Zach Log 2: HLM Meat & Potatoes Lifts

I just finished an 8 wk log doing a full body 3x wk routine. It used ramped up 5x5.


In this log my routine is not going to exactly follow a well known workout template, but I will be sticking to the HLM style routine, and probably won’t go any lower than 5 reps on any set.

Rough Outline:
Monday (Medium: 5x10): Squat, Leg Press, Bench
Wednesday (Light: 5x15): Squat, Deadlift, Bench, Tbar
Friday (Heavy: 5x5): Squat, Deadlift, Bench, Tbar

This is where i’m starting from:

Weight: 215
Bench: 215x5
Squat: 245x5
Leg Press: 630x9 (white)
Tbar: 225x5


Monday (8-20-12)

Medium

Squat: 135x10; 155x10; 175x10; 185x10; 200x10
Leg Press: 180x12; 270x12; 360x12; 450x10; 540x12
Bench: 135x10; 145x10; 155x10; 155x7; 155x10

Wednesday (8-22-12)

Light

Squat: 135x15; 145x15; 155x15; 165x15; 175x20
Deadlift: 135x5; 225x5; 225x5; 315x3
Bench: 135x15; 135x10; 135x12
Close Grip Pull down: 130x15; 130x7; 100x11

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lol your prob the first person to get the reference

Friday (8-22-12)

Heavy

Squat: 135x5: 185x5; 205x5; 225x5; 255x5
Deadlift: 135x5: 225x5: 275x5: 295x5: 325x3
Bench: 135x5: 155x5: 175x5: 195x5: 215x6
Tbar: 135x5: 160x5: 180x5; 205x5: 225x5
Close grip pull down: low weight to failure for 1 set

Monday 8-27-12

Skipped (way too tired and my hip flexor/groin was killing me so I knew I couldn’t squat)

Wednesday (8-29-12)

My groin/hip flexor was still killing me and I was hung over and feeling like hell from last night, but I decided to go to the gym anyways because I would be pissed if I started losing weight or strength.

Leg press: 180x20; 270x20; 360x20; 410x20; SKIP SET
Leg Ext: ??x10; whole stack x 10; whole stack x 10
Leg Curls: 2 sets of 10-12 reps
Bench: 135x10; 135x10; 135x11 (I did light weight and just went real slow til it touched my chest and just exploded up)
Close grip Pull down: 130x15; 100x8 ( Hardly any break)

Friday (8-31-12)

Groin/hip flexor still hurting, so haven’t gone back to squats yet, will probably give them a go on monday.

Heavy

Leg Press: 270x5; 360x5: 450x5; 540x5; 630x5; 680x7
Deadlift: 135x5; 225x5; 275x5; 315x5; 335x5 (will probably not go higher than this until my back is stronger, had trouble holding it)
Bench; 135x5; 155x5; 175x5; 185x5; 205x6 (got a seventh, but spotter touched it, I went lighter than last week, i’m adjusting form)
Machine Row; 3 sets then on third set did one set of closegrip pull down right after, got a decent pump, ihope it is enough to make my lats grow, if not, i’ll have to address this later.

Monday 9-3-12

Medium

Squat: 135x5; 135x10; 135x10
Leg Press: 180x12; 270x12; 360x12; 450x12; 540x13
Bench: 135x10; 145x10; 155x10; 170x10
Superset (CGPD x Seated M Row): 3 sets

Wednesday 9-5-12

Light

Squat: 135x15; 145x15; 155x15; 160x15; 170x15
Long Pulley Row x CGPD: 130x7 x 100x12; 130x7 x 100x12; 130x7
Bench: 45x15; 135x15

Friday 9-7-12

Heavy

Squat: 135x5; 135x5; 185x5; 205x5; 225x5; 245x5 1 breathe and squat
Deadlift: 225x5; 225x5; 275x5; 315x5; 335x3 (less than last week but stronger back form)
Leg Ext: To failure 2 sets, in the 15 rep range (i forget the weight)
Long Pulley Row: 145x5; 160x5; 190x5; 205x5; 220x3 (then superset w/ CGPD: 85x18)
Bench: 135x5; 155x5; 175x5; 190x5; 210x6 (pretty good form in the heavier weight, probably will keep same weight and keep focusing on form)

Monday (8/10/12)

Medium

Squat: 135x10; 155x10; 175x10; 185x10; 205x10
Legpress: 180x12; 270x12; 360x12; 450x12; 540x14
Longrow Pulley: 160x10; 160x9; 160x8 superset w/ CGP: ?x5
Bench: 135x10; 135x10; 135x10

Wednesday 9-12-12

LIght

Squat: 45x10; 135x15; 145x15; 155x15; 165x15; 175x15 (way better than last week)
Long Pulley Row: 85x15; 100x12 ~ Hammer IsoLateral Row 180x7 ~ CGPD 115x10
BOR 135x10 ~ Bench 135x10
Bench; 135x15; 160x12
DB Leg Curls; 45x15

*** I’ve decided that when I put a " ~ " between exercises without a " ; " that means the sets were back to back with no/minimal rest

Friday 9-14-12

Heavy

Squat: 135x10; 185x5; 205x5; 225x5; 250x5 *pretty good, wanna keep same weight for next week (if my backs okay) and see if I can do more
Deadlift: 225x5; 275x5; 295x3 (weight felt light, but I found out today I wasn’t keeping my abs tight during my deadlift and was pulling too much with my low back, so when I locked out, i’d lean back and hyper extend my low back, now it hurts like a mother fucker, I doubt I’ll lift on monday. i’m so pissed, but I learned a lesson today, I won’t get far into heavy weights if I don’t focus on my form and core strength. GOtta protect your spine)
-Since I couldn’t do more Deadlift: DM Leg Curls: 60x11; 80x4; 80x5 ::::: Did a set on machine post workout as well
Long Pulley Row: 160x5; 170x5; 190x5; 205x4; 175x8 (low back was killing) ~ CGPD 130x5
Bench: 135x5; 160x5; 180x5; 200x5; 215x6 ~ Chest fly to fail to finish out the chest

I"M SO PISSED I HURT MY BACK, I CAN"T WAIT TIL I"M BETTER AND I CAN FOCUS ON CORRECTING MY DEADLIFT FORM!

Monday 9-17-12

Taking off

Still have some lower back pain from friday, and got too much school work and need to conserve energy and time!!!

Wednesday 9-19-12

Light

Squat: 45x10; 135x15; 150x15; 165x15; 175x15; 185x15
Leg Press: 180x20; 270x20; 360x20
DBLC: 60x10; 60x10
SUPERSET - Incline/CGPD: 135x10 ~ 115x10 ~ 135x10 ~ 115x6; 135x10 ~ 115x8

Friday 9-21-12

Heavy

Today I had to go to the other facility because the SRSC is adding some equipment and moving shit around, didn’t get to use the normal leg press or row machine, Also, I worked in with this dude Jake who’s a personal trainer and he was critiquing my squat form saying I"m not flexible enough to go as low as I do and that is causing a “butt wink” so I didn’t go as heavy today, I think he was overblowing the problem, but he def made me wanna address my flexibility issues. Also, I didn’t deadlift today because I’m trying to play it safe, considering last week I hurt my low back by not using enough abs to keep my core tight, so I hyper extended.

Squat: 135x5; 185x5; 205x5; 205x5; 225x5
Leg Press (HPER one, not the usual one, used lighter weight): 270x5; 360x5; 450x5; 500x5; 520x5
DBLC: 80x5; 90x5; 90x5; 90x5
Leg Extensions (HPER): 145x10; 160x14; 160x30 (I could only get 15 straight, then I had to breath and do 3 at a time, til 30 holy fuck did it burn)
Bench: 135x5; 160x5; 180x5; 205x5; 225x5 (PR) (Followed w/ two sets of flies)
Seated Row (HPER): 145x5; 170x5; 190x5; 205x5; 250x5 (whole stack)
CGPD: IDK what I did, i kept changing the weight, but I just supersetted the seated row until it burned and I couldn’t do more

Monday 9-24-12

Medium

Today they opened up the gym “expansion” at the SRSC, which freakn blows. they got rid of my favorite leg press to top it off. Anyways my left knee was killin me from drunken antics this weekend so I couldn’t squat.

Leg Press: 180x10; 270x10; 360x10; 450x10; 180x10 (never locked out knees)
Deadlift: 135x10; 225x10; 275x8; 225x10; 135x10
Leg Ext ~ Leg Curls: 90x10 ~ 100x10; 90x10 ~ 100x10; 90x10 ~ 100x10;
DB Bench: 60x10; 80x10; 80x10
Seated Row: 160x10; 190x10; 220x10; 250x6 ~ CGPD 130x6

Wednesday 9-26-12

Light

Worried about my left knee…

Squat: 135x15; 165x15; 185x15
Leg Press: 90x15; 180x10; 270x15; 410x12
DBLC: 50x15 : Seated Leg Curls: 100x12; 100x15
Flat DB press: 60x12; 70x12; 75x13
Seated Row: 165x15; 175x12; 205x11 ~ CGPD: 85x6

Thursday 9-27-12

Heavy

Today I decided to go in on Thursday instead of Friday, I got a good nights rest and was feelin good and a little stressed so decided to just tear it up hard in the gym and then recover over the weekend.

Deadlift: 135x9; 225x5; 275x5; 315x5; 335x5 ~ 225x6
Leg Press (Machine): 115x5; 205x5; 250x5; 265x5; 310x1 (It was the whole stack, and it was awkwardly close)
Leg Ext: 160x5; 220x8; 250x10; 250x10; 250x10 (whole stack)
DBLC: 90x5; 100x5; 100x4; 100x3
DB Bench: 90x5; 100x5; 100x4~65x5~Incline/flies
Seated Row: 220x5; 235x5; 250x5; 260x5; 260x7~CGPD: to failure