I feel like deep-fried AIDS as I'm writing this, so you can guess what kind of day it was in the gym.
Felt pretty good starting out. Took my time warming up, and worked up to 275 for a very nice triple. HOWEVER, after that 275 I jumped straight to 315, and it was a HORRIBLE rep. I tried to control it on the way down, but what ended up happening is I sank WAY into the bottom, lost all tension, and then was pretty much up shit creek without a paddle. It was only 315 though, so I was determined not to miss the rep - so what followed was about a 6-8 second struggle to the top which took every ounce of strength I had. My face felt like it was going to explode from the pressure. Afterwards, my knees were aching, my entire lower body was trembling and exhausted, and I felt like I was dying.
Nice to know I could hit that weight even on the worst of reps, but holy hell I hope I never have a squat that bad again.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
The End Is Neigh
Today was my last official workout of cycle 5. One cycle left, then a week of eating and relaxing on the beach and maxing out my lifts before I start anew. And it was a great way to end this cycle.
Started with Chaos and Pain bench. Today was 205 (my nemesis) for 9 sets of one, and I did great. warmed up with 95, 135, 165, 185, then hit the 205. It wasn't easy, but almost all of the reps were very nice and solid, with the exception of rep 8 which was a little sloppy and rough. But then I pulled it together and crushed 9, a beautiful rep. It makes me very proud that I was able to move this weight so many times today. I was stuck at 205 for the longest time, and it feels good to finally be past that plateau. Granted, I'm not THAT far past it hahaha, but it shows that hard work and time are the only things that really matter. I've hated benching for so long, but I never gave up trying to find a solution, and now I'm finally progressing.
Next up was overhead press. Hit 110 for 3, then 125 for 3, and finally 140 for 5. I started going for 6, and gave up on it because my quads felt like they were about to cramp up from all the squeezing. I don't think I would have locked it out anyways, but who knows. Either way, 5 reps at 140 is a new 5rm. and rep 5 was tough, but not so tough that I didn't try for 6. AND, after that I dropped back to 125, and from completely dead stops I pressed that for 8 reps, which is more than I could even do it for 6 months ago. My OP has really progressed as well, and dropping my 5/3/1 weights back was the best decision I've ever made. Hit 110 for max dead stop reps as well.
Next were bent over rows. I worked up heavier, going to 165, and hit it for 2 sets of 10 and then a final set of 20. I still don't love these, but I'm gonna keep playing with them I think. They definitely won't hurt... I just don't feel like they are that effective for my back. Don't know.
Next was my pushup game - sets of 10, every 30 seconds, with the goal being to get 100 reps. I did better this week, getting 8 full rounds and 5 reps in round 9. My form was better in that I touched with my chest/quads/nose pretty much every rep, but my elbows are pretty flared and my hands are a bit out in front of me - very "chest dominant." I think next week I'll try to tighten up a little, and keep pushing towards that 100. And once I get it, I'm thinking I'll play a similar game... only with dips. We will see.
Finally, ended with some t-bar rows. These are kind of silly, but I liked them. You can go pretty heavy on them and do a lot of reps. The rom is small, but I think just supporting and moving a lot of weight like that will help my back grow. did sets of 10 with (I'm just going to refer to the weights as if both sides were loaded, because it's easier to think of it that way) 135, 225, 275, 315, and then did a set to failure (13 reps) with 365.
Overall, a very strong day. Heavy squats tomorrow, but aside from that ONCE CYCLE LEFT!
Next up was overhead press. Hit 110 for 3, then 125 for 3, and finally 140 for 5. I started going for 6, and gave up on it because my quads felt like they were about to cramp up from all the squeezing. I don't think I would have locked it out anyways, but who knows. Either way, 5 reps at 140 is a new 5rm. and rep 5 was tough, but not so tough that I didn't try for 6. AND, after that I dropped back to 125, and from completely dead stops I pressed that for 8 reps, which is more than I could even do it for 6 months ago. My OP has really progressed as well, and dropping my 5/3/1 weights back was the best decision I've ever made. Hit 110 for max dead stop reps as well.
Next were bent over rows. I worked up heavier, going to 165, and hit it for 2 sets of 10 and then a final set of 20. I still don't love these, but I'm gonna keep playing with them I think. They definitely won't hurt... I just don't feel like they are that effective for my back. Don't know.
Next was my pushup game - sets of 10, every 30 seconds, with the goal being to get 100 reps. I did better this week, getting 8 full rounds and 5 reps in round 9. My form was better in that I touched with my chest/quads/nose pretty much every rep, but my elbows are pretty flared and my hands are a bit out in front of me - very "chest dominant." I think next week I'll try to tighten up a little, and keep pushing towards that 100. And once I get it, I'm thinking I'll play a similar game... only with dips. We will see.
Finally, ended with some t-bar rows. These are kind of silly, but I liked them. You can go pretty heavy on them and do a lot of reps. The rom is small, but I think just supporting and moving a lot of weight like that will help my back grow. did sets of 10 with (I'm just going to refer to the weights as if both sides were loaded, because it's easier to think of it that way) 135, 225, 275, 315, and then did a set to failure (13 reps) with 365.
Overall, a very strong day. Heavy squats tomorrow, but aside from that ONCE CYCLE LEFT!
The growing.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Squat strength
Strong day today. Very strong.
Started with heavy single squat. I felt like shit today, but my form was feeling good. I hit 135, 225, then 275 for 2 singles. Then 305 with the belt, then 315, then 325. All these reps were great. Very controlled on the way down, and tough but strong on the way up. Loaded up 335 and hit it for a tough but very solid single, and decided to go up to 345. I missed the rep, but it was a very good miss. I controlled the weight on the way down, got nice and low, made it about halfway up (to my normal sticking point), and then had to dump. But I had a fighting chance, and it was a beautiful rep, which is good.
Next, dropped back to 135 to get my beltless form feeling nice again, then worked up in triples. These felt really solid today - again, hit 225, 245, 265, 285, and finally 305 for a triple. This felt better than last week, which is impressive considering the miss at 345.
Next was 5/3/1 front squat. hit the bar for a few, then 145 x 3, 170 x 3, and 190 x 5. I'm trying really hard to do every rep perfectly, and to call the set once my form starts to go AT ALL. These are progressing so slowly that I'm sure I'll be able to really help out my front squat with this strategy, over the course of the next 6 months or so. After the rep out, I hit the 190 for 3 or 4 more singles, which I plan to do every week to help cement good form in my mind.
Finally, did 3 sets of hanging leg raises. Worked on really controlling the movement and not using any momentum. These made them harder, but I felt like I was working my core much better, and they are still fairly strict.
Great workout. I worked hard, my squats feel awesome, and I am going to keep pushing these next three weeks to try and get all the extra pounds I can before my break. I'm getting excited to truly max out - in just about 5 weeks! Cool.
HUGEEEE
Started with heavy single squat. I felt like shit today, but my form was feeling good. I hit 135, 225, then 275 for 2 singles. Then 305 with the belt, then 315, then 325. All these reps were great. Very controlled on the way down, and tough but strong on the way up. Loaded up 335 and hit it for a tough but very solid single, and decided to go up to 345. I missed the rep, but it was a very good miss. I controlled the weight on the way down, got nice and low, made it about halfway up (to my normal sticking point), and then had to dump. But I had a fighting chance, and it was a beautiful rep, which is good.
Next, dropped back to 135 to get my beltless form feeling nice again, then worked up in triples. These felt really solid today - again, hit 225, 245, 265, 285, and finally 305 for a triple. This felt better than last week, which is impressive considering the miss at 345.
Next was 5/3/1 front squat. hit the bar for a few, then 145 x 3, 170 x 3, and 190 x 5. I'm trying really hard to do every rep perfectly, and to call the set once my form starts to go AT ALL. These are progressing so slowly that I'm sure I'll be able to really help out my front squat with this strategy, over the course of the next 6 months or so. After the rep out, I hit the 190 for 3 or 4 more singles, which I plan to do every week to help cement good form in my mind.
Finally, did 3 sets of hanging leg raises. Worked on really controlling the movement and not using any momentum. These made them harder, but I felt like I was working my core much better, and they are still fairly strict.
Master of littlehuge
Great workout. I worked hard, my squats feel awesome, and I am going to keep pushing these next three weeks to try and get all the extra pounds I can before my break. I'm getting excited to truly max out - in just about 5 weeks! Cool.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Olymaster
Stupid arm day went fine today. I mostly just did preacher curls, and then foam rolled and stretched a bit.
THE AWESOME THING about today is that an oly lifter came to the gym to try out training there. He's a fucking cool ass dude who is REALLY strong - after snatching, cleaning and jerking, I watched him squat up to 455 today, and he weighs the same as I do. He seems like a fucking awesome guy, and I REALLY hope he decided to train with us. He could teach us so much, and having someone THAT much better than me around would help motivate me so much.
Here's to getting better.
THE AWESOME THING about today is that an oly lifter came to the gym to try out training there. He's a fucking cool ass dude who is REALLY strong - after snatching, cleaning and jerking, I watched him squat up to 455 today, and he weighs the same as I do. He seems like a fucking awesome guy, and I REALLY hope he decided to train with us. He could teach us so much, and having someone THAT much better than me around would help motivate me so much.
Here's to getting better.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Lifty Lifty Bench
Today was a tough day. Yesterday was a really good day and I worked my ass off, and I think that's part of what made today rough. Even so, it was a solid workout.
Started with 5/3/1 bench. My form and strength wasn't at it's best, but I wasn't feeling horrible. Hit 95, 135, then straight to 160 for 5. Then 180 for 3. Then, racked up 205 and hit it. First rep was tough, second was a little sloppy and pretty slow, but I pushed through and locked it out. I'm not sure if it was strength or form that made that second one pretty tough, but either way 205 was my PR for the LONGEST time - hitting that weight for a double is cool.
Next up was 5 x 10 bench at 145, and this was a LOT tougher than last week, which re-affirmed my suspicions that I was just having a tough day. I tried to push the pace a little, but the second set was tough without resting much, so I took some more time between sets. Even so, these were rough, and on the final set I only got 8 reps. Still, this isn't too bad, considering it was a tough day. I'll probably hit it again next week, and If I can push through a little better, move up to 155 for the final two weeks.
Kroc rows were actually pretty good this week. I really pushed myself, ended up doing a set of 35 each side. These are so hard, they mack my back explode. They're awesome though. Gonna keep pushing these. Once I go back to school, I can only use 100lb bells, so I'll have to probably start doing sets of 30 or something. But for now, I'm just gonna keep pushing my max set to amrap.
Overhead pressing was cool. Dead stop, did 95 x 10, 105 x 8, 115 x 6, 125 x 4, 135 x 2, and then 145 x 1. It's pretty cool that I can get 145 even on a bad day, after a ton of other pressing.
Finally, did some kipped pullups (without crippling headaches). I hit 3 sets of 20 today, which is the most I've done since I was Crossfitting. That's just too many fucking reps though, I think I'm going to start weighting these so I don't have to do so damn many.
Overall, a very tough but solid day. Benching that 205 for a double is really cool. Three more weeks, lets keep getting stronger.
Started with 5/3/1 bench. My form and strength wasn't at it's best, but I wasn't feeling horrible. Hit 95, 135, then straight to 160 for 5. Then 180 for 3. Then, racked up 205 and hit it. First rep was tough, second was a little sloppy and pretty slow, but I pushed through and locked it out. I'm not sure if it was strength or form that made that second one pretty tough, but either way 205 was my PR for the LONGEST time - hitting that weight for a double is cool.
Next up was 5 x 10 bench at 145, and this was a LOT tougher than last week, which re-affirmed my suspicions that I was just having a tough day. I tried to push the pace a little, but the second set was tough without resting much, so I took some more time between sets. Even so, these were rough, and on the final set I only got 8 reps. Still, this isn't too bad, considering it was a tough day. I'll probably hit it again next week, and If I can push through a little better, move up to 155 for the final two weeks.
Kroc rows were actually pretty good this week. I really pushed myself, ended up doing a set of 35 each side. These are so hard, they mack my back explode. They're awesome though. Gonna keep pushing these. Once I go back to school, I can only use 100lb bells, so I'll have to probably start doing sets of 30 or something. But for now, I'm just gonna keep pushing my max set to amrap.
Overhead pressing was cool. Dead stop, did 95 x 10, 105 x 8, 115 x 6, 125 x 4, 135 x 2, and then 145 x 1. It's pretty cool that I can get 145 even on a bad day, after a ton of other pressing.
Finally, did some kipped pullups (without crippling headaches). I hit 3 sets of 20 today, which is the most I've done since I was Crossfitting. That's just too many fucking reps though, I think I'm going to start weighting these so I don't have to do so damn many.
Overall, a very tough but solid day. Benching that 205 for a double is really cool. Three more weeks, lets keep getting stronger.
Goals: Ten years out
Just wanted to take a minute to write down some things I've been thinking about. I think it's time to write them down and make them a little more official.
The first is about the WAY I train. I love powerlifting and training specifically for strength; I think it's better than any other kind of training. HOWEVER, the other day I was reading a Dave Tate article that I thought was very interesting. He said that one HUGE piece of advice he would give to lifters is to, once you have reached a certain level of strength, train more for bodybuilding for about 8 months of the year, and the powerlift the rest of the year. And honestly, this makes a lot of sense to me. Training for strength day in, day out, is goign to take it's toll mentally and physically. By splitting your year, you will be more excited and fresher mentally when you lift, AND it will make you a better athlete all around - big, muscular, and very very strong. The numbers Dave Tate suggested you think about the switch at were 2 x bodyweight squat, 1.5 x bodyweight bench, and 2.5 x bodyweight deadlift. And I honestly think I will do this, once I hit those numbers. Obviously, that is still a ways away - but I'm thinking that once I get there, I will switch my training 6 months of the year to higher rep serious bodybuilding training, and the other half of the year I will train in heavy sets and try and make the extra muscle I put on as strong as possible. I'm not sure whether doing 6 months of each would be best, or doing 3 months cycles (bodybuild, powerlift, bodybuild, powerlift). I'll have to think about it more seriously once I hit those numbers. However, I think that this is an awesome method of training, and something I'm going to be thinking about seriously as I get stronger.
Secondly, I was thinking about myself, 10 years from now. I will be 30, which is just about the peak of my strength/lifting career, and I was thinking about where I want to be then. I think looking at myself ten years down the line will help keep my focus away from the difficulties of each individual workout. So here goes: By the time I am 30, I want a 2000 pound raw total at 242 or under. This would require (rough numbers), 700 squat, 500 bench, and an 800 dead. These are insane numbers, but I know that I can get there. With the amount of knowlege that I have already, and the time I have to learn more and to work hard, I will achieve this goal. The current raw record at 242 (the heaviest I would be) is 2080. Even if this is broken a few times before I turn 30, the record will be within my reach. A few more years of smart training, and it can be mine.
It's a long way away, and a world record is a huge goal. But I will get there. I know I will get there.
The first is about the WAY I train. I love powerlifting and training specifically for strength; I think it's better than any other kind of training. HOWEVER, the other day I was reading a Dave Tate article that I thought was very interesting. He said that one HUGE piece of advice he would give to lifters is to, once you have reached a certain level of strength, train more for bodybuilding for about 8 months of the year, and the powerlift the rest of the year. And honestly, this makes a lot of sense to me. Training for strength day in, day out, is goign to take it's toll mentally and physically. By splitting your year, you will be more excited and fresher mentally when you lift, AND it will make you a better athlete all around - big, muscular, and very very strong. The numbers Dave Tate suggested you think about the switch at were 2 x bodyweight squat, 1.5 x bodyweight bench, and 2.5 x bodyweight deadlift. And I honestly think I will do this, once I hit those numbers. Obviously, that is still a ways away - but I'm thinking that once I get there, I will switch my training 6 months of the year to higher rep serious bodybuilding training, and the other half of the year I will train in heavy sets and try and make the extra muscle I put on as strong as possible. I'm not sure whether doing 6 months of each would be best, or doing 3 months cycles (bodybuild, powerlift, bodybuild, powerlift). I'll have to think about it more seriously once I hit those numbers. However, I think that this is an awesome method of training, and something I'm going to be thinking about seriously as I get stronger.
Secondly, I was thinking about myself, 10 years from now. I will be 30, which is just about the peak of my strength/lifting career, and I was thinking about where I want to be then. I think looking at myself ten years down the line will help keep my focus away from the difficulties of each individual workout. So here goes: By the time I am 30, I want a 2000 pound raw total at 242 or under. This would require (rough numbers), 700 squat, 500 bench, and an 800 dead. These are insane numbers, but I know that I can get there. With the amount of knowlege that I have already, and the time I have to learn more and to work hard, I will achieve this goal. The current raw record at 242 (the heaviest I would be) is 2080. Even if this is broken a few times before I turn 30, the record will be within my reach. A few more years of smart training, and it can be mine.
It's a long way away, and a world record is a huge goal. But I will get there. I know I will get there.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Power
Today was a powerful powerful day.
Started with 5/3/1 squats. I hate to say it, but I have been fearing this workout for a while. 300 for reps is very daunting. However, I decided today to demolish this workout, hit it with everything I have and conquer my fear, and I did that. Started with 135, then 185, then jumped right to my work sets: 235 x 5, 270 x 3. Then I loaded up 300 and hit it for 8 reps. 7 was solid, rep 8 was incredibly hard and slow, but I pushed through. Im very happy with this. First of all, it shows me how much I have left in me, and how much progress I have left to make on 5/3/1. Second of all, it was a conquering of my fear. And third - when I started this program 6 months ago, my first 5 week was 215 for reps - I only got 8. I increased my 8rm by 85 lbs over the past 6 months. Pretty insane.
The rest of my workout was rough because I gave that 300 everything. But I still made it through and did well.
Speed deads were at 265, from a 2 inch deficit. These weren't easy, and they weren't especially fast, but that's alright - that's kind of the point of having a heavy week. And they moved alright, especially considering that I just squatted like crazy. Next week, weight goes back down and the deficit goes back up.
Next were 5 x 10 squats at 195. Tried to take these sets pretty quick. 5 x 10 squats is never easy, but these aren't too hard either. My form wasn't the best today, and I felt tired and shitty, but I made them as nice as I could and took the sets pretty quickly. Next week these move up to 205, and after that for 3 weeks it will be the end of 5 x 10 squats for a while. Which I am ready for. They have given me great power, but it's time to change that up a little bit, that's for sure.
Finally, ended with 3 sets of hollow rocks. These are feeling better every week. I really love this movement, even though it is incredibly hard.
SO, powerful day. Excited for the rest of this week, AND excited to get through my final cycle before a week off/some programming changes! Very cool.
PS: Fat loss has begun to kind of stall... I think I'm still cutting fat slowly but surely, but that my metabolism has slowed a bit. I would guess that i'm right around 12% BF now, maybe even closer to 11 - my abs are all visible when flexed, but only barely visible when relaxed. Definitely not at 10 or under yet. What I'm thinking is that, after this week, I'm going to add a 3 hour cheat meal in on tuesdays, in addition to my cheat day on friday night into saturday. I'll try this for my final 3 week cycle, and see if I feel like I start to lean out a little more. If so, then I'll keep my diet like that after I return from my rest week/vacation. If not, then I'll drop back to 1 cheat a week, and try and be patient - and if in a few months I'm still not making progress towards < 10%, then I'll need to re-evaluate my nutrition. We will see.
Started with 5/3/1 squats. I hate to say it, but I have been fearing this workout for a while. 300 for reps is very daunting. However, I decided today to demolish this workout, hit it with everything I have and conquer my fear, and I did that. Started with 135, then 185, then jumped right to my work sets: 235 x 5, 270 x 3. Then I loaded up 300 and hit it for 8 reps. 7 was solid, rep 8 was incredibly hard and slow, but I pushed through. Im very happy with this. First of all, it shows me how much I have left in me, and how much progress I have left to make on 5/3/1. Second of all, it was a conquering of my fear. And third - when I started this program 6 months ago, my first 5 week was 215 for reps - I only got 8. I increased my 8rm by 85 lbs over the past 6 months. Pretty insane.
On an unrelated note, I'm so excited for the olympics
The rest of my workout was rough because I gave that 300 everything. But I still made it through and did well.
Speed deads were at 265, from a 2 inch deficit. These weren't easy, and they weren't especially fast, but that's alright - that's kind of the point of having a heavy week. And they moved alright, especially considering that I just squatted like crazy. Next week, weight goes back down and the deficit goes back up.
Next were 5 x 10 squats at 195. Tried to take these sets pretty quick. 5 x 10 squats is never easy, but these aren't too hard either. My form wasn't the best today, and I felt tired and shitty, but I made them as nice as I could and took the sets pretty quickly. Next week these move up to 205, and after that for 3 weeks it will be the end of 5 x 10 squats for a while. Which I am ready for. They have given me great power, but it's time to change that up a little bit, that's for sure.
More olympic excitement
Finally, ended with 3 sets of hollow rocks. These are feeling better every week. I really love this movement, even though it is incredibly hard.
SO, powerful day. Excited for the rest of this week, AND excited to get through my final cycle before a week off/some programming changes! Very cool.
PS: Fat loss has begun to kind of stall... I think I'm still cutting fat slowly but surely, but that my metabolism has slowed a bit. I would guess that i'm right around 12% BF now, maybe even closer to 11 - my abs are all visible when flexed, but only barely visible when relaxed. Definitely not at 10 or under yet. What I'm thinking is that, after this week, I'm going to add a 3 hour cheat meal in on tuesdays, in addition to my cheat day on friday night into saturday. I'll try this for my final 3 week cycle, and see if I feel like I start to lean out a little more. If so, then I'll keep my diet like that after I return from my rest week/vacation. If not, then I'll drop back to 1 cheat a week, and try and be patient - and if in a few months I'm still not making progress towards < 10%, then I'll need to re-evaluate my nutrition. We will see.
Food porn.
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