Bx20
Leg Curl
110x10
120x10
130x8
Pulldown (Overhand)
180x10
180x10
180x10
180x10
11/30/08 Bench Assist
Military Press
45x10
95x8
135x5
155x3
175x3
195x3
215x5
DB Clean and Press
65x6
75x6
80x4
80x4
Bent Pitcher Raise
20x15
20x15
20x15
20x15
DB Curl
40x8
50x6
55x4
55x4
Ab Wheel
Bx15
Bx15
Bx15
Shoulder Horn
4x12
Big PR on the Militaries. Progress is never linear, even if you use linear progression.
12/02/08 Deadlift
Deadlift
135x5
225x5
315x5
365x3
405x3
455x3
500x1
520x1
Russian Deadlift
135x8
205x8
245x8
285x8
Apex Row
200x10
220x10
230x10
DB Shrug
75x25
75x25
230 is the whole stack on the Apex Row which is irritating. I may move to DB rows. Since the beginning of September, my weight has drifted from around 215 to a shade over 230 right now.
I want to be very comfortable at 220 and be able to eat and drink normally right up until the March meet, so I am starting now to get lean and comfortable lifting at a slightly lower bodyweight.
12/04/08 Bench
Bench
135x10
185x5
225x5
255x5
285x5
Pause Bench
255x5
255x5
Incline DB Press
60x15
60x15
Pushdown
80x15
80x20
Slant Board Situp
Bx12
Bx12
Are the pins long enough on the Apex machine to use the old Coleman trick of hanging a plate on the stack with it?
[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
Are the pins long enough on the Apex machine to use the old Coleman trick of hanging a plate on the stack with it?[/quote]
How exactly would you do that? Sounds intriguing. I love the machine.
12/6/08 Light Squat
Squat
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
315x5
-Leg Extensions supersetted w/
Leg Curls
…for a few light high-rep sets
-A few sets of pullups
Nice n’ quick…
12/7/08 Light Bench Assist
DB Clean and Press
45x8
60x6
75x5
75x5
Press Behind Neck (constant tension/bottom half only)
115x12
115x12
Cable/Rope Thing
60x15
60x15
Shoulder Horn
10x20
10x20
DB Curl
40x8
40x8
HLR
Bx15
Bx15
Sigmund Klein once said to be considered strong, a man should be able to clean and press 75 lb dumbbells 12 times consecutively. I think the best I’ve done is 6 consecutively. Something worthwhile to go after in the new year.
12/9/08 Light Deadlift
DL
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x3
500x2
565x miss x 2
Apex Row
210x10
210x10
210x10
Back Extension
Bx20
Bx20
There are A LOT of problems with what happened this evening, but I’ll just say this. If you have no plan and just go in and dick around with heavy weight that you aren’t really prepared to lift, for no other reason than you’re feeling a little randy, you are lucky not to hurt yourself.
My meet cycle starts after Christmas. Til then I might as well stay the hell out of the gym so I don’t do more harm than good. I’m genuinely annoyed with myself. It was supposed to be a light day, just working to around 385 or so, then pull heavier next week. Whatever…
[quote]Ramo wrote:
Tiribulus wrote:
Are the pins long enough on the Apex machine to use the old Coleman trick of hanging a plate on the stack with it?
How exactly would you do that? Sounds intriguing. I love the machine.[/quote]
He would put one pin in the bottom of the stack and another part way up that was also through the hole of an olympic plate so that the plate was kinda pasted to the stack.