1/6 – Press – 5’s

8/10. Pressing was OK. Was a bit tired and too long into my fast, so energy was low. Experimented further with the slightly wider grip for strict pressing, but the old narrower grip I’ve been using is definitely easier on my shoulders, so I will continue with that going forward. I really liked the awkward presses from a stop off pins. Easy weight today, but I can see these definitely helping my top end strength.

Strict Military Press (training max: 310):
45×20
45×20
75×12
105×10
135×8
165×5
205×5
235×5
265×8 (5 strict, 3 push press)

Strict Military Press off Pins (bar starting at nose-level, each rep from a stop off the pins):
185×5
185×5
185×5
185×5

Strict Laterals (superset with db rear laterals):
30×12
30×12
30×12

DB Rear Laterals:
30×12
30×12
30×12

Single arm DB Curls (holding opposite arm in concentric position):
20×10-10-10-10

Single arm DB Hammer Curls (holding opposite arm in concentric position):
20×10-10-10-10

DB Forearm Curls (no concentric, long negatives to failure):
45×5

Reverse DB Forearm Curls:
10×20
10×20
10×20

Band Pull-Aparts:
red ×25
red ×25
red ×25

Duration: 40 minutes

1/3 – Squat – Deload

9/10. Tried some atg zercher squats for the first time in, I believe, years. Felt really good. Going to utilize these as my main squat movement for a while and use back squats for speed/assistance.

ATG Zercher Squats:
135×5
225×5
315×5
405×3
315×5
225×5

Shrugs:
315×10
405×10
405×10
315×10

Seated Leg Extension:
150×20-20-20

Rope Face Pulls (dropset, two ropes):
50-40-30×20-20×30

OH Cable Curls (dropset):
20-17-13-10×15

Hammer Chins:
bw ×10
bw ×10

Wide-grip Pullups:
bw ×15

Hanging Scapular Retractions:
bw ×10
bw ×10

Band Pull-Aparts:
red ×25
red ×25
red ×25

Duration: 35 minutes

1/2 – Chest/Tris – Deload

9/10. Good heavy db bench with deload.

Neutral Grip DB Bench Press:
20×25-25-25

DB Squeeze Press:
20×25-25-25

Flat DB Bench:
60×5
80×5
100×5
120×5
130×8

Incline DB Bench:
20×25-25-25-25-25

Cable Crossovers:
30×25-25-25-25-25

Pec Flye Machine:
50×25-25-25

Skull Crushers:
25×20-20-20-20-20

Single-arm OH DB Extensions:
10×10-10-10

Band Extensions:
red ×15-15-15

Rope Pushdowns:
50×25-25-25

Single-arm Reverse Pushdowns:
10×10-10-10-10-10

Band Pull-Aparts:
red×25
red×25
red×25

Duration: 45 minutes

1/1 – Arms

All exercises done back-to-back, 60-90s rest between rounds.

DB Hammer Curls (hold last 5 reps at the top for  1 count):
25s ×20
25s ×20
25s ×20
25s ×20
25s ×20

Cable Curls:
60×20
60×20
60×20 (wide-grip)
40×20 (wide-grip, slow negatives)
30×20 (reverse grip)

V-bar Pushdown:
80×20
80×20
80×20
80×20
80×20

Underhand Pushdown:
60×20
60×20
60×20
60×20
60×20

Duration: 17 minutes

12/31 – Deadlift – ME/Deload

9/10. Pretty good session to end the year. Really wanted that 660 deadlift but missed it at my knees. That will fall soon enough.

Conventional Deadlift:
135×10
135×10
225×5
315×3
405×2
495×1
585×1
625×1
660×0.5
495×5

Lying Hamstring Curls:
50×15-15-15

Seated Lat Row Machine (dropset):
100-87-75-62-50×15

Rope Lat Pushdowns:
40×20-20-20

Rope Face-pulls (two ropes):
30×20-20-20

Overhand Pulldowns:
70×20-20-20-20

CG Pulldowns (dropset):
100-90-80-70-60-50-40×10

Band Pull-Aparts:
red ×25
red ×25
red ×25

Duration: 50 minutes

12/30 – Press – ME/Deload

9/10. Decided to push overheads hard to end the year. Push presses are still feeling disconnected and off, but managed a new strict single press PR, which I cannot complain about.

Strict Military Press / Push Press:
45×20
45×20
75×12
105×10
135×8
165×5
195×3
235×1 (push press)
265×1 (push press)
295×1 (push press)
315×2 (push press)
300×2 (PR, first rep strict, second rep push press)
235×13 (PR)

Strict Laterals:
20×15-15-15

Rear Laterals:
20×15-15-15

Single arm DB Curls (holding opposite arm in concentric position):
10×15-15-15-15-15

Plate Hammer Curls:
25×100

DB Hammer Curls:
20×15-25×15-15

Seated Bicep Curl Machine (dropset):
75-62-50-37-25×15

OH Cable Curls:
13×50

DB Forearm Curls:
15×15
15×15
15×15

Reverse DB Forearm Curls:
15×15
15×15
15×15

Band Pull-Aparts:
red ×25
red ×25
red ×25

Duration: 60 minutes

12/20 – Squat – 5/3/1

7/10. I can tell my CNS is pretty much done and ready for a holiday break. Squats weren’t terrible, just felt tired.  Cruised on assistance.

Lying Hip Bridges:
135×10
225×10
315×15

Squats (low-bar, wide-stance, training max: 555):
135×10
225×10
315×5
415×3
475×3
525×3

Shrugs:
405×10
495×10
495×10
405×10

Seated Leg Extension (dropset):
325-305-285-265-245-225-205-185-165-145-125-105-85×5-65×25

Rope Face Pulls (dropset, two ropes):
50-40-30×20-20×30

OH Cable Curls (dropset):
30-27-23-20-17-13-10×10

Hammer Chins:
bw ×10

Hanging Scapular Retractions:
bw ×10
bw ×10

Band Pull-Aparts:
red ×25
red ×25
red ×25

Duration: 55 minutes

12/19 – Chest/Tricep

9/10. Shoulder/elbow feeling good. Pushing flat db bench a bit more. 140’s felt pretty easy until my shoulder stabilizers called it a day. Should be able to hit the 150’s soon.

Flat DB Squeeze Press (superset with neutral grip db bench):
25×10-45×10-65×10

DB Neutral Grip Press:
25×10-45×10-65×10

Flat DB Bench:
65×10
90×10
110×5
130×5
140×3
120×10

Flat DB Flyes:
25×25-25-25

Cable Crossovers (dropset, pulley height changed each drop):
30×15-15-15-15-15-15-15-15

Pec Flye Machine (dropset):
100-90-80-70-60-50×10

Reverse Pushdowns (dropset):
60-50-40-30-20×15

Pushdowns (dropset):
60-50-40-30-20×20

Band Kickbacks:
red ×20-20-20

DB Forearm Curls (no concentric, extra slow negatives to failure):
60×5
50×5
40×10

Reverse BB Forearm Curls:
25×30
25×15
25×15

Band Pull-Aparts:
red×25
red×25
red×25

Duration: 50 minutes

12/18 – Arms

All exercises done back-to-back, 90s rest between rounds.

DB Hammer Curls (hold last 5 reps at the top for  1 count):
40s ×20
40s ×20
40s ×20
40s ×30

Cable Curls:
80×20
80×20
60×20 (wide-grip drag curl)
40×30 (reverse grip)

V-bar Pushdown:
80×20
100×20
100×20
120×30

Underhand Pushdown:
80×20
80×20
60×20 (close grip)
60×30-40×30-20×40 (close grip, dropset)

Duration: 17 minutes

12/17 – Deadlift – ME

7/10. Did the target weight for deads but they were slow and lackluster. Definitely wanted to go heavier, but no energy and stomach is a mess from antibiotics still.

Conventional Deadlift (training max: 635):
135×10
135×10
225×5
315×3
405×1
475×1
545×1
605×1
605×1

DE Deadlift (various stance widths):
315×2
315×2
315×2
315×2
315×2

DB SLDL:
130s ×5
130s ×5
130s ×5

Wide-grip Pulldowns (neutral grip, various planes):
160×10-10-10-10-10

Chest-supported Seated Lat Row:
100×10-10-10

Rope Face Pulls (two ropes):
40×25-25-25

Straight-arm Lat Pushdowns (strict):
100-90-80-70-60-50×15

Band Pull-Aparts:
red ×25
red ×25
red ×25

Duration: 50 minutes