ME bench day.
Warm up with bar, 135
225x3
275x1
315x1
f6 goes on
365 x 1 no touch
405x1 fast
405x1 paused and pressed
425x1 new PR!
425x0 out of groove, mind not in it
405x1
I am having some problems with planting my heels, worked on this for awhile today with different feet positions. I will be wearing boots to the bench meet, seems that will aid me in planting my feet.
Close grip bench off pins to lockout 8 inches
315x3
315x3
moved grip out
405x0 (too much!)
365x2
that’s it for today, went to the beach and did some sprints barefoot in the sand. There were some pretty damn curious locals checking out my fat ass trying to get in shape.
Really happy with the f6. 4th time wearing it and everytime I get better. Next weekend I will work in a Katana and get it fitted. Same as I had done for the F6 last weekend and now that shirt is kicking ass. If I cannot get the hang of the Katana in time, I will compete in the F6. Not much time until I’m benching in with judges nitpicking me, getting everything dialed in for this one.
Monday ME squats in my new centurion
ME squats
warmed up and then 315 with straps down- barely broke knees
365 straps down-about the same
405 straps down-didnt make it to parellel, felt alot of support
455 with straps up- damn determined to get low. Pressure like nothing I am used to, shaking like a like mad. sat back and back and lost it to safety pins. smashed the meaty part of my palm like a grape and went to the ER to get it sewed up. Nothing broke and I should be out for about 2 weeks. Still going to train what I can. Use machines, do sprints, etc.
So goes my first time in a squat suit. Next time i will use chains instead of pins
DE lower today…with a busted up hand
Went to a regular (commercial type) gym with all the expensive machines. Worked on the hack squat machine in the corner, facing out of the machine, with a close stance.
Did sets of three explosively, adding a plate on each side until it was full (10 plates per side, the last 2 100lb plates.) Too damn heavy to be a legit DE day, I believe.
2 sets with all the weight, about 1000 lbs of machine weight.
stripped them off 1 plate at a time doing 3 reps all the way down to 3 plates per side
20 reps
Rest periods were only long enough to switch places with partners. Legs are smoked. Will do some core/ab work when I can fit it in.
Sat-hiked about 3 miles of mountain trail and stairs to the top of mison mt on Miyajima island
Sun-some shoulder and tricep work. Still have at least a dozen stitches on my palm, so I held all movements with my thumb and first two fingers
Shoulder press behind neck to front, total 20 reps
135x20
135x20
135x20
Side dumbell raises
25x10
30x10
30x10
rear delts on the pec deck machine
some machine presses
and some tricep rope extensions
not much effort today. Gassed from hiking and cooking in the sun and still can’t hold a bar Felt good to get some blood moving around though.
Mon ME lower
box squat on 10inch box (low)
135xwarmup
185x3
225x3
275x3
315x1
365x1
385x1
hip sled
400x20
400x20
400x20
hyper extensions with weight across shoulders
12x40
12x60
8x80
Shoulders day-
got the stitches out of my hand today. About a dozen. Still not healed but I’m training.
Seated Military press
135x12
185x8
185x8
185x6
iso-lateral seated shoulder press machine
2 plates x 10
3 plates x 3
3 plates x 5 (spotted)
2 plates and a 25 x6
cable side raises and shrug machine superset
25x8 for 3 sets on the cables
started with 100lb plates for 20
ended up with 600 lbs x8 to finish it off
yes/no 50 each
1 set on back 1 on stomach
Wed- back
I used hooks today. I feel like a pussy, but my hand is still really f’d up. I need to test my deadlift soon, then I will jump in on the race to 545. My goal is 585 by oct 1st. I weighed in today at 217, also found out weigh ins go the morning of my target meet in October, so I won’t let myself above 225 during my training. Keeps me from getting crazy with cutting weight, I will just continue doing what I do unless I get to fat.
Pullups
bwx10
45x6
45x6
45x6
cable rows, close grip
220x8
250x6
285x4
stayed strict with my form
Kroc rows (1st time, heck yeah)
150x20
150x12
these pushed me, amazing back exersise. I went with the 150’s for 20. I won’t call anything less a Kroc row. So my second set was just sloppy dumbell rows.
Wide grip cable rows-
220x6
220x6
that’s it until sat. I will be benching in a new katana, only 2 weeks to break it in before my bench contest.
ME Bench in my new Katana. Drove an hour and a half to Yamaguchi with two guys, a SHW and a 181 lifter. The 181 guy has been in the sport for 25 years and was introduced to his wife by Dr. Squat. Supported a local business and bought one through Mr. Fushima. 180000 yen and I’m ready to go. Worked up to 415 and tried on two different shirts for my contest on the 5th. Had the sleeves tightened a little. Worked back up to 405, which went right up even though I was worn out, did about a dozen heavy singles in a short today, trying different things, working on my form and listening to commands. At the end of the day, Fushima showed me some polaroids from the 80’s. One had Hatfield, Kirowski, Gant, and another gentlemen who I can’t remember, a 242lb monster from awhile back. Thought it was pretty damn cool and I’d share it here in my log. Learned a little history of the sport today. Looks like I’m going to open with about 385 at the meet and take it from there. The local record is 463 and that’s a little out of reach right now.
Mon-ME lower
hack sled machine
1ppsxwarmup
2pps x 6
3pps x6
4pps x6
5pps x3
6pps x 1
7pps x 1
then a strip set, a single with 6 plates, then 3’s all the way down to 1 plate, 1 pps x 10 to finish it off.
Hypers with weight (need to build or buy q reverse hyper)
40lbs across shoulders x 10
60 on shoulders x 10
80 on shoulders x 6
100 in hands x 10
a few sets of abs
this was an easy workout for me, getting sick and being a pussy. I should have a bar on my shoulders. Tues-shoulders dammit
Shoulders-
Seated military press
135x10
185x10
195x8
partner wants to max…
225x1
245x1
245x0
I would have worked up differently if I had known we were maxing going into it
205x6
135x30
Rear delts on the pec deck
worked up to 225 on the stack for 5
Felt really good, could have done more but had to go back to work. Next is back, looking to get 21 Kroc rows
Wed-back
deadlifts
135x6
225x3
315x3
405x1
455x1
495x1
545x0. Started pulling, wasn’t there
545x0 still not there. I really need to deadlift more in my program
495x1
405x5
315x15
gassed. Tried to do more, a couple sets of wide grip lat pulldowns. No gas left. Wanted some big Kroc rows today, but deadlifts are a real asskicker. Need to get stronger. Alot stronger…
Sat- hit my opener today, 365.
That’s the lowest weight I can get to touch, and it shoots right up to lockout. I’ll do some light work tomorrow, just to get the blood flowing. I’m ready to see what I can do next weekend.
Mon- easy day
rack lockouts laying on the floor. Top 5 inches
225x10
315x8
405x5
455x2
475x2
low incline dumbell press
100x25
Flat bench
135x a few sets to work on form
some misc triceps (light)
and calves (mine are small)
Tues- squats
taking it easy this week, bench contest in a few days. I also found out there is an endurance comp, benching your bodyweight for reps. Never done this, but I’ll see how it goes.
Squats
135x10
225x10
315x6
315x6
315x12. Lots in the tank left
good mornings
135x10x2
that’s it. Sucks not training hard, but I’m ready to lift big on the 5th. Also had a conversation about switching to 5/3/1 with my training partner. It seems we’ve drifted away from doing DE days, and I need a structured program with progress planned out.
June 5- summer slam bench press contest
opener-365
2nd lift- 408 (miss)
3rd 408 (miss)
this was too big of a jump. I hit my opener, which was enough to win my weight class and 3rd highest amount lifted today. I also did the endurance event, bodyweight x max reps, 213x21.
So the contest is over, I bought the 5/3/1 ebook, and I need to get strong.
Tues- squats in a suit
worked up to 315, under the watchful eye of Mr. Roman. He kept breaking down my form, and I feel like I learned alot today about squatting correctly. Might go do 5/3/1 this evening for OH press, still have plenty of energy.
Time to post. I started the 5/3/1 program. I feel I’ve made gains with ME and DE days, but I’m preparing to spend the summer without my training partners. Looks like I’m going to miss the meet in October as well. So goes life in the Corps. I’ve been doing 5/3/1 for a week, using the BBB template, except on squats where I put the suit on to get the feel of it(still sucks).
Training max:
overhead press: 220
deadlift: 490
bench press: 315
squat: 415
6/14
overhead press
5x90
5x110
3x135
5x165
5x180
10x190
BBB
OHP
10x135 x 5 sets
yates rows
10x185 x 5 sets
abs x 5 sets
6/15
deadlift
5x200
5x245
3x295
5x370
5x395
7x420
BBB
245x10 x 5 sets
abs x 5 sets
6/18
bench press
5x135
5x160
3x190
5x240
5x255
8x270
incline
10x155x5sets
pullups
10xbw x 3 sets