Tall Powerbuilder's Log

Training Logs
1

Going to start a log here and see how it goes…

Little intro…

My name is Mike and I am 28 years old and have been training since I was 24. I am a 6’5" 230, so yes a tall ecto. When I was 24 I was only 180 lbs…

I write software for a living and my other main hobby is modding cars…I have a 460 RWHP C5 ls1 which is a blast to work on and drive.

3 month goals:
Hit 315 for a paused single
Hit 425 squat
Hit 550 deadlift

Hopefully verified in a meet, but I have not picked one out yet.

6 month goals
Get shredded for summer…will hire someone…probably a natty guy like Nunez.

2

12/4/11

LT = Last Time

Barbell Curls
130 x 8
LT: 125 x 9

Getting really hard…

Hammer Curls
55’s x 17
LT: 55’s x 16

Squats - 3’s
360 x 3
LT: 345 x 3
Brought my hands out slightly, got the bar slightly lower, and brought in my stance to just outside shoulder width. Smoked it…

I hope when I actually compete that I don’t get called on depth simply because I have a long shin. It looks like I am not hitting depth because when I am at depth, my ass is still so far above the floor because my shins are so long. But if you pause the video, it is clearly depth.

Smith Front Squats
155 x 10 x 3

Horizontal Calf
3 pls + 5ps x 10, dc style
LT: 3 pls x 10

Back Extensions
120 x 5
80 x 10

3

12/7/11

Face Pulls
60 x 10 x 3, 30 sec rests

Bench - 5’s - touch and go (read, NO BOUNCE)
Bar x 10 x 2
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 3
245 x 1, paused
275 x 1, paused
265 x 4
LT: 260 x 5

JUST MISSED THE 5th. This was 100% a form issue today. This was the first workout I have ever had where my attire contributed to me missing a rep. I couldn’t find my normal Georgia Southern shirt, which grips the bench very well, so I wore an under
armorish type shirt and I kept sliding up the bench. Oh well, I will get it next time.

I made adjustments to my accessories. I upped my first set to 12-15 reps, instead of shooting for 8-10. And I am now rest pausing, but not in the traditional DC sense where you take everything to failure and add statics. I am only gauging progress by my first set, so anything goes on that set…if I want to hit failure to try to beat last time, I will. The next sets are short of failure…just trying to add more work in.

I also changed my exercise order. All of this is to compensate for my shoulder pain as of late. Trying to balance push/pull.

Hammer Horizontal Chest Press
2 plates + 30 per side x 12 + 3 + 3
So today I hit 12 reps…I will aim for 15 next time.

Curl Grip Pulldowns
210 x 15 + 5 + 3

Hammer Shoulder Press
1 plate + 25 per side x 15 + 6 + 4

Chest Supported Rows
2 plates + 30 x 15 + 4 + 3

Skullcrushers
110 x 15 + 6 + 4
Using the premade bar on these…it’s a perfect bar. But 110 is the highest in the gym, so now I have to start putting weight on the shitty ez-bar they have at my gym. Oh well.

Pretty good workout. I was pissed about the bench, but it was the first time in 3 months, where I started at 225 x 5, that I actually missed my reps. A big time positive is the fact that my left shoulder had zero discomfort. That is a great start.

4

I am 6’1" so I feel some of your pain being a tall guy trying to powerlift. I see what you mean about long shins, I don’t think that will be a problem as long the judges aren’t complete failures at life.

I will say looking at the video (at least from that angle) you are just barely at parallel, if not an inch or two above. You will probably want to sink them a couple inches deeper if you want to compete in meets.

5

[quote]VikingsAD28 wrote:
I am 6’1" so I feel some of your pain being a tall guy trying to powerlift. I see what you mean about long shins, I don’t think that will be a problem as long the judges aren’t complete failures at life.

I will say looking at the video (at least from that angle) you are just barely at parallel, if not an inch or two above. You will probably want to sink them a couple inches deeper if you want to compete in meets.[/quote]

Yeah I do need to bury them a little more. It is more a flexibility thing than a strength thing. I need to work on it.

6

Just a little arm shot I took last week. I will take full posing shots before and after my cut when I decide to start.

This is around a BW of 228 or so.

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/7784/mikearms.jpg

7

1952×3264 754 KB

Just a little arm shot.

8

12/9/11

Incline DB Curls
55’s x 6
LT: 50’s x 10

Too hard to make 10 lb jumps in this rep range, I need to up it to 15 reps.

Reverse Cable Curls
60 x 18
LT: 60 x 17

Squats - 5’s
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
350 x 5 matched PR from 1 year ago, finally back.

SLDLs
365 x 5 mixed grip
365 x 5 x 2 straps

Not bad for not deadlifting in months. Looking back at my old journal entries, I was always training deads way too hard and often so I always got hurt. This time around, I am going to take a sets across approach and I am going to rotate between 3 different type of deadlifting movements. It will be SLDLS, standard deads, and rack pulls. The goal is for the last rep of the last set to be somewhat of a grinder.

Seated Calf
3 plates x 17 + 8 + 7
Standard rest-pause at about 30 secs between sets.

Cybex Leg Press
5 plates x 20 + 10 + 8 = 38 reps
1 minute rests between each set. Progression on these will be by total reps. The first set for 20 reps is basically a requirement…then I will try hard to get more reps on the next two sets. 3 way rotation like deads on these as well.

Ab Roller
2 x 10

9

12/11/11

Bench - 3’s
bar x 10 x 2
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
255 x 1
280 x 1
275 x 3 (LT: 270 x 3)
Form is so important on bench. The 2nd rep felt hard then I really led the negative portion with my lats and the weight exploded up on the 3rd rep.

Shoulder was really aching so I took it easy on my accessories.

Incline Bench
185 x 11 + 3 + 2
LULZ, last time I did 210 for 10. Shoulder just didn’t have it today. It is something I always struggle with, especially after heavy squatting.

Neutral Chins
+25 x 5
BW X 15 + 5 + 3

DB Shoulder Press
70’s x 15 + 3 + 2
Didn’t even warm up on this…wanted to save any bullets I had in the shoulder. I just grabbed 70’s and did my set.

Hammer Strength Rows
2 plates x 15 + 5 + 5

Close Grip Bench
185 x 14 + 4 + 2
Same with shoulders, didn’t even warm up…just went to it.

Today was a good bench day…crappy accessory day.

10

12/14/11

Seated Machine Curls
2 plates + 15 x 15 (I rested a split second before the 15th rep)
LT: 2 plates + 10 x 15

Pinwheel Curls
55’s x 20, each arm FINALLY GOT 20
LT: 55’s x 17

Squats - 3’s
Bar x 10 x 2
135 x 5 x 2
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
355 x 1
370 x 3 FUCKING 10 LB PR…First PR on squats in ONE YEAR, FUCK YEAH.
LT: 360 x 3

Deadlifts
405 x 5 x 3
First time DLing in MONTHS and it was easy as shit, even after the ME squats.

I had to rush after this because my wife was sick and was waiting in the car, so all my sets sucked after deads because I didn’t get a chance to catch my breathe or let my lower back pump subside.

Machine Hack
1 min rests
2 plates + 25 per x 20 + 10 + 8

Leg Extensions
120 x 12

Ok so leg extensions crushed my quad…they will be a big part of my quad hypertrophy from now on. I will probably do insane volume on them by way of drop sets. Probably will pick a weight I can do 20 with, then just drop a notch with no rest until there is only 1 plate on the machine. Must be a body proportion thing, because I really felt these in my quad.

Ab Roller
3 x 10

11

12/16/11

Bench - paused singles
Worked up to
280 x 1 x 3 sets

Was going to do 290 today, since I just did 275 for 3 last upper day, but even 135 felt heavy today. I was under recovered for sure…most likely from the added upper body volume. Anyway, I practiced all the commands with my wife. That full 1-2 second pause is tough for sure, but I hit all my reps.

I was clearly under recovered today, so I just did my back work and left.

Wide Neutral Chins
+35 lbs x 9
BW x 6 @ 30 secs

Seated Cable Rows
110 x 10
90 x 8 @ 30 secs

Clearly, I do not recover well from upper body volume, so I am going back to just one set of ten. No point in trying to push the limits before the meet on my accessories. The back stuff will just get the same protocol, but one added drop set, I like higher volume for my back. After the meet, i’ll probably experiment with a lot of back volume.