Month: August 2013

These Friday workouts are really getting wearing. Core is always toast for this session, making things extra tough. Got squats done, but they were a battle. So were push presses – shoulders had to do much more work than usual to make up for the lack of ‘pop’ from the legs and core.

Push Press:
135x12x1
160x5x1
190x4x1
190x4x1
225x3x1
225x3x1
255x2x1
255x2x1
255x2x1
255x2x1
255x2x1
255x2x1

Jerk Dips:
315x6x1

ATG Squat:
315x3x1
365x3x1
425x3x1
490x3x1
520x2x1
520x2x1
490x3x1
425x3x1

Overhead BB Extension:
95x10x1
115x10x1
115x10x1
115x10x1
115x10x1

Single-arm Rope Pushdowns:
40x10x1
40x10x1
40x10x1

Rope Pushdowns:
80x10x1
80x10x1
80x10x1

Standing Cable Crunch:
112x10x1
112x10x1
112x10x1

Strict Klokov Press:
45x12x1
95x12x1
95x12x1

Band Pull-Aparts:
red band x50x1
red band x50x1
red band x50x1

+ stretching

Duration: 110 minutes

OK deadlifts, good benching. Tried ‘paused’ deadlifts for the first time. Commonly referred to as ‘deadlifts to the knees’ on the Sheiko templates – these have you pull fast to the knee, stop and hold, then finish the lockout. Makes the lift much more difficult and strenuous. Hated them at first, enjoyed them by the time I was done. Tried doing some pulls from boxes afterwards but the area I tweaked in my back the last time I did box pulls wasn’t having it. Didn’t aggravate anything, but they didn’t feel right, so I shut them down. Paused bench felt real solid – everything really easy. Shoulders are feeling excellent and the ‘loose’ feeling I’ve always had on flat bench is not present right now…

Paused Deadlift (pause and hold @ knees before lockout):
135x12x1
225x12x1
365x4x1
440x4x1
510x4x1
510x4x1
510x4x1
510x4x1

Elevated Deadlift (bar raised ~ 4″):
510x5x1

Paused Bench Press:
175x5x1
205x5x1
240x4x1
240x4x1
260x3x1
260x3x1
275x2x1
275x2x1
295x1x1
295x2x1
275x2x1
275x2x1
260x3x1
260x3x1
240x4x1
225x6x1
205x8x1
190x10x1
175x12x1

Flat DB Flye:
50x10x1
50x10x1
50x10x1
50x10x1
50x10x1

Single-leg Leg Extension:
150x5x1
170x5x1
190x5x1
210x5x1
230x5x1

Standing Cable Crunch:
100x10x1
100x10x1
100x10x1

Shrugs:
315x5x1
405x5x1
495x5x1
405x5x1
405x5x1

Band Pull-Aparts:
red band x50x1
red band x50x1
red band x50x1

+ stretching

Duration: 110 minutes

New training block, new workloads. That shouldn’t be ‘exciting’ but it is. Killed push presses today. Was supposed hit 4 doubles at 270 and pushed the last set to 5 reps for a big PR. More in the tank, too. Squats were easy, but exhausting. Not a fan of squat cardio.

Push Press:
135x12x1
160x5x1
190x4x1
225x3x1
225x3x1
255x3x1
270x2x1
270x2x1
270x2x1
270x5x1 (PR)
255x3x1

ATG Squat:
315x3x1
365x3x1
425x8x1
425x7x1
425x6x1
425x5x1
425x4x1
425x3x1
425x2x1

Paused Bench Press:
175x6x1
205x6x1
205x6x1
225x6x1
225x6x1
225x6x1
225x6x1

Flat DB Flyes:
60x10x1
60x10x1
60x10x1
60x10x1
60x10x1

45-degree Hypers:
+115x5x1
+165x5x1
+165x5x1
+165x5x1
+165x5x1

+ stretching

Duration: 110 minutes

That’s a wrap for #30. Squats were brutally tough – core is totally shot to shit right now. Need a nice weekend of rest before digging into #31 next week. The ‘jerk dips’ were a new movement – basically the first half of a push press to get acclimated to bigger weight. Had some decent power today – was getting the bar to eye level on each rep.

Push Press:
95x12x1
135x12x1
155x5x1
185x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1

Jerk Dips:
300x5x1
360x5x1 (PR)
315x6x1

ATG Squat:
300x5x1
360x4x1
420x3x1
480x3x1
480x3x1
480x3x1
480x3x1
480x3x1

Seated GM:
225x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1

Pec Flye Machine:
110x10x1
140x10x1
140x10x1
140x10x1
140x10x1

Dips:
bw x8x1
bw x8x1
bw x8x1
bw x8x1
bw x8x1

Standing Ab Crunch:
100x10x1
100x10x1
100x10x1

Band Pull-aparts:
red band x50x1
red band x50x1
red band x50x1

+ stretching

Duration: 100 minutes

Great workout. Deads felt good, and paused bench went smoothly. I pushed the top sets and hit 300 for an easy double with long 5+ second pauses. Getting there…

Deadlift:
135x12x1
225x12x1
360x4x1
430x4x1
505x3x1
575x3x1
610x2x1
610x2x1
610x2x1
575x3x1
505x3x1

Paused Bench Press:
160x5x1
190x4x1
225x3x1
225x3x1
260x3x1
260x3x1
280x2x1
300x2x1
280x3x1
245x4x1
245x4x1
245x4x1
245x4x1
205x5x1
195x5x1

Strict JM Press:
95x5x1
95x5x1
95x5x1
95x5x1
95x10x1

Pec Flye Machine:
110x10x1
110x10x1
130x10x1
130x10x1
130x10x1

BTN Pulldowns:
150x5x1
175x5x1
175x5x1
175x5x1
175x10x1

Band Pull-aparts:
red band x50x1
red band x50x1
red band x50x1

+ stretching

Duration: 110 minutes

Pushed presses today by adding 10lbs to every work set except the first triple with 250 (which I did an extra rep with) and first double with 265. 275×3 is a PR, and I could have had more. Squats weren’t tough, but they were a battle regardless since my core was feeling pretty fatigued. Those overheads really take their toll.

Push Press:
95x12x1
135x12x1
155x5x1
185x4x1
215x3x1
215x3x1
250x4x1
265x2x1
275x3x1 (PR)
260x3x1
260x3x1
260x3x1

ATG Squat:
300x3x1
360x3x1
420x3x1
480x3x1
510x2x1
540x1x1
540x1x1
510x2x1
480x3x1
420x5x1

Flat DB Flye:
60x10x1
60x10x1
60x10x1
60x10x1
60x10x1

Dips:
bw x8x1
bw x8x1
bw x8x1
bw x8x1
bw x15x1

Band Pull-aparts:
red band x60x1
red band x60x1
red band x100x1

+ stretching

Duration: 90 minutes

Brutal. My core was really fatigued and slacking today. Still did everything I needed to do, but it was a battle. Paused bench is still feeling good.

Push Press:
95x12x1
135x10x1
155x5x1
185x4x1
215x3x1
215x3x1
250x3x1
250x3x1
250x3x1
250x3x1
250x3x1
250x5x1

ATG Squat:
300x3x1
360x3x1
420x3x1
480x3x1
510x2x1
510x2x1
510x2x1
480x3x1
480x3x1

Paused Bench Press:
160x5x1
190x5x1
190x5x1
235x5x1
235x5x1
235x5x1
235x5x1
235x5x1

Flat DB Flye:
60x10x1
60x10x1
60x10x1
60x10x1
60x10x1

Chins/Pull-ups:
bw x5x1
bw x5x1
bw x5x1
bw x5x1
bw x5x1

Seated GMs:
225x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1

Band Pull-aparts:
red band x50x1
red band x60x1
red band x90x1

+ stretching

Duration: 120 minutes

Deads were pretty tough, but I ground out the sets needed. Paused bench felt really easy today. Shoulders are still feeling good.

Deadlift:
135x12x1
225x10x1
360x4x1
430x4x1
505x3x1
575x3x1
610x2x1
610x2x1
610x2x1
575x3x1
575x3x1

Paused Bench Press:
160x6x1
190x5x1
225x4x1
225x4x1
245x3x1
245x3x1
260x2x1
260x2x1
280x1x1
280x2x1
260x2x1
260x2x1
245x3x1
245x3x1
225x5x1
205x7x1
190x9x1
175x11x1
160x13x1

Overhead BB Extensions:
95x5x1
115x5x1
135x5x1
135x5x1
135x10x1

Pec Flye Machine:
100x10x1
120x10x1
120x10x1
120x10x1
120x10x1

Band Pull-aparts:
red band x60x1
red band x60x1
red band x80x1

+ stretching

Duration: 90 minutes

Strong workout today. Push presses felt great. Finished all 5 heavy sets in around 8 minutes total. Hit a nice PR with 260×5 on my fifth set and had 3+ more reps in me for sure. Squats were exhausting with the gym being extremely warm today but still hit all 5 top sets in 15 minutes. Paused bench (long 5+second pauses) was super fatiguing. Band pull-aparts are getting easier – I’m going to have to start using a different band soon.

Push Press:
95x12x1
135x12x1
155x5x1
185x4x1
215x3x1
215x3x1
250x3x1
250x3x1
250x3x1
250x3x1
260x5x1 (PR)

ATG Squat:
300x5x1
360x4x1
420x3x1
480x3x1
480x3x1
480x3x1
480x3x1
480x3x1
390x6x1
390x6x1

Paused Bench Press:
175x5x1
205x4x1
205x4x1
245x4x1
245x4x1
245x4x1
245x4x1

Flat DB Flyes:
50x10x1
50x10x1
50x10x1
50x10x1
50x10x1

BTN Pulldowns:
150x5x1
150x5x1
150x5x1
150x5x1
150x10x1

Band Pull-Aparts:
red band x50x1
red band x50x1
red band x80x1

+ stretching

Duration: 90 minutes

Nice day in the gym. Push presses felt strong – bumped weight up a bit on them. Squats were easy, and paused bench felt good. I finished things off with some band pull-aparts. Going to do 3 sets of 50 every day for the next few weeks and see how that helps things.

Push Press:
95x12x1
135x10x1
155x5x1
185x4x1
185x4x1
215x3x1
215x3x1
250x2x1
255x2x1
260x2x1
260x2x1
260x2x1

ATG Squat:
300x5x1
360x5x1
420x5x1
420x5x1
420x5x1
420x5x1
420x5x1

Paused Bench Press:
175x4x1
205x3x1
240x2x1
240x2x1
240x2x1
240x2x1
240x2x1

Seated Rear Delt Row Machine:
125x8x1
125x8x1
125x8x1
125x8x1
125x8x1

Dips:
bw x8x1
bw x8x1
bw x8x1
bw x8x1
bw x8x1

Band Pull-Aparts:
light band x50x1
light band x50x1
light band x60x1

+ stretching

Duration: 80 minutes