Sheiko Shakes Up My Lifting

Training Logs
1

Updated January 4, 2010.

I am no longer training Sheiko, I got 20 pounds on my squat, 25 on my bench, and 0 on my deadlift in 13 weeks on this program.

I am not going to make a new thread even though the name is about Sheiko, just so I can keep my log in one place.

I have been hanging around this site for a while and figured I should start a log, because I am going to be going into a very difficult training program. I am going to do the Sheiko program outlined in the article “Sheiko Shakes Up Powerlifting.” This program can be found here- Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION

It is 13 weeks long, so if I looked at the calendar correctly, my test day will be the day after Christmas, just in time to asses my gains for 2009. I chose Sheiko because it is hard, and will have me spending a lot of time in the gym, but most of all a ton of people on this site and others have shown its effectiveness.

I started seriously training in November of 2008 as a 17 year old, I am now 18. I have made some good progress in my lifts. I have never competed but plan on competing in powerlifting and strongman in the future.

Currently my best lifts at 6’2" about 250 are-
Squat- 385 up from 225
Bench-275 up from 225
Deadlift-405 up from 325

These were all performed completely raw, with the exception of the squat, in which I used a belt.

Since November, I have trained with Eric Cressey’s Maximum Strength, Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1, and an embarrassing stint with a bodypart split for 8 weeks in there too. For about the past 4 months I have been doing 5/3/1, with some good success, but I just wanted to do something more challenging, I have big goals I want to reach one day.

2

September 28, 2009- Conditioning Week, Day 1

At least in the beginning I will be using the training maxes 385/285/405, I may end up upping these at some point during the program, going by feel.

Bench
1x5 145
2x4 170
3x3 200

Squat
1x5 195
2x4 230
add belt
3x3 270

Flat dumbell fly
3x10 30’s- I picked a real light weight on purpose, I just focused on getting a good stretch and using a long range of motion.

Goodmornings
3x5 135- Same thing, light weight, taking Jim Wendler’s advice and just trying to make it a really long ROM.

Workout- about 70 Minutes

This is just the conditioning week, getting my body ready for the ridiculous amount of volume to come. I can tell by just this first conditioning day, I am going to have some workouts where I am severely depressed by the end.

3

September 30- Conditioning Week, Day 2

Deadlift
1x5 205
2x4 245
3x3 285

Incline Bench
3x4 185

Dips
3x6

DB Reverse Lunge
3x5 55’s

About 70 minutes

4

October 2- Conditioning Week, Day 3

Bench
1x5 145
2x4 170
3x3 200

Flat Fly
3x10 30’s

Squat
1x5 195
2x4 230
3x3 270

Dip
3x6

GM
3x5 135

About 70 minutes

5

October 3- Accessory day
DB rows
60lbsx10
80lbsx10
120lbsx12

Pull ups
5 very poor sets to failure, I have never tried pull ups right after db rows so hopefully I will be able to improve how many pull ups I can do when my back and biceps are already fatigued.

Light overhead pressing
I really want to be able to maintain my overhead pressing strength throughout sheiko so hopefully all the benching and some light overhead pressing on my accessory days I will be able to do that.

Lateral Raises
3x12 20’s
Never ever do these, but tried them today for the hell of it, I will probably stick with these for a while to try and add some mass to my shoulders.

Barbell Curls
45lbsx10
65lbsx10
85lbsx8

About 60 minutes

This day way more of an experiment than anything, I know for sure I will be doing heavy back work on this day each week, everything else is up in the air.

6

October 5- Week 1, Day 1

Bench
1x4 155
1x3 170
1x3 200
4x3 215

Squat
1x5 195
1x5 230
4x5 270

Bench Again
1x4 155
2x4 185
4x4 200

Flat Fly
3x10 30’s

GM
5x5 135

About 80 minutes.

Pretty tired, but I was expecting worse, I am glad for the conditioning week. I hung out it the same rack the entire time. I saw about 8 guys go in and out of the racks around me, one of which was a guy who shrugged 225 for one set, walked around looking for people to acknowledge his hardassness and then left without taking the weights off.

7

October 7- Week 1, Day 2

Deadlift
1x5 205
2x5 245
2x3 285
3x3 305

Bench
1x5 155
1x5 185
4x4 200

Dips
5 sets to failure or 8, supposed to be 5 sets of 8, but I am not that strong a dips, I rarely do them.

Deadlift just below the knees (off of plates)
1x3 205
2x4 245
2x3 285
3x3 325

Front squat grip reverse lunge
5x5 95
I like this variation, it sucks to try and stabalize the bar in the front squat position while lunging, it helps me keep an upright torso, which I am bad at when I lunge.

Accessory
Facepull
3x20

About 2 hours, longest workout of my life, it sucked, my erectors are fried.

8

October 9- Week 1, Day 3
Bench
1x5 145
1x4 170
1x4 200
1x3 215
2x2 230
2x1 240
2x2 230
1x3 215
1x5 185
1x5 155

Flat Fly
3x10 30’s

Squat
1x5 195
2x3 230
4x3 260

Dip
5xtill failure or 8

GM
5x5 135

About 2 hours

9

October 10- Accessory Day

DB Rows
60 lbsx10
80 lbsx10
100 lbsx22

Pullups
5xfail

Lateral Raises
3x12 20’s

External Rotations
3x8 20

Hammer Curls
3x10 40’s

21’s (Curls)- Never tried these before, just did them for fun and for a pump.
2x21 45

About 90 minutes.

10

October 12- Week 2, Day 1

Squat
1x4 195
1x4 230
2x3 270
4x2 310

Bench
1x3 145
1x3 170
1x3 200
4x2 230

Flat Fly
5x10 30’s

Dips
5xfailure or 8

Squat
1x3 210
1x3 250
3x3 290

GM
5x5 135

About an hour and 40 minutes, these long sessions are getting easier, I just need to go in with the attitude of expecting to take 2 hours.

11

October 14- Week 2, Day 2

Deadlift to Knees
1x4 225
1x4 245
3x4 275 (was supposed to be 285, but my plate math was off today)

Bench
1x5 155
1x5 185
3x4 200

Flat Fly
3x10 30’s

Deadlift
1x4 205
1x4 245
2x3 285
4x3 305

FSGR Lunge
5x5 95

Accessory
Facepull
3x20

About an hour and a half, I felt it was one of the easier workouts so far. I am starting to incorporate more upper back and rotator cuff work, because lately when I lockout my bench I feel a dull pain in my rear deltoids, particularly on the left side. The pain has dulled a lot since putting in some facepulls and external rotations, so I think just a minor weakness was causing the pain, hopefully it continues to get better and goes away.

12

October 16- Week 2, Day 3

Squat
1x4 195
1x4 230
1x3 270
5x3 290

Bench
1x5 145
1x4 170
1x4 200
3x3 215
1x2 230
2x1 240
1x2 230
1x4 215
1x5 200
1x5 170
1x6 155

Fly
5x10 30’s

Dip
5x8

Squat
1x3 210
1x3 250
3x2 290

GM
5x5 135

Two hours, I fucking hate the days where the bench is set up this way, it takes sooo long.

13

Way behind on updates so here they come.

14

Oct 17- Acc Day

DB Rows
60x10
80x10
140x8 (heaviest in my gym)

Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
3x10 200? or 160, one of the two, who cares?

Lateral raises
3x12 25’s

Hammer Curls
2x10, 1x6 50’s

Barbell 21’s
55 lbs

Reverse Preacher Curl
3x10 EZ bar+10

About an hour. Threw in some lat pulldowns to get some higher reps in and for a variation. Three curl variations wasn’t planned, I was just in a bicep mood, I definitely will not do that again anytime soon.

15

October 19- Week 3, Day 1

Squat
1x4 195
1x4 230
3x3 270
4x3 310

Bench
1x3 145
1x3 170
2x3 200
3x3 230

Fly
5x10 30’s

Dip
5xfailure or 8

Squat
1x4 195
1x4 230
4x5 270

GM
5x5 135

Two hours. Squats were fucking brutal today, dips are getting better, I am only a few reps away from getting the full 40 reps. I ordered some Surge WOF because of the lowered price and this was the first time using it, I can’t say I felt a difference, but we will see with time.

On a physique note, my triceps are filling out more right around the elbow, which I have no doubt is from all the dipping. Legs seem bigger, and my lower back feels like it is getting stronger. My work capacity is getting better like crazy, I rarely get sore and if I do, it is for a day, where as on 5/3/1, I would get sore for days after each and every squat session. Whether I decide more Sheiko or something different after this program, I know my new work capacity be extremely helpful.

16

Week 3, Day 2

DL to knees
1x4 205
1x3 245
1x4 285
3x4 305

Bench
1x4 145
1x4 170
2x4 200
2x3 215
2x2 230
2x1 240
2x2 230
2x3 215
1x4 200
1x6 185
1x6 155

Flys
5x10 30’s

DL Slightly raised
1x4 245
2x3 285
3x4 325

RFSG Lunges
5x5 95

Pulldown Abs
3x10

Facepulls
3x20

Two hours.

17

Oct 23- Week 3, Day 3

Bench
1x4 145
1x4 170
2x3 200
3x3 230

Squat
1x5 195
1x5 230
1x5 270
4x4 290

Bench
1x5 155
2x6 185
5x4 200

Fly
5x10 30’s

GM
5x5 135

2 Hours.

18

October 24- Week 3, Accessory Day

DB Rows
60lbsx10
80lbsx10
100lbsx20

Chins
5x4

Seated Press
1x5 135
2x5 145

BB Curls
2x6 95
1x3 105
1x3 115

Reverse Preachers
3x10 EZ bar plus 15’s

About an hour.

19

October 26- Week 4, Day 1

Squat
1x4 195
1x3 230
2x3 270
1x3 310
2x2 330

Bench
1x3 145
1x3 170
1x3 200
4x3 230

Fly
5x10 30’s

Dips
5x8

Squat
1x4 195
1x3 230
1x3 270
4x2 310

GM
5x5 135

About 1 hour 45 minutes. Squatting was absolute hell, 330 is the heaviest weight I have squatted since starting sheiko, and there was just so much damn squatting today, I really hated my life at the end.

20

October 28- Week 4, Day 2

Bench
1x3 145
1x3 170
1x3 200
2x3 230
3x2 245

Deadlift- Upped the training max by 20 lbs.
1x3 215
1x3 255
2x2 300
2x3 340
2x2 360

Bench
1x5 155
1x5 185
3x4 215

Fly
5x10 30’s

Walking DB Lunge
5x5 50’s

Accessory:
Face Pull
3x20

About 1 hour 45 minutes. I upped my deadlift training max because I felt like the weights were too light in the previous weeks, and I do think my deadlift is more than 405, so I decided to up it to 425. The weights all felt good today, I will keep this the max in the coming weeks. Benching was GREAT today, even the heaviest sets felt fast and smooth, I am very optimistic about what these 13 weeks will do for my bench.