August 3, 2004
Speed day
197 today! Ate ~350g more carbs than usual today.
Sprints:
14*8m uphill sprints
Plyos:
25 squat jumps from full squat position
45 depth landings over 33" hurdle
45 reactive tuck jumps
25 uphill bounds
4*5 box squat jumps
Powerball:
5/each rotational snatch throws (these are done with no CM)
5/each snatch throws
6 snatch throws
6 snatch throws w/ no CM
August 4, 2004
Tempo
Prehab circuit 3* thru.
August 5, 2004
Squat based depletion
194 two days in a row :mad: . ~350g extra ca4rbs today.
Got my ass KICKED today; holy shit! I wanted to do a double countdown from 20 w/ squats and lunges w/ 43 lb. Xvest. I ended up doing:
20-10 sq. and lunges
5 min. rest
15-10 sq. and lunges + 50 squats
5 min. rest
9-1 sq. and lunges + 75 squats
5 min. rest
9-1 sq. and lunges + 25 squats
(all w/ 43 lb. vest)
MO’ FUNNER.
August 6, 2004
Pull major/push minor
66 chinups w/ 3 minutes rest (booyah)
416 + 129 (depletion) pushups w/ one minute rest; very happy about this, obviously I misjudged (I thought I would fail around the 16th on the 5th set but that just shows my pushup #s are increasing well)
910 + 120 (depletion) double light band rows
910 + 120 (depletion) double light band hybrid rows/lat pulldowns (I was sitting down and it was around 45 degrees, sort of like a face pull but to the chest instead) w/ 5s pause on every 10th rep for the last 6 or so sets
220 scap pushups
GREAT workout today b/c of some creativity. Garrrrrrrrr.
August 7, 2004
Tempo
194 for 4 days in a row now :mad:
AM: 20 min. MB circuit
PM: 15 min. continuous sledgehammering
August 8, 2004
OFF
August 9, 2004
Deadlift depletion
400 goodmornings w/ 76 lb. Xvest, 200 w/ 76 lb. Xvest and holding 10 lbs.
5 second break at every 100 to tally, otherwise straight through.
August 10, 2004
Push major/pull minor
DOM-DO-DOM-DOMS. Like a bitch in the hammies. Lower back is actually pretty free of soreness.
~450g extra carbs today. Just to clarify the mass gaining strategy that’s been working very effectively (up again, 195 yesterday and 196 today, hoping I won’t see lower than that for many years) is the regular diet that I posted about four times a week with only 0-50g carbs from grains and dairy and just a small amount otherwise from fruit + veggies and ~450g extra carbs via mancakes on the other days.
Anwyay, today’s workout:
226 pushups in as little time as possible but I forgot to time the entire thing. I think it was as fast or faster than the 200 last week though. I did the first set to complete depletion and set a new BIG PB of 59. This is 11 more than my all time record, and that was when I was 10-15 lbs. lighter.
9 pullups, 60s, 3 pullups, 60s 2 pullups
100 pushups (also untimed) in as little time as possible.
These push workouts are going great!
August 11, 2004
Tempo
-28 exercise bodybuilding circuit. Went well.
August 12, 2004
Speed day
New scale PR: 199!!!
Sprints:
9*~18m + 3*~6m sprints uphill on asphalt
Plyos:
25 box squat jumps
33 + 12 depth jumps
45 starting deadlift position (with broom in hand) jumps
47 reactive tuck jumps
25 jump squats (from full position)
Powerball:
5/each rotational snatch throws
5/each snatch throws
6 two handed snatch throws
August 13, 2004
~500g+ extra carbs today.
Tempo
Prehab circuit*3. Hip flexors beat up today, I have to stretch them more when doing plyos.
August 14, 2004
Squat Depletion
100 split squats/each
50 lunges
100 squats
100 split squats/each
50 lunges
100 squats
100 split squats/each
w/ no rest and 25 lb. X-vest
FUNNEST.
The day has arrived:
200
August 15, 2004
Pull major/push minor
65 + 14 chinups w/ 60s rest. AARGH, couldn’t get the last rep I wanted.
3 iso chin holds to failure w/ 120s rest. I started at 45 degree arm angle and by the end I was just shy of full extension but I was doing this for grip. First one was about 40s, last two were about 30s.
420 + 121 pushups w/ 60s rest
1015 band face pulls w/ band coming from ground seated in a chair w/ one minute rest. Very tough.
1015 band rows w/ one minute rest
August 16, 2004
Tempo
~250g extra carbs today (didn’t realize I was low on ingredients until I started making the mancakes).
10*(15 GMs w/ 26 lb. vest, 10 knee pushups w/ vest [just b/c I already had the vest on, about the same difficulty as a regular pushup], 15 band rows] + 100 cons. GMs w/ 26 lb. vest + 100 rows w/ half of the band tension (the 100 rep sets followed the circuit work immediately).
August 18, 2004
Accumulation weights
Interesting day. First I did 35 jump squats w/ 26 lb. xvest. I wanted to go for 310315 and thought that would be fairly easy but I bombed that.
1358
225*5
I failed on the 8th rep of the 1st work set and the 2nd rep of the 2nd set. Then I tried to do a singe at 365 and missed that. Three things though:
1.) Even though I didn’t really sore I think my quads + glutes were still beat down from the 14th workout (see below).
2.) I’ve felt this for a while but I think that when I try to do workouts like these 3*10 now that I am stronger and can recruit more MUs the first set just beats the shit out of me. I was doing the higher reps as a bridge to the heavier weights b/c of strength gained from depletion but I’m not scared of the heavier weights and I think I’ll just switch to a WS template for these upcoming weeks.
3.) I should have gotten all the reps I missed. When I start getting challenged I seem to go into pussy mode on these and just concentrate on getting the weight down on the eccentric to the full squat pos. and don’t even think and concentrate hard on exploding up. I won’t make this mistake next time.
Accessories:
However, on the post. chain work I was KILLING it. In the past the most 1 legged hypers I’ve done were 11/each with BW. I started out w/ a 25 lb. plate and got 8/each then moved up to a 35 and got 6/each. Then I moved up to a 50 DB and got 6/each. Before I left I did one more set w/ a 60 lb. DB and got 6/each! This means I’ve gained a HUGE amount of strength in the PC and helps confirm my suspicions that my quads were still depleted and that’s why the squats didn’t go well.
I moved to grip + trap accessory and did jump shrugs w/ 225. The best I could really do was get onto my toes and to triple extension. I did 5 the first set, 3 the second, rechalked and got 5 on the last set. Then I did a 20s or so hold w/ 225 and a 15s or so hold w/ 275.
I went to quad/glute accessory and did a horrible set of split squats, confirming that my quads/glutes were depleted. I just left it at the one set and added the last set of one leg hypers.
I also added some volume to ab work by doing heavy reverse curls supersetted w/ it. On the ab work I was using the full stack for sets of 15 (now I can’t use that machine anymore) and did 3 sets. I did 3 sets of relatively heavy reverse curls.
I’m looking forward to seeing what I can max out at in the full squat when I’m recovered and don’t do the set to failure first. I’m hoping somewhere in the low 4s, I still want to get 475 by the end of this cycle.
Well, it was very naieve to think that I could just settle into college without interrrupting my lifting schedule and I had to put the rest of the week on maintenance mode (see below). There are also all sorts of food and recovery challenges but I’m actually excited by the challenge of rebuilding. I used to play Sim City a lot and before I was going like a fully built city with everything needed. Now I just got a devastating earthquake but I like the challenge. Plus college is the shit (U of Miami).
Finishing the week in maintenance:
August 19, 2004
OFF
August 21, 2004
Did first 12 exercises of 28 exercise bb circuit and felt like complete crap. I drank a little the night before and also got low sleep. I really have to watch drinking even as “cheat” meals b/c based off this day they seem to really effect me. In HS I only drank during recovery breaks. Finished up with 2*2 speed DLs @ 275. SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW.
August 22, 2004
15*10 loads of a container w/ 58 lbs. of my Xvest in it. Good workout. The first few sets I was just doing to waist level and then I got higher and higher as I went and wanted to increase the challenge until the top of the container was at chin level. Felt much better today.
August 23, 2004
ME day
Deads:
bar15
1355
2253
27522 (speed sets)
3351
3851
455miss
455miss
385stuck on thighs
385*stuck on thighs
I was extremely dissapointed that I missed the 455. It could be that I was just fatigued or it could also be that the depletion work is no longer really yielding results for me. If that’s so then it’s okay, I’m not going to be too upset, it was just five weeks, and I at least made a little gain/maintained. I did get a shitty sleep last night (not partying, just couldn’t sleep) and I am having a hard time getting all the cals I need, although that’s on the up. I was 200 in shoes and clothes after working out, but I usually weight myself just in underwear and in the morning. Hopefully I won’t drop lower than this and I’ll get back to 201 really quickly.
The 385s were only missed because they got stuck on the sweat on my thighs, I’ll get some baby powder before the next session, but they weren’t that tough I would have made them otherwise.
Accessories:
26s iso pulls with the bar off the floor
PC accessory: Ultra wide pullthroughs (rowing machine with a seat up so I could not go low):17 + 28
Skipped quad accessory b/c if I am fried I don’t want to dig myself deep
Grip + trap accessory: farmer’s walk w/ trap bar. 225 for two trips and 275 for a long one. This is a very good start, I was pleased about this.
Ab accessory: 16 @ 55 side bends, 2*6 @ 65
Accessories went well. Which may mark an interesting trend, my accessories improving but main lifts not going well? I definitely wasn’t being a pussy deading today though but I think one possibility is that I cannot see the improvement without practicing the lifts. I know on squat I was sort of holding at the bottom instead of pushing up and I think once I got off the floor today (only an inch or two) I think that I might have sort of just been trying to hold it there instead of pulling upwards. Too early for conclusions but something to watch.
The Miami weightroom is interseting. I really don’t like some things about it, but now I’m finding some equipment I didn’t know was there AND today I found the trap bar and a safety squat bar which is AWESOME.
August 24, 2004
Upper body heavy lifting
Good day today:
Chins: 28, 17 (last two sets were pretty wide grip, so I was delighted that I did this well especially since I could tell from the beginning I was pretty fatigued in grip and back from deading and farmers yesterday)
54 speed military presses w/ 40 lb. DBs, 14 w/ 45 lbers and 15 w/ 50s. They felt very easy and fast, 755 will be a hell of a challenge but I’m feeling good about my chances by the end of these twelve or so weeks.
26s iso military pushes at sticking point. Strained my neck in a bad way doing those though so I won’t be again.
Bench: 110 at 135, 16 at 165, 205miss (this is an easy weight but I just sort of pulled it down unevenly and just really gave up without thinking). I’m setting a goal of 225* a few sets of 3 by the end of this cycle (yes I know I suck horribly at benching) which is lofty but I don’t think unrealistic, especially since I did so much pressing before today and 205 didn’t feel particularly heavy)
Rows: 8, 6 Face pulls to nose: 10, 6 (increased weights on both from first sets)
Reverse curls: 5, 8 I hate these.
August 25, 2004
OFF, fatigued as hell. I already knew what the outcome of a circuit would be before I got there so I took the day off and will combine DE lower/accumulation upper this week.
August 26, 2004
DE lower/accumulation upper
Decided to do my combo today so that I have until Monday (this is Thursday) to recover.
DB military press: 556, 604, 602. Sucks
Did 102 speed deads @ 255. Felt OK, some good, some not so good.
10 chins, which was about max after all the deading. They felt good though.
GM off pins with safety squat bar. One of my new favorite movements. Did 1355, 22523, 2751
110 front raises, 18 lateral raises, 16 rear delt raises
16 tricep extensions
August 27, 2004
Tempo
28 exercise BB circuit. Some diff exercises though b/c of the new setup, I have to write out a new one.
Still seem to be fairly fatigued, was harder than usual, but a fair amount easier than the one I stopped after 12 exercises. I think this was a good setup with having the weekend to recover.
August 28, 2004
OFF (as planned)
August 29, 2004
Tempo
4*:
Pushups
High BW stepups
Band Face pulls
BW squats
Scap pushups
15 container loads
Band pull aparts
This was tough, but I think in large part b/c it was just tough as I did the whole thing with no break.