Westside to Cube

Training Logs
1

Hello, any readers. I suppose I’ll just post some stats.

Gym lifts
Squat:375 beltless,
bench:285
deadlift:425 beltless
front squat:275X3
stroct fat grip pull ups: bw for 3 sets of 10
Age:just turned 17 a few days ago

Weight: 180

Height:5"9’

I have trained Westside for a couple years, which brought my bench to 285 paused which I tested around August from less than 185 touch and go. It’s also taken my sub 315 with a pretty slack bar to 425 with a horrifically stiff bar, I tested it this spring, and I am finally getting to my old numbers (apparently wearing chuck taylors instead of going barefoot takes about 30 pounds off my pull). My training to be honest was kinda shitty late summer/early fall (soccer season started, and I lost some weight by accident dropping me to 177 from 187).

I had also decided to switch my training up after having two DE days, and ME days for two years straight. When I had done Ed coan/phillipi for my deadlift I had found that I seemed to benefit from having a squat day, and a deadlift day (instead of mixing the training for each for the two days), and couldn’t really think of a good way to do it with Westside. So I looked over what the Cube method had, and it made sense and had the same core principles for training as I do, and the method looked pretty solid.

So, let’s start the log off and see how the gainz come. Also, I’m going to note that every deadlift I reset each rep for unless stated otherwise, or implied otherwise.

Week 1 day 1 RE deadlift
1.5+ inch deficit deadlift
135X5
185X5
225X5
275X3
300X8 absolutely awful

rack deadlifts from knees
275X2
295X2

high bar close stance squat
205X8 1 and a half minutes rest
205X8
205X8

strict ghetto NGHR
bwX8 1 minute rest
bwX5
bwX4
bwX3

back raises
bwX35 1 minute rest
bwX15

I need to work on my strength around the shin/ three-four inches off the floor. I rigged up (which I ended up getting hit in the shin from a barbell that rolled into me) block pulls, and grinded very hard just to get a rep with 275. I need to find a way to do block pulls, and hammer the fuck out of this weakness. Everything else felt good. I used my max off of the floor. It left one good rep in the tank, and another probably awful rep in the tank.

GPP/weighted carries day
Eight sets of 2 trips with 90 pounds for one arm rack carries (haven’t done these before, and I went pretty light. I’ll work it up to 125 in the next couple weeks)

Week 1 day 2 ME bench day
floor presses
45X5
95X5
135X5
185X5
225X2
225X2
225X2
225X2
225X2 same deal, going off of my raw bench max

competition grip bench
165X15 2 minutes rest
145X15

fat grip dead hang pull ups
bwX10 1 minute rest
bwX10
bwX10

light band push downs
bandX25
bandX15
bandX13
bandX11

barbell shrugs with hold at top
225X15 1 minute rest
225X15
225X15

front raises
45X12 1 minute rest
45X10
45X10

week 1 day 3 DE squats
moderate stance low box squat
225X3 for 8 sets, 1 minute rest
after the DE squats I worked up to 300X2 for reverse light band squats

close stance good mornings off of #12 pin
205X5 2 minute rest
205X5
205X5

reverse clean grip lunges
145X10R
145X10L
145X10R
145X10L

one arm DB swings
70X12
70X12
70X12

hanging weighted leg raises
12.5X10
12.5X10
12.5X10

week 1 day 4 body day

Overhead press
145X8
145X8
145X3

strict curls
95X10
95X7
95X3

standing calf raises
225X10 30 second rest
225X10
225X10
225X10

single leg hip thrusts
45X8 per side
45X6 per side
45X5 per side

some pull ups/band pull aparts

weighted side bends
120X8 1 minute rest
120X8
120X4
120X4

Thoughts: Looking back, I think I may have been going too light on some assistance work. I was trying to make the assistance work just very high quality volume work. For the high bar squats, they actually seem to be about right (they seem to just be best with me being really quick and clean reps that I move the bar as fast as possible). Next week I’ll add a good 15-20 pounds to the carries, keep the good mornings in and add 5 pounds, switch out the single leg hip thrusts, switch out the push downs with some type of barbell tricep extensions, and a bunch of other stuff.

Also, block pulls. I gotta figure out how to do that shit, and do it hard. There is no reason for me to suck that hard at them, and not be a glaring weakness.

2

Sorry for lack of updates. I have what seems to be Mono (swolen lymph nodes under my chin/sides of my neck, fatigue, loss of appetite, sore throat), and I am not sure whether or not it is safe for me to train. I am getting blood work done tomorrow so I’ll know then if I have it. If I do lift today, I’ll just do some light singles for DE work, light snatch grip deads or SLDL’s, then probably just some light back work (some shrugs, and a set of 50 back extensions) and skip abs.

It really pisses me off that I have to pick between me possibly being a bitch, and detraining or me possibly hurting myself and ending up in the hospital.

3

11/12/14

I’ll give myself today to get some rest. Tomorrow I’m deadlifting, or doing GPP. I can’t stand the thought of detraining especially when Mono supposedly only enlarges the spleen of about 50% of people who get it, it’s not confirmed I have mono, and I have not found any indicator I have an enlarged spleen, and if I did have an enlarged spleen, it is probably unlikely I’ll rupture it.

4

Never mind, I am biting the bullet and will take the time off from training needed to find out if I do have Mono. If I actually do have it, I’ll just extend the amount of time it takes for me to recover from it, and on the small chance that I DO injure my spleen I’ll take even longer to get back to training.

It feels stupid logging all of these posts without any actual training.

5

Lol, I remember another guy on here a while back having a bout with mono. It really sucks, but all you can do is wait it out and get back to training when you’re better. Everything will come right back within a couple weeks at most. Hopefully it’s not that though.

6

Week 2 day 1 ME squat day

moderate stance low bar squat
45X5
95X5
135X3
185X3
225X3
275X3
295X2
305X2
315X2

I decided to stop there. I left about 25 pounds in the tank, but today was the first time training in over a week and I didn’t want to injure by doing something stupid.

close stance good mornings
185X15 1 and a half minutes rest
195X12 2 minutes rest
205X6 I was very out of breath, and tired once I got to this set

barbell hack squats
135X8 1 and a half minutes rest
135X3
135X3

back extensions
bwX40 1 minute rest
bwX20

seated band leg curls
mini+micro per sideX50 1 minute rest
mini+micro per sideX12

standing ab band pull downs
doubled lightX12 1 minute rest
doubled lightX8
doubled lightX8

Thoughts:I’ve lost some strength, but I should get it back in about a week. I also took today pretty easy.

Notes: Also, the hack squats seem like a pretty solid quad exercise in place of leg presses. To do them: place a block, or plate to elevate your heels, and stay very upright.

7

11/18/14

Off day. It rained so I couldn’t do any carries outside, and I felt like absolute shit (shivering, and couldn’t get down food until night time).

Tomorrow I’ll do some repetition effort bench. I might do some stretching/etc tonight.

8

Alright, y’all I am back, and feel strong as fuck.

GPP/conditioning day
kneeling jumps
bwX3
10X3
15X3
20X3
25X3
25X3

one arm farmer walks
135X1 trip (100-150ft) for 6 sets. There was a storm that night before I brought my barbell in and my barbell got rusty. Other than messing with the knurling (or there was dead skin on the bar… Not sure which was scraped off), the bar should be fine. I’ll look into getting the rust off after my squat day.

week 2, day 1 DE deadlifts

conventional DE pulls 275X1 for 10 sets, 15 second rest. This is a lot harder than it looks on paper.

barbell rows 225X8 for 3 sets, 2 minute rest

DB swings
80X8 R 1 minute rest
80X8 L
80X3 R
80X3 L

single leg gliding leg curls
three sets. Never doing this again.

Meant to do some suitcase deadlifts for abs after I started my dinner, but I kinda went to sleep before I could do either.

week 2 day 2
Off

Week 2 day 3 RE bench day
competition grip bench press 205X13 this is a 20 pound, and one rep PR. It was really unexpected. Estimated max:293
narrow grip
165X10
165X3

close grip overhead tricep extensions
75X13 45 second rest
75X6
75X5

flies and bent over rear delt raises with 2 second pause super set
30’sX12, 16 1 minute rest
30’sX10, 8
30’sX9, 6

one arm DB upright row
40’sX12 per side 1 minute rest
40’sX9 per side
40’sX6 per side

mix grip fat grip pull ups (some weird poliquin exercise with a fat grip bar. For whatever reason I forgot to get any lot work in until this point, and I was too trashed to do anything decent)
bwX6
bwX5
bwX4

Alright, so it looks like my strength is back and going great. For RE days, I’ll follow the recommended percentages (70%/80%/85%), and just try to increase my estimated max instead of go for pr’s in certain rep ranges. I’ll go redo my ME squat day today. Bodyday I’ll try to get three sets of 145X8 for my overhead press, then do the curls and calf stuff (Brandon Lilly recommends doing those three things as staples on body day for balance, then doing work for weak muscles) and get a fuck ton of volume in for glutes and everything in the back afterwards.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and Black friday. Stay tuned for heavy fucking weight.

9

Stretching and shit

ab pull downs supersetted with back extensions with 45 plate
doubled mini and microX10, 15
doubled mini and micro8, 15
doubled mini and micro6, 15

two second pause squats
300X2 two minute rest
300X2
300X2
320X2 now rest as long as I needed
340X2 (massive pause pr), incredibly easy and deep. estimated max: 362 for my pause squat

hip thrusts
185X17 1 and a half minutes rest
185X7
185X6

single leg squats
bwX4
bwX4
bwX2
bwX2

dragon flags
bwX3 these were too easy, so I thought “hey, what if I hang my hips off of the bench?” and did that, then got another three reps like that
bwX3 the way I described above are horrifically hard
bwX3

Video included is the exercise, just with the hips off the bench, and no weaboo music.

10

Hey buddy,

Have you fully recovered from the mono? You still plan on playing football?

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11

[quote]theBird wrote:
Hey buddy,

Have you fully recovered from the mono? You still plan on playing football?

tweet[/quote]
Yeah, I’m all good. Also, do you mean football(european)? Then yes, next year. The season is over now, but I intend on joining next year for my second year playing it.

Week 2, body day

some shitty overhead presses up to 190X1. I joined a new school, and I kinda wanted to show off (well as much as I could with no sleep after squats the previous night).

standing calf raise machine (done super strict with stretch, and two second hold)
4 platesX20
4 platesX15
4 platesX12
4 platesX10

offset DB curls (neutral to supinated with grip on the outside)
40X10 per side
40X6 per side
40X5 per side

GHR’s
bwX12
bwX6
bwX4
bwX3

face pulls
70X15
70X12
70X10 drop sets 60X8 50X15

back extensions off of GHR
60X11
60X8
60X6

weighted pull ups
25X8
25X6
25X5

I got some solid work in even though I had no sleep. After a nap, everything is sore and hurting. haha

12

Nice way of showing up to a new school.

I have recently got access to a GHR and I struggle to do even 1 rep. Any advice?

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13

[quote]theBird wrote:
Nice way of showing up to a new school.

I have recently got access to a GHR and I struggle to do even 1 rep. Any advice?

tweet[/quote]
To get better at GHR’s, I recommend hitting the crap out hip extension exercises (RDL’s, SLDL’s, good mornings, etc), and knee flexion exercises (leg curls), and to just do a lot of GHR’s with frequency. Try to do them every single day if you have access, GHR’s improve a lot with actually doing them.

12/3/14

Recovery workout
a couple sets of 10-20 with the bar for squats
bwX8 for three sets for GHR’s
lat pull downs two sets of 130X8
roughly five sets of what looked like having sex with a foam roller (rolled the front of the quads/hip flexors one at a time, then rolled the sides. Might’ve done other rolling)
lunges with 35 pound DB for 12 reps each side

I just wanted to do a light recovery/extra workout the day before deadlifts. I had felt like crap, and it helped a lot.

edit: Bird, I’ll get you some links for it later. I have to head off to school now.

14

Week 3 day 1 ME deadlifts

Conventional deadlifts against about 40-50 pounds of chains
135X5
225X3
275X3
put a really loose belt on (it didn’t press on my stomach at all when standing unless I brace/push out my abs) on starting at
315X3
340X3
360X3
375X3

barbell rows
230X8
230X8
230X8

GHR’s with arms on chest
bwX8 1 minute rest
bwX6
bwX4
bwX3
bwX2
bwX1

suitcase deadlifts
175X3 R 1 minute rest
175X3 L
175X1 R
175X1 L

15

[quote]Destrength wrote:
Week 3 day 1 ME deadlifts

Conventional deadlifts against about 40-50 pounds of chains
135X5
225X3
275X3
put a really loose belt on (it didn’t press on my stomach at all when standing unless I brace/push out my abs) on starting at
315X3
340X3
360X3
375X3[/quote]
Damn it. I kinda wish you hadn’t kept training while I was gone, that way, maybe I’d have a chance of catching up to you.

That’s without the chain weight too, I’m assuming, so 375 is really 415-425 at the top?

16

[quote]LoRez wrote:

[quote]Destrength wrote:
Week 3 day 1 ME deadlifts

Conventional deadlifts against about 40-50 pounds of chains
135X5
225X3
275X3
put a really loose belt on (it didn’t press on my stomach at all when standing unless I brace/push out my abs) on starting at
315X3
340X3
360X3
375X3[/quote]
Damn it. I kinda wish you hadn’t kept training while I was gone, that way, maybe I’d have a chance of catching up to you.

That’s without the chain weight too, I’m assuming, so 375 is really 415-425 at the top?[/quote]
Yep, that’s the bar weight, so I’d say it is 415 at the top. Also, I practically didn’t progress during the summer/early Fall area of time (I lost about 8 pounds by accident, and barely got stronger).

I am sure you’ll catch up to me eventually, also good luck with that injury. I hope you get better soon.

17

12/5/14

I accidentally went to sleep until five AM this morning as soon as I got home from school. So no bench training today even though I planned to do it. Oh, I think I might run six weeks of leg specialization after I compete in the Spring. I think I could use some extra size in my quads/glutes/hamstrings, and it would be nice for an off season before I start prepping for a powerlifting meet or strongman comp in the Fall.

18

12/8/14

RE squat day

competition style beltless squats
265X13 stopped here since my knees were caving, and my hearts/lungs felt like they were going to explode
estimated max: 379
RPE: 8.5

close stance good mornings
215X8
215X4
215X8

step ups off of box squat box at highest setting
135X8 per side
135X5 per side
135X5 per side

squats again
135X30 the program called for 50, but I wasn’t having any of that. My hamstrings were feeling like hell, my calves were pumped, and I was gasping for air.

I’ll do abs tonight

Oh, I emailed Mike Hedlesky about training at his gym. He got back up with me, and offered to let me train there for free, and help me out with my lifts which would be really awesome. He also mentioned a meet this Sunday in DC. Apparently Ray Williams is supposed to be opening with 905 raw in that meet, so I’ll definitely see if I can show up and meet some people and watch some crazy lifts.

19

Body day fun time

overhead press
155X5
155X5
155X3 w0t

standing calf machine strict with holds
2 platesX20
2 plates+1 quarterX15
2 plates+2quartersX12

EZ reverse curlz 4 dem gurlz
2 quartersX10 45 second rest
2 quartersX10
2 quartersX10
2 quartersX10

behind head tricep rope push down
60X8
60X8
60X8
60X8

super strict lat pull downs
150X10
150X10
150X8
150X5

weighted GHR with plate on chest
5X5
5X3
5X2

strict side bends
110 (not including handle weight, no idea what the handle weighs)X10
110X10

Getting all d’em gainz.

Alright, in all seriousness this day was a good bodybuilding day. I should start PR’ing on my press if I haven’t already. Next week I’ll do some bro pyramids for my press. Probably something like 15/12/10/8/6 starting at 115 and adding 10-ish pounds each time.

20

Look at this shit!