Scj 2.0: Bigger, Stronger, Better Looking

Link to first log: No Pain No Gain - Training Logs - Forums - T Nation

Age: 28
Height: 6’3"
Weight: 230

PRs:
Squat - 365 (gym)
Deadlift - 474 (competition)
Bench - 290 (gym)
Overhead Press - 200

In case you missed the last log, I train for primarily strength, and have been adding size slowly but surely (went from 180lbs at my lightest up to 230lbs currently). I competed in PLIng once last December and plan on doing another meet on Dec. 8 this year. I used 5/3/1 for a long time with limited success, so I’m back to doing my own template which (for now) is based on Prelipin’s Charts (except squat, which I kept 5/3/1 for because it worked for that lift).

Not really sure what else to say. I want to be big strong and sexy and right now I’m only 1/3, so I need to get bigger and stronger.

10/28/12. DL.

Last day of max testing… I haven’t DL’d more than 405 since my injury last March so I was happy with how it went Friday. I think my shitty performance lately was due to lack of tightness.

Workout

Foam Rolling

A) Deadlift
155 x 8
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 4
350 x 2
380 x 2 <–belt on but unclasped, double overhand no chalk
410 x 1 <-belt on, mixed grip no chalk… flew up easily
435 x 1 <-belt, chalk

30lbs more than I’ve lifted in 7-8 months, not bad

B) GHR
3 x 8-10

C) BB Shrug
135 x 10
185 x 12
205 x 10
225 x 8

D) Ab Wheel
3 x 9

sup

Wow, I didn’t realize you were 6’3! Tall one you are.

Looking forward to some more loggin’!

how did you know exactly when your old log would close to link to this one?

No workout today. Damn hurricane and shit… I was deloading anyway though.

[quote]spar4tee wrote:
sup[/quote]

Not much, just hunkering down for Sandy, which has been pretty disappointing thus far.

[quote]Spock81 wrote:
Wow, I didn’t realize you were 6’3! Tall one you are.

Looking forward to some more loggin’![/quote]

Yup, I’m a tall oak tree from California. Hopefully I’ll be as strong as one someday.

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
how did you know exactly when your old log would close to link to this one?[/quote]

The 1126th post closes a thread.

10/31/12. Deload Lower.

Made it through the hurricane by playing 10 games of 1-on-1 beer pong with the lady on Monday night, sat at her place basically 2 full days before it passed. We didn’t get it too bad here.

Have a lot of friends in town this weekend for our kickass annual halloween party, first one gets in tomorrow, so I’ll only train today and tomorrow for this week. It is a deload anyway, so no big deal.

Working form and explosiveness (moving the bar as fast as possible without amping myself up beforehand)

Workout

Lots of foam rolling

A) Hang Snatch
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5

B) Deadlift
155 x 5
195 x 3
245 x 2 x 5sets

C) Ab Wheel
3 x 7

Deload bench tomorrow.

11/1/12. Deload Bench.

Super fast deload sesh. Have time for exactly 4-week cycle of my split starting next week, then a one week taper into the meet. I’m not doing any peaking protocol since I decided on the meet so late, and because I won’t be improving my total much from last year so I’d rather just keep my regular training. It seems to be working for me.

I played with grip width on my deload sets, I need to play with it more on heavy sets. Narrower grip might be in store for me VTBalla style.

Workout

Shoulder band mob stuffs

A) Bench
95 x 5
125 x 5
155 x 2 x 5sets

B1) Lat Pulldown
some weight x some reps x 3

B2) V-Bar Pushdown
some weight x some reps x 3

11/5/12. Bench

Don’t know if it was the week off from lifting heavy or the three days of drinking heavy, but today’s benchin was not easy.

Then again, it could just be gettin heavy.

Got all my reps at DB row and DB bench this week finally.

Workout

A) Bench
95 x 8
135 x 5
175 x 5
205 x 4
230 x 4 x 4 (first rep of first 3 sets paused)

B) DB Bench
80 x 10 x 3
pushups to failure after last set (8)

C) DB Row
100 x 10 x 3

D) Lat Pulldown
115 x 10
115 x 8
115 x 9

That’s all I had time for.

11/6/12. Squat

Squatting is coming along nicely. Thinking about a possible 380 at the meet. First 2 reps today felt really strong and solid, third was tough, may or may not have had a 4th grinder in me.

Also I had a friend check my depth on each rep, he said I was hittin parallel no probs and maybe could have cut it a bit higher. That’s good because my top set today will probably be about what I open with.

Workout

Foam rolling, leg swings x infinite

A) Squat
140 x 5
175 x 5
205 x 3
-work sets-
255 x 5
290 x 3 <-belt on
325(1+ ) x 3

B) Trap Bar DL
255 x 5
320 x 4
355 x 3
385 x 1

C) Leg Press
5.5pps x 12 x 3sets

D) Ab Wheel
3 x 9

E) Back Extensions
2 x some

11/8/12. OHP.

I finally made some progress on OHP. Damn this lift hates to move. I also finally weighed in at 230 again this morning.

I was supposed to hit 170x4x4 last cycle (5 weeks ago) and couldn’t get it for 4 reps even once.

Workout

warmup, 4min elliptical (lol legs sore as shit, needed to get some blood flowing), shoulder band mobility things

A) Standing OHP
75 x 5
100 x 5
130 x 5
150 x 4
170 x 4 x 3sets
170 x 3

Fatigue/soreness set in and I missed the final rep, but much improved over last cycle

B) Seated DB OHP
60 x 8 x 3

C) BB Row
145 x 10
185 x 8
195 x 7, 7

D1) Cable Row
4 x 10

D2) DB Laterals, slow negative
4 x 10

Had some extra time so I did 3 sets of V-bar pushdowns and 3 sets of face pulls (normally done on Mondays, but was short on time earlier this week).

Happy to get 170x4 three times. I am going to break my goddamn overhead press PR of 200lbs if it fucking kills me.

11/10/12. Deadlift

Had a buddy in town from PA, we hit up the gym together yesterday, and crushed some awesome peruvian chicken after (then barbeque’d pork after that). He is running Sheiko which takes forever so I spent a lot of time BSing around, plus the racks were taking for EVER to open up even on a saturday.

Workout

Foam rolling etc.

A) Deads
155 x 8
225 x 5
275 x 4
315 x 4
355 x 4 x 4

B) Rack Pulls
225 x 8
275 x 8
300 x 8
325 x 8 PR

C) Safety Bar Squats
85 x 8
145 x 8
175 x 10
225 x 8
245 x 6
245 x 5

Conditioning
Prowler
140lb x 40m x 8 trips

I forgot to subscribe to your log and was wondering why you weren’t updating. In now. Boom.

Wow, just realized I haven’t updated all week. Super busy at work and had a big ole brain fart. Double update comin.

11/12/12. Bench.

I’m getting better at rowing the bar to my chest and really pinning my shoulder blades back. Still playing with grip width.

Workout

A) Bench
bar x a lot
95 x 8
135 x 5
175 x 5
205 x 4
240 x 3 x 5sets

First rep paused on sets 1 and 2.

B) DB Bench
85 x 9 x 3

C) DB Row
105 x 10 x 3 each arm

D) Lat Pulldowns
3 x 10

E1) V-Bar Pushdowns
3 x 15ish

E2) Face Pulls
3 x 15-20ish

11/13/12. Squat

I had a near-death experience squatting yesterday. I was sharing the rack with a buddy who was doing power cleans, meaning a) I was standing further forward in the rack than usual and b) I didn’t have safety pins in. I was only doing the first few sets until he finished, then I would have my normal set up when I was warmed up.

Well, on the first rep at 225, the weights banged the front left post when I was down in the hole, which threw me completely off balance (and my ass went down to my ankles). I tried to get it up but immediately crashed my ass back down to my ankles due to bad balance - and I had nowhere to drop the bar so I was stuck. Luckily, my second attempt to rack it worked (though was awkward as hell).

I avoided injury but I think it affected my form the rest of the workout - my top set had three or four really hideous reps. Safe to say I will not make this idiotic mistake again.

Also, I’ve had a really stressful project at work lately that keeps making me work late and cutting into my gym time… which happened again yesterday. Had to cut out trap bar DLs.

Workout
Foam rolling, leg swings x a bunch

A) Squat
140 x 5
175 x 5
205 x 3
-work sets-
225 x 5
255 x 5
290(5+ ) x 6

B) Leg Press
3 x 15 (90s rest between sets, brutal)

C) Ab Wheel
3 x 10

Went and feasted on some incredible spicy Dr. Pepper pulled pork my lady made.

[quote]VTBalla34 wrote:
I forgot to subscribe to your log and was wondering why you weren’t updating. In now. Boom.[/quote]

I was starting to feel a little lonely in here.

my entry form is in the mail will I see you in December?

[quote]scottkoscielniak wrote:
my entry form is in the mail will I see you in December?
[/quote]

I put mine in the mail this morning.

11/16/12. OHP

Solid day at the gym. Also, I don’t know what true love is, but I’m pretty sure it’s 1-on-1 strip beer pong on a Thursday night.

OHP seems to be progressing a bit better since I added in the seated DB OHP as my first accessory exercise.

Workout

Tried some dynamic floor presses as a warmup, was feelin a bit lethargic
bar x 8
95 x 6
135 x 5
185 x 2

(or something like that, didn’t record)

A) Standing OHP
85 x 5
115 x 5
140 x 5
160 x 3
175 x 3 x 5sets

B) Seated DB OHP
60 x 8 x 3

C) BB Row
135 x 10
185 x 8
195 x 7
195 x 7

D1) Cable Row
4 x 8-10

D2) DB Laterals
4 x 12

E) Pinwheel Curls…tried these for shits and giggles
20 x 10
25 x 10
30 x 8 x 2

Also, some shit flared up in my wrist yesterday and feels like it may very well affect my bench. Bollocks.

cool unless we somehow dont get in, I ll see you there. I may actually stay the night before and do early weigh in but then again it depends on my financials

Can you use wrist wraps in the meet? The girlfriend has a set I can snag for you…I recommend using them in training a couple weeks prior though to get used to them…I never really mastered them for bench, but they helped the shit out of my curl

1 on 1 strip beer pong? How did the other guy do?