Spytech’s Intense Workout Log

Strong workout today. Incline presses felt really solid despite being pretty sore still from Monday’s benching. ATG squats continue to go up. 425 is a no-no-no PR for me. I focused more on form and TUT on my assistance work than absolute poundages today. One-arm db presses really work the core.

Incline Bench Press:
135x12x1
155x12x1
185x3x1
225x3x1
275x1x1
295x1x1
305x1x1
315x1x1
275x5x1

ATG Squats:
135x8x1
225x1x1
315x1x1
365x1x1
405x1x1
425x1x1
315x8x1

Seated CG Cable Rows (long stretch, slow rom):
276x8x1
300x8x1
312x10x1

Reverse Pushdowns:
168x10x1
204x15x1
219x12x1 (PR)

Standing Cable Curls:
150(stack)x20x1

One-arm Flat DB Press (free hand is unweighted):
80x20x1 (PR)
80x25x1 (PR)

Hammer Chins:
bw x20x1

GHRs (torso // to floor, unassisted):
bw x10x1

+ stretching

Duration: 90 minutes

Deadlifts felt great today. Short rests between sets (45-60s) and killed everything. Not too much cramping compared to last week, either. I really focused on exploding each rep off the floor on every rep I did today. Standing abduction work was brutal, especially for my bum leg. Assistance work was all good.

Deadlift (toes at plates, all reps deloaded):
135x10x1
295x4x1
350x4x2
410x3x2
470x3x2
470x5x1

Standing Cable Abduction (bringing foot to waist level):
30x6x2
35x6x2
45x6x1 (PR)

Seated DB Press:
65x5x1
70x5x1
80x5x1
90x5x1
100x5x1

Standing Concentration Curls:
45x8x3

Wide-grip Cable Pushdowns:
168x8x1
204x8x1
219x8x2 (PR)

Seated Rear Delt Flye Machine:
100x8x3

+ stretching + abs (+20×6x5 decline situps – weight behind head) + power yoga (30min)

Duration: 105 minutes

Good session – always feels good to get back in the swing of things after a deload. Bench was nice and strong. Box squats were done with 2+second pauses on the box for each rep. They started out feeling really heavy and tough, and ended up getting stronger and easier with each set. Shrugs felt very strong.

Bench Press:
135×12x1
155×12x1
185×3x1
225×3x1
275×3x1
300×3x5 (PR)

Wide-stance Box Squats (// box with 2+sec pauses):
135×5x1
225×3x1
315×3x1
365×3x1
375×3x1
385×3x1
405×3x1
425×3x1

CG Bench Press:
225×5x2
275×5x1
225×5x2

Shrugs:
225×5x1
315×5x1
405×5x1
495×5x1
585×5x1
655×5x1 (PR)
665×6x1 (PR)

Seated Cable Flyes:
170×20x1

Exaggerated Incline DB Press:
85×15x1
85×12x1

+ stretching

Duration: 70 minutes

My leg is doing pretty good. Recovery is coming along quickly - as quickly as it can, anyways. Swelling is minimal below my knee and my foot/ankle does not swell up much at any these days - even if I keep my compression stocking off for a few hours. Upper thigh is within a few inches of my left leg, so that is a positive sign as well. Lots of nasty looking stretch marks all over my hamstring and inner thigh from my leg being stretched 8+” bigger than it should be.

In regards to training I will be taking the next six weeks to run a wave cycle for my raw deadlifts with volume peaking at weeks 3 and 6. I will be alternating parallel box squats and rock bottom box squats as deadlift assistance on Mondays. Fridays will continue as normal with ATG narrow stance squat work. Bench will rotate between flat and incline as usual as it has been, running on a 3-2-1 periodized rep scheme. After the six week cycle is done I will take a week off then most likely start training deads and squats in briefs again, assuming the leg feels as good as it has been.

Another nice deload session.

Incline Bench Press:
135×12x1
185×3x4
185×10x1

ATG Squats:
135×12x1
225×3x4
225×20x1

WG Pulldowns:
168×5x5

JM Press:
95×5x5

Standing DB Hammers:
50×6x4
50×20x1

Exaggerated Decline DB Press:
60×10x2
60×20x2

Seated Ham Curl:
285×10-265×10-245×10

+ stretching

Duration: 20 minutes

Another nice deload session. First time doing raw sumo pulls this year. I am going to be doing all my raw pulls toes to plates (like my sldls) since that is how I pull in briefs. Pulling this wide is quite a bit harder raw than it would be if I narrowed my stance up, but doing them this way will make me stronger for my heavy briefed pulls. I just have to put the ego away for a while and resist going after a heavy raw pull with a closer, more powerful stance. Deads were all easy, but my right glute/ham was cramping up like crazy - that should get better over time now that I am doing some real pulling again.

Deadlift (toes at plates, all reps deloaded):
135x10x1
225x5x2
315x3x4
405x5x1

Standing Cable Adduction:
60x10x4
60x15x1

Standing Cable Abduction:
60x10x4
60x15x1

Standing Side Laterals (thumbs down):
20x10x4
20x20x1

EZ Curls:
75x15x2
75x10x2
75x15x1

Exaggerated Flat DB Press:
60x10x2
60x15x1

Cable Pushdowns:
135x10x1
135x12x1
135x15x1

Seated Lat Row Machine:
150x12x3

+ stretching + power yoga (30min)

Duration: 60 minutes

Nice and easy quick deload session.

Bench Press:
135x12x1
185x3x4
185x10x1

Wide-stance Box Squats (13″ box):
135x10x1
225x3x3

Wide-stance Box Squats (14″ box):
225x3x2

Decline CG Bench Press:
155x5x5

Shrugs:
315x5x5

Standing Double-bicep Cable Curls:
60x20x2
70x20x1

Standing Cable Crossovers:
70x20x3

Exaggerated Incline DB Press:
60x10x2
70x20x1

+ stretching

Duration: 25 minutes

I just cruised through this workout. The main goal of this last 4 week cycle was to make a run at a big sumo sldl this week. That being accomplished, I am pretty burned out mentally and really had no focus today. My core was pretty tired and unstable under light weight so I just did a set of paused atg squats and moved on. Accessory work was good. Looking forward to a nice deload next week.

Bench Press:
135×12x1
155×5x1
185×3x1
225×2x1
275×1x1
305×1x1
315×1x1
325×1x1
315×2x1

ATG Squats:
135×12x1
225×1x1
315×1x1
365×1x1
365×3x1 (2sec. pause at bottom of each rep)

DB Rows:
150×6x3

CG V-bar Pushdowns:
249×6x1 (PR)
254×6x1 (PR)
259×6x1 (PR)

Single-arm Cable Curls:
60×15x2
80×15x1

Incline DB Flyes:
50×15x1

Incline ATrainer Cable Flyes:
50×15x1
60×12x1
60×15x1

Seated Leg Extensions (epic set):
305×100-285×20-265×20-245×20-225×20-205×20-185×20-165×20-145×20-125×20-105×20-85×20-65×20-45×20

+ stretching

Duration: 60 minutes

585 Sumo SLDL, no belt, no briefs. Goal Accomplished. That brings my total progress on Sumo SLDLs to 110lbs since my blood clot (best effort was 475 pre-clot).

Sumo SLDL:
135×12x1
225×1x1
315×1x1
405×1x1
495×1x1
555×1x1 (10lb PR)
585×1x1 (40lb PR)
495×3x1

Sumo High Pulls:
225×3x1 (chin level, PR)
235×3x1 (chin level, PR)
255×3x1 (lower pecs, PR)

Standing Side Laterals (elbows locked):
30×12x1
35×12x1
40×12x3

Standing Concentration Curls:
50×10x2
55×10x2
80×8x1 (PR)

Exaggerated Decline DB Press:
100×12x3 (PR)

Single-arm Rope Cable Pushdowns:
100×8x1
110×8x1
80×15x1

+ stretching + abs (+35×5x5 decline situps – weight behind head)

Duration: 75 minutes

Killer workout. Incline bench felt good today, went through all the sets pretty fast. Squats were awesome. I really focused on keeping my toes out a 45 degree angle instead of straight forward so I could push my knees out better. My previous best at this depth pre-clot was 415×1 with a belt and I ended up besting that by 10 then 30lbs, so I was pretty thrilled - and stilll without a belt or wraps. On my 445 set, I was descending and then for whatever reason I instinctively pushed my heels out about 10 degrees so my toes were not pointed out as much of an angle. As a result, I instantly felt a lot more stable and stronger in my hips and I ended up dunking then blasting it better than I did the previous 405 and 425 sets. I’ll have to remember that foot position for next week, as it felt way better than toes out at 45 degrees and toes straight ahead. The rest of the movements were textbook.

Incline Bench Press:
135×12x1
155×12x1
185×2x1
245×2x1
255×2x1
265×2x1
280×2x1
295×2x1

Wide-stance Squats (almost rock bottom rom):
135×12x1
225×1x1
315×1x1
335×1x1
375×1x1
405×1x1
425×1x1 (PR)
445×1x1 (PR)

Decline CG Bench:
185×10x1
225×5x1
245×5x1
255×5x1
265×5x1

Decline Bench Press:
265×5x1

Cable Face Pulls:
120×5x1
156×5x1 (PR)
168×5x1 (PR)
180×5x1 (PR)
120×5x1

Standing OH Cable Curls:
70×15x1
100×12x1 (PR)
100×15x1 (PR)

Exaggerated Flat DB Press:
100×12x3 (PR)

+ stretching + power yoga (25min)

Duration: 70 minutes