Month: April 2013

Quick squat/leg workout. I woke up a few mornings ago with a real sore/tight/stiff lower back/left hip. I must have slept weird as I had absolutely no pain or discomfort the day/night before, and the workout the day before was chest…so no real back involvement. Its progressively been hurting more so I really babied it on squats today. Hit the 570 target weight for a single, albeit not a pretty single and did a two quick triples @ 420 and called it good. I kept all leg work light and did 10 second rests between the remaining 40 sets. Harder than you would think, but it kept my back feeling OK.

Squats:
135x12x1
225x12x1
315x5x1
405x3x1
495x1x1
570x1x1
420x3x1
420x3x1

Lying Leg Curl:
100x4x1
112x4x1
125x4x1
137x4x1
150x4x1
125x4x1
100x4x1
100x4x1

Seated Leg Extension:
305x4x1
305x4x1
305x4x1
305x4x1
305x4x1
305x4x1
305x4x1
305x4x1

45-degree Hyper:
bw x4x1
bw x4x1
bw x4x1
bw x4x1
bw x4x1
bw x4x1
bw x4x1
bw x4x1

Standing Cable Adduction:
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1

Standing Cable Abduction:
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1
40x4x1

+ stretching

Duration: 60 minutes

Arm day. Nothing too exciting going on.

Overhead BB Extensions:
95x4x1
115x4x1
135x4x1
155x4x1
175x4x1
185x4x1 (PR)
135x4x1
135x4x1

Dips:
bw x4x1
+25x4x1
+45x4x1
+70x4x1
+90x4x1
+100x4x1
+90x4x1
+70x4x1

Reverse Pushdowns:
80x4x1
100x4x1
120x4x1
126x4x1 (PR)
100x4x1
100x4x1
100x4x1
100x4x1

Concentration Curl:
55x4x1
55x4x1
55x4x1
55x4x1
55x4x1
55x4x1
55x4x1
55x4x1

Seated DB Hammer Curl:
60x4x1
60x4x1
60x4x1
60x4x1
60x4x1
60x4x1
60x4x1
60x4x1

BB Curl:
95x4x1
115x4x1
135x4x1
135x4x1
135x4x1
135x4x1
135x4x1
135x4x1

+ stretching

Duration: 80 minutes

This workout was pretty encouraging. After weeks of floor press going backwards things rebounded a bit. Almost had 350 which was the target weight today. After struggling with 315 for the last month I was pleased.

Floor Press:
135x12x1
185x10x1
225x5x1
255x3x1
285x2x1
315x2x1
330x1x1
340x1x1
350x0.5x1
260x3x1
260x3x1
260x3x1

Decline Bench Press:
225x4x1
245x4x1
265x4x1
285x4x1
305x4x1
285x4x1
265x4x1
265x4x1

Incline Bench Press:
205x4x1
225x4x1
245x4x1
265x4x1
245x4x1
225x4x1
225x4x1
225x4x1

Chest Press Machine:
200x4x1
225x4x1
237x4x1
250x4x1
225x4x1
200x4x1
200x4x1
200x4x1

Flat DB Flyes:
55x4x1
65x4x1
75x4x1
85x4x1
95x4x1
75x4x1
75x4x1
75x4x1

Pec Flye Machine:
100x4x1
120x4x1
150x4x1
170x4x1
191x4x1
208x4x1
208x4x1
191x4x1

+ stretching

Duration: 120 minutes

Last deadlift workout of this 8 week cycle peaked with a target of 690 – got it. Pretty pleased considering how beat to hell my back/legs/glutes, etc are right now. I am not good pulling heavy week to week, so I am hoping to put something really good together once I rest a week and hit it hard again. All back assistance felt strong.

Deadlift:
135x12x1
225x10x1
315x5x1
405x3x1
495x2x1
585x1x1
635x1x1
690x1x1
510x3x1
510x3x1
510x3x1

Chins:
bw x4x1
+25x4x1
+50x4x1
+60x4x1
+60x4x1
+60x4x1
+60x4x1
+60x4x1

Seated Lat Row Machine:
269x4x1
269x4x1
283x4x1
290x4x1
290x4x1
290x4x1
290x4x1
290x4x1

Wide-grip Pulldowns:
250x4x1
270x4x1
284x4x1
284x4x1
284x4x1
270x4x1
270x4x1
270x4x1

Standing Single-arm Rope Lat Rows:
86x4x1
94x4x1
100x4x1
106x4x1
106x4x1
86x4x1
86x4x1
86x4x1

Shrugs:
315x4x1
405x4x1
495x4x1
585x4x1
675x4x1
745x4x1
675x4x1
585x4x1

+ stretching

Duration: 120 minutes

Great workout. The intensity and focus that has been lacking all week was back today. Hit the 270 double on push press pretty handily and killed the rest of the workout. Threw BTN jerks in there just for something new, but didn’t like how they felt on my rear delts.

Push Press:
95x12x1
135x12x1
165x5x1
195x3x1
225x1x1
250x1x1
270x2x1
230x3x1
230x3x1
230x3x1

BTN Jerk:
135x2x1
155x1x1
175x1x1
195x1x1
175x1x1
175x1x1
175x1x1

Standing DB Press (left arm):
80x5x1
90x5x1
100x5x1
100x5x1
90x5x1
90x5x1
80-90-100-90-80x1x1

Standing DB Press (right arm):
80x5x1
90x5x1
100x5x1
100x5x1
90x5x1
90x5x1
80-90-100-90-80x1x1

Strict Straight Arm Side Laterals:
35x5x1
35x5x1
35x5x1
40x5x1
40x5x1
40x5x1
40x8x1

Rear Delt Flye Machine:
100x5x1
120x5x1
130x5x1
130x5x1
110x5x1
110x5x1
110x10x1

+ stretching

Duration: 90 minutes

M’eh workout. Mentally, I am on cruise control. Lacking any real intensity. That being said, I felt pretty strong today and hit the squats I needed to with ease, and handled everything else without any problems.

ATG Squat:
135x12x1
225x10x1
315x5x1
405x3x1
495x1x1
540x2x1
450x3x1
450x3x1
450x3x1

Deficit SLDLs (bar @ ankle height):
225x5x1
275x5x1
325x5x1
375x5x1
425x5x1
375x5x1
325x5x1

45-degree Hypers:
+115x5x1
+165x5x1
+215x5x1
+280x5x1 (PR)
+265x5x1
+215x5x1
+215x5x1

Lying Leg Curl:
112x5x1
112x5x1
112x5x1
112x5x1
112x5x1
112x5x1
112x5x1

Seated Leg Extension:
305x5x1
305x5x1
305x5x1
305x5x1
305x5x1
305x5x1
305x5x1

Decline Sit-ups (arms held straight overhead):
bw x5x1
+15x5x1
+15x5x1
+15x5x1
+15x5x1
bw x5x1
bw x5x1

+ stretching

Duration: 90 minutes

Looks like my triceps showed up for the workout today – not sure where they were yesterday. Good stuff.

Overhead BB Extensions:
95x5x1
115x5x1
135x5x1
155x5x1
170x5x1 (PR)
160x5x1
140x5x1

Dips:
bw x5x1
+25x5x1
+45x5x1
+70x5x1
+90x5x1
+100x5x1
+115x5x1 (PR)

Reverse Pushdowns:
80x5x1
100x5x1
106x5x1
114x5x1
120x5x1 (PR)
100x5x1
100x5x1

Concentration Curl:
55x5x1
55x5x1
55x5x1
55x5x1
55x5x1
55x5x1
55x5x1

EZ Curl:
85x5x1
115x5x1
135x5x1
155x5x1
135x5x1
115x5x1
115x5x1

DB Hammer Curl:
55x5x1
55x5x1
60x5x1
60x5x1
60x5x1
60x5x1
60x5x1

+ stretching

Duration: 80 minutes

Floor presses continue on their decline; not sure if it has to do with being really fatigued and lacking energy from the back/deadlift workout he day before or what. Floor presses were pretty abysmal, but declines and inclines were OK. Flye movements felt great.

Floor Press:
135x12x1
185x12x1
225x5x1
255x3x1
285x2x1
315x1x1
315x1x1
280x3x1
280x3x1
280x3x1

Decline Bench Press:
225x5x1
245x5x1
265x5x1
285x5x1
285x5x1
285x5x1
265x5x1

Incline Bench Press:
205x5x1
225x5x1
245x5x1
265x5x1
245x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1

Flat DB Flyes:
55x5x1
60x5x1
65x5x1
70x5x1
75x5x1
85x5x1
95x5x1

Chest Press Machine:
200x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1
225x5x1
200x5x1
200x5x1
200x5x1

Pec Flye Machine:
100x5x1
100x5x1
120x5x1
140x5x1
160x5x1
180x5x1
201x5x1

+ stretching

Duration: 90 minutes

Good back workout. Deads were tough today.

Deadlift:
135x12x1
225x12x1
315x10x1
405x3x1
495x2x1
585x1x1
660x3x1
550x3x1
550x3x1
550x3x1

Hammer Chins:
bw x5x1
+20x5x1
+20x5x1
+30x5x1
+40x5x1
+50x5x1
+40x5x1

Wide-grip Pulldowns:
250x5x1
257x5x1
264x5x1
271x5x1
271x5x1
271x5x1
271x5x1

Seated Lat Row Machine:
242x5x1
259x5x1
269x5x1
290x5x1
290x5x1
290x5x1
290x5x1

Standing Single-arm Rope Lat Rows:
75x5x1
87x5x1 (PR)
87x5x1
87x5x1
87x5x1
87x5x1
87x5x1

Shrugs:
405x5x1
455x5x1
495x5x1
585x5x1
675x5x1
725x5x1
675x5x1

+ stretching

Duration: 120 minutes