BB Tricep Extensions:
(weight of EZ-bar not included, since I don’t know how much it weighs. 15#?)
50x3x12
DB Curl:
35x12 (more fun.)
Felt good over all. The flat bench reps felt slow at first, but I cranked out a nice amount of reps nonetheless. It felt weird and good to be doing the BB rows again.
I had trouble holding onto those DB’s for shrugs. I also had trouble holding onto the handles of the HS shrug machine (or whatever it is) … I may invest in some straps. :-/
[quote]benbriz wrote:
Nice work bro. Are doing anyhting for your grip trianing? Are you compeating? And yes I would get some straps.[/quote]
Nah, I’m not doing anything for my grip training. I guess I should be. I’ve done some barbell holds for time before, but I found that I quickly stall and regress in them. So I haven’t really done any grip training, ever.
E-Z bar curl:
80x12 (no pain with close grip)
80x10
BB Shrugs:
315x3x10 (some grip problems :-/)
First time I’ve flat benched over 205 in 7 (?) weeks. Went pretty well, the 260 felt “heavy” and it moved “slow” but I didn’t feel particularly strained. The goal is to hit 270x3 next week, and 280x3 the following.
I did 2 less reps total on the DB bench. I’m pretty sure it’s because I was fatigued from flat BB benching.
Back Squat:
135x5
225x3
275x1
315x1
370x4 PR!!
280x16
Romanian Deadlift:
205x8 (on platform, bar lowered to ankles)
225x10 (mid shin)
Hack Squat:
180x5
295x3x8
2 rep PR on the squats!! I attribute that to listening to “pulse of a maggot” by slipknot I haven’t listened to (good & heavy) music while lifting in a long time (thanks michele!!). I felt like I had 5, but decided not to push it. The 280x16 was brutal. My lower back was fried after this for the rest of the workout.
The RDL’s didn’t go so well, my lower back was very fatigued.
I think its time to split up my lower body day. I like the idea of doing the high rep squats, but I just cannot handle it after hitting a top set.
Back Squat:
135x5
225x3
275x1
315x1
370x4 PR!!
280x16
Romanian Deadlift:
205x8 (on platform, bar lowered to ankles)
225x10 (mid shin)
Hack Squat:
180x5
295x3x8
2 rep PR on the squats!! I attribute that to listening to “pulse of a maggot” by slipknot I haven’t listened to (good & heavy) music while lifting in a long time (thanks michele!!). I felt like I had 5, but decided not to push it. The 280x16 was brutal. My lower back was fried after this for the rest of the workout.
The RDL’s didn’t go so well, my lower back was very fatigued.
I think its time to split up my lower body day. I like the idea of doing the high rep squats, but I just cannot handle it after hitting a top set.[/quote]
Nice work on the squats! I’m doing the same type of program. Looking good so far!
4 plate squat!!! I had to go for it; I felt too good after the 380x3 to not to. I was going to try 390 for a single, but I forced myself to step out of my comfort zone and just put 4 damn plates on.
I got video of it, too. I just have to figure out how to get it off my phone: I’ll try to email it via a text or the email program on the phone. [edit: can only send videos via blue tooth, wtf is that?!]
Heh, I asked some dude I talked to a couple times to take the video for me. After I got the lift, and we were talking, he goes “Want to get another spotter and go heavy?” Hah!
And those hack squats make my quads hurt. They’re brutal.
Haven’t updated due to a variety of reasons. Still lifting. I took a small break last week, and only hit my RE Lower and ME Upper day. I backsquatted 275x2x12, and 225x20. I benched 300x1, and 280x2.
The bench was a slooow lift. It was close, but I won. I’m so close to 315 I can taste it!
I’m stalled on the T-bar rows, I think. They served me well. Time to switch it up, though. Time to do some DB Rows.
No shrugs since I recently got a huge cut in my finger, which has 5 stitches in it, and it was hurting like a bitch after the rows.
I probably only have about 2 weeks left on this “program.” I will be starting a structured program given to me by my college powerlifting clubs coach. Hopefully it doesn’t suck. Even if it does, I think training around guys with similar goals will have a great motivational effect.
What a fuckin’ way to start the new year. I’ll be repping 4 plates before I know it. Ha! I can’t wait to see if my deadlift improved. It should have; my upper back is way stronger, and so is my lower body.
The set of 3 took everything I had. I really busted my ass on the hack squats, too.
Skipped my RE lower day. Didn’t sleep well sunday night, and slept through my training time on monday. Oops. Maybe I’m just not taking the RE day seriously enough…
1-6-09, ME Upper.
Floor Press:
135x5
185x5
225x3
245x4
275x3
DB Bench:
80x15
80x17 (serious effort here.)
DB Row:
90x8
80x2x8
EZ Barbell Curls:
100x7
100x8
100x7
BB Shrugs:
315x8
315x2x10
Well, I hit 275x3 on the floor press pretty easily. I struggled much harder with 280x3 on the flat bench. I’m not sure what this means. I did however have a handoff, as it was required: the power rack is shitty, and the “hooks” don’t go down far enough. That probably helped. An old friend was giving me handoffs. He worked up to 225x1 on them - first time really ever seriously benching too! Was impressive. Hopefully he sticks with it. I need a good partner.
DB Rows are weak. What can I say?
BB Shrugs were down in weight a bit… I was being a little lazy with them and decided not to go right back to where I was previously.
Ok. Tonight sucked, in a mildly ammusing kinda way. I wanted to try 405 for 3, but I ripped my shorts. Bad. And it was very crowded. My one spotter asked if I wanted to continue, and I said yeah. As I went down for the second rep I ripped them even worse, and I lost all concentration and tightness and had to dump the bar on the pins. I was a bit embarassed. Oh well. I didn’t have another pair of shorts, only my jeans, so I just left after that.
Ok. I really felt off tonight. It sucked. I felt very out of energy. 280 felt heavy.
I have been eating a bit less on my off days and honestly haven’t been eating as well as I should be. A couple of my off days I only ate twice a day. :-/
My buddy squatted 280 for 3. It’s his fourth time squatting. I’m jealous. That took me like 7 months to do! :-/ After seeing me do 20 reps, he wanted to try it. So I had him do 165#. Kicked his ass nicely. It’s amazing how hard he’s working. I think he’ll stick with it.
I’m supposed to do LESS on the floor press than bench pressing, aren’t I? Either it isn’t, or my flat bench is better than I thought. Oh well, whatever. The last rep of the last set was sloooooow, but I got it.
I had some wrist pain from doing the barbell curls, so I did my last set with the dumbbells. Kinda surprised I got 8 reps.
I had some issues with my grip for shrugs: my hands were sweaty, and my forearms/wrist were sore/weak. Must’ve done something funny doing the DB stuff. Probably just got weak wrists… I never worked with DBs until recently.
I haven’t listened to (good & heavy) music while lifting in a long time (thanks michele!!). I felt like I had 5, but decided not to push it. The 280x16 was brutal. My lower back was fried after this for the rest of the workout.
It’s really put some muscle on me. (Along with the shitload of milk & protein shakes I drink)