12/30 – Bench Deload

Quick incline deload. Nothing crazy here. Looking forward to hitting the heavy stuff again next week.

Incline Bench Press:
135x12x1
155x12x1
175x12x1

Flat DB Press:
55x10x1
55x10x1
55x10x1
55x10x1
55x10x1

Wide-grip Pulldowns:
157x10x1
157x10x1
157x10x1
157x10x1
157x10x1

DB Curls (3sec negatives):
25x12x1
25x12x1
25x12x1

BB Curls (3sec negatives):
55x10x1
55x10x1

+ stretching

Duration: 25 minutes

12/28 – Squat & Deadlift Deload

Another nice deload workout. I’ve been ‘craving’ zercher squats for assistance work so I added in some full rom atg zercher squats today and will keep them around during this next cycle. Did the deadlifts ‘conventional’ today to mix things up as well.

Squats:
135x12x1
225x5x1
285x5x1
340x5x1

Deadlift:
255x5x1
320x5x1
385x5x1

ATG Zercher Squats:
225x12x1
315x12x1

+ stretching

Duration: 30 minutes

12/23 – Squat 5-3-1

Merry Squatmas! Nice squatting session before christmas, and to end the year (deload next week). 575×2 marks a new 2rm PR. Target single for 5-3-1 was 545, but that was cake and decided to go for the 2rm PR. Previous was @ 560. 545×4 would have been a rep pr as well and I know I could have smoked that. 600 is around the corner again. Also set a PR on single-leg leg extensions. Brutal stuff. Entire stack – one leg. Finished with light tricep and hamstring work, and some ab stuff.

Squats:
135x12x1
315x5x1
425x5x1
480x3x1
545x1x1
575x2x1 (PR)

Paused ATG Squats (3s pause at bottom of each rep):
405x6x1

Single-leg Leg Extensions:
150x8x1
190x8x1
230x8x1
270x8x1
305x8x1 (PR)

Leg Extensions (super set behind last set of single legs):
305x15x1

Lying Hamstring Curls:
125x12x1
125x12x1
125x12x1
125x12x1
125x12x1

Tricep Pushdowns (various single-arm variants, no rests):
30x12x1
30x12x1
30x12x1
30x12x1
30x12x1
30x12x1
30x12x1

Ab Roll-outs:
bw x12x1
bw x12x1
bw x12x1

Hanging Leg Lifts:
bw x12x1
bw x12x1
bw x12x1

Hammer Chins w/ Legs lifted/extended straight out:
bw x15x1

+ stretching

Duration: 70 minutes

12/21 – Incline Bench 5-3-1

Another good workout. Could have had an easy reps PR with 270 (the target ‘single’ for the day), but opted to keep adding weight and push things move. Came within 5lbs of my 1rm and could have had that, but probably not much more. Tied previous 300×2 pr afterwards. I’ve been having some nerve issues with my left trap/neck from driving so much, and that hindered pressing a bit today, but not a big deal. Moved on to flat db presses – kept volume low due to the nerve thing, but felt pretty strong. Rows were cake.

Incline Bench Press:
135x36x1
155x5x1
175x5x1
215x5x1
240x3x1
270x3x1
290x1x1
300x1x1
310x1x1
300x2x1 (PR)

Flat DB Bench:
100x8x1
120x5x1
130x7x1

BB Rows:
255x10x1
255x10x1
255x10x1
255x10x1
305x15x1

+ stretching

Duration: 60 minutes

12/19 – Deadlift 5-3-1

Dominated deadlifts tonight. Super strong and bested my previous 10 rep PR by 20lbs. Been wanting 600+x10 for a while now. Did some olympic-style GMs, ab rollouts, and curls to finish.

Deadlift:
245x12x1
335x5x1
425x5x1
480x5x1
545x3x1
605x10x1 (PR)

Olympic GMs:
225x12x1
225x12x1
225x12x1
225x12x1
225x12x1

Single-arm Hammer Curls:
75x8x1
110x8x1
130x8x1
150x12x1 (PR)
80x15x1

Ab Roll-outs:
bw x12x1
bw x12x1
bw x12x1
bw x12x1
bw x12x1

+ stretching + yoga (40 min)

Duration: 120 minutes

12/17 – Push Press 5-3-1

Real strong pressing today. Felt like I could put 240 through the roof. Stopped at 5 reps but could have had more – wanted to go heavier. Only rested a minute or so before going after 260 as I was pressed for time and I just ran out of steam. With proper pacing I could get a few more. Dips and chins were great. No complaints from elbow/forearms today. In and out in 35min.

Push Press:
135x12x1
185x5x1
215x3x1
240x5x1 (PR)
260x3x1 (PR)

Hammer Chins (superset with dips):
+50x8x1
+50x8x1
+50x8x1
+50x8x1
+50x8x1

Dips:
+50x8x1
+50x8x1
+50x8x1
+50x8x1
+50x12x1

Single-arm Pushdowns:
80x12x1

Rope Pushdowns:
50x20x1
50x20x1
50x20x1

OH Rope Extensions:
50x20x1
50x20x1
50x20x1

+ stretching

Duration: 35 minutes

12/12 – Incline Bench 5’s

Good, strong workout. Reps PR on incline. DB presses are getting there – no elbow or forearm issues. The lower volume is helping with that I think. Rows weren’t too strenuous – good strict reps.

Incline Bench Press:
135x12x1
155x12x1
175x12x1
185x5x1
215x5x1
245x15x1 (PR)

Flat DB Bench:
100x15x1
110x10x1
120x5x1
130x6x1

BB Rows:
245x10x1
245x10x1
245x10x1
245x10x1
295x12x1

Ab Roll-outs:
bw x12x1
bw x12x1
bw x12x1

+ stretching + yoga (45min)

Duration: 105 minutes

12/9 – Deadlift 5’s

Real nice deadlifting today. The limited volume of the 3/5/1 really gets me psyched up for that last ‘put it all out there’ work set. Had limited time today so I did what I had to do and bailed.

Deadlift:
245x10x1
335x5x1
410x5x1
485x5x1
545x17x1 (PR)

Extra-wide Wide-grip Pulldowns:
225x8x1
225x8x1
225x8x1
225x8x1
225x10x1

Preacher Curls:
75x12x1
95x10x1
95x10x1
95x10x1
95x10x1
75x15x1

+ stretching

Duration: 45 minutes