8/26 Bench

Less than a week until MCAT. Long nights studying and lots of stress.

Bench:
185x3
205x3
225x3
195x5x5

Chins/Dips:
BWx5/5x5

Row:
5 sets of 10

Curls & Rotator Cuff

As much as I hate doing volume work, I think I need it to get stronger. 1 set isnt cutting it anymore. As for the RC work, I found an exercise that works really well. Not sure what it's called, but it uses a barbell and is a combo upright row + external rotation + overhead press. My shoulders feel amazing after doing a couple sets with the 45lb bar.

EDIT: This is the rotator cuff exercise. Looks lame, feels great.

8/12

Squat:
95x5
135x5
185x3
225x3x8

Bench:
95x5
135x5
165x3
185x1
205x1
225x1x2
235x1x3
185x6x2

Row (225x5)
Abs + Stretching

Everything felt like crap, and I felt like going heavy on squat today would just be a bad idea. So instead of working up to 300, I stayed at 225 and did some speed work. Focused on getting a plate rattle out of every single rep.

Bench felt decent today though. Moved grip out a bit to get a bit more grinding power, so now it is pinkies on ring (comp bar). Pecs and shoulders were super sore from incline yesterday. The deadlift-position rows keep feeling awesome, and I will be using straps to go even heavier.

8/6

Squat:
Barx10
95x5
135x5
185x3
225x1
245x1
265x1
275x1 (belt)
295x1
305x1
315x1
325xF
265x3x3

Push Press:
Barx8
95x5
115x3
125x1
135x1 (belt)
140x1
145x1
150x1
155x1
160xF
135x3x3

Rows 5x5
Curls
Abs

Felt like lifting instead of taking a day off, so I went to le squat racks. Squatting felt really good up until I failed with 325. 315 was fast and felt at about an 8.5 RPE, but with 325 my hips came up too soon out of the hole. All signs of progress though. Push pressing was kinda lame again. Hopefully it will improve with time and frequent practice. Bodyweight is maintaining a pretty constant 222-224lbs.

Bench Assistance

Standing press

115 x 4

125 x 4

135 x 4

145 x 4

This went much better than last week.

Barbell rows

225 x 8

245 x 8, 8

255 x 8

Flat Dumbbell bench

65s x 8

70s x 8

75s x 8, 8 (PR)

Cable rows

220 x 10, 10, 10

Finished with some incline biceps.

3/28 Squat

Squat:
135x10
185x8
225x5
255x3
285x6
235x15 PR

Row:
135x10
165x8
185x5
205x3
235x8 PR

So we trained in the Bear Cave last night, and I had forgotten about the bar difference there. Heaviest 285 ever. Felt more like 295-300 on a regular bar. Same with the 235, but I managed to rep out with that. Also, the rows are feeling stale so I may switch them out for something else.

3/25 Squat

Squat:
135x10
185x8
225x5
255x3
280x8 @ 8
230x15 PR @ 8

Row:
135x10
165x8
185x5
205x3
230x8 @ 9

Light Shrugs & Curls

Most excellent lifting today. Squatting felt much better than Monday, and I felt like I had a few more reps in the tank on both the heavy and light sets. I'm going to force myself not to add too much weight too soon on the squats, rows, and inclines so I can progress over a longer period of time. Also been eating a lot more starch and sugar since I've been home, so that may be contributing to the strength gain.

3/21 Squat

Squat:
135x8
185x5
225x3
255x1
275x8
225x15 PR

Row:
135x10
165x8
185x5
205x3
225x8

That's all for today. Diet is kinda failing since I'm at home, but whatever.

I just realized I've failed almost every day this week

Push press

135 x 3

145 x 3

145 x f+2

155 x 3

165 x 1+f (PR)

135 x 3

Barbell row

225 x 3

235 x 3 x 4

Decline bench,

155 x 5

165 x 5

175 x 5

dips,

BW x 10

BW x 12 x 2

tricep pushdowns giant set

Cable rows

220 x 5 x 4

pump pump pump pump stuff

3/12 Squat

Squat:
135x5
185x5
225x3
255x3
275x3
285x3
295x3
305x3 @ 9

Power Clean:
135x3x2
145x3x2
155x3x2

Row:
185x5
205x5
235x5
255x5

Another good squat session. I got antsy today and needed to go squat something. 305 is the most I have done in the heels so far and it felt pretty good. I just need to remember to not fold midway through, and to let my legs power me up instead of my back. The power cleans felt pretty amazing in the heels, and my technique was 10x better than before. No longer a reverse curl.

3/10 Squat

Front Squat:
135x3
165x3
185x3x2
195x3x2
205x3x2
215x3x2
225x3x2
235x3 (matches PR)

Rows:
135x5
185x5
205x5
225x5x3
245x3x2

RDL:
275x8/8x3

Biceps & Abs

The heeled shoes are amazing for Front Squats. I managed to equal my previous PR after a whole bunch of work sets, so I'm pretty confident that new PR's will come rolling in soon.

In other news, my meat/egg/fruit diet is working out pretty well. I was 237 about a week and a half ago, and now I am down to 232. Most of that reduction has come from my gut, so I am very happy about the loss.

3/7 Squat

Squat:
135x8
185x5
225x3, 3
245x3, 3
255x3, 3
275x3, 3
185x8, 8, 8

Rows:
135x5
185x5
205x5
225x5x5

RDL:
225x8
255x8
275x8

Abs

Light squat day today b/c I was lifting in the squat shoes for the first time in a long time. Since I have that "taco squat" thing going on, I figure that these will force me to stay much more upright. Also, get some sweet quad hypertrophy.

3/3 Squat

Squat:
135x5
185x5
225x5
255x5
275x3
295x3
315x3, 3

Front Squat:
Failing Miserably

Rows:
155x5
205x5, 5
225x5, 5
245x5
265x5 PR

Pulldowns:
6 sets

Stuff happened. Working on my work capacity.

2/28 Squat

Squat:
135x5
185x5
225x5
255x5
275x5
295x5
305x5

Leg Press;
360x10
470x10
560x10, 10

Rows:
155x5
185x5
205x5
225x5
245x5

Shrugs:
315x10, 10
385x10, 10

Face Pulls:
150x10x4

Abs

Start of the new cycle. Squats and back work on Monday and Thursday, Pressing work on Tuesday and Friday. 305 on squats didn't feel too difficult, and that's only 10lbs off my PR for a 5-rep set. Good stuff.

2/24 Press

Standing Press:
warmup
115x5x3
125x5x3

Bench:
135x5
155x5
185x5
205x5x2

Row:
135x10
155x10
185x10
205x10x2

Close-grip benching just felt too nasty on my wrists to keep doing. I did move my grip in a couple fingers though to get more tricep work in. Strength is coming back nicely.

Post-Meet Weakness: Press

Press:
95x6, 6
100x6, 6
95x6, 6

CGBP:
135x6
165x6
175x6
185x6
195x4 (bleggghhhh)

Rows:
135x8
165x8
175x8
185x8
195x8
205x8
185x8, 8

Pressing felt extremely weak today - the post-meet fatigue is strong with this one.

Week 6 Press

Push Press:
95x3
115x3
125x3
135x3, 3
145x3, 3
155x2

Rows:
135x5
165x5
185x5
205x5
225x5
235x5, 5

DB Bench

Last day of real lifting before the meet. Need to consume mass quantities this next week to make sure strength is not lost.

Week 6 Bench

Bench:
135x3
165x3
185x3
205x3
225x3
245x1, 1 @ 8, 8
260x1 @ 9.5 (this will be my second attempt)

Incline:
185x3x3

Push Press:
115x3
135x3, 3
145x3

Rows:
165x5
185x5
205x5
225x5

Bizeps

Bench is feeling strangely difficult, but there's not much I can do now other than rest up and gain a few more lbs. I'm weighting in at 233 pretty consistently, which gives me a 9lb window for the meet. Helloooooo bagels.

2/4 Week 5 Assistance & 2/5 GPP

Friday:

Press:
95x5
115x3
125x3, 3
135x3

Incline:
135x5
165x5
185x5
195x4+1 PR

Barbell Rows:
135x5
185x5
225x5
245x5

Abs

Saturday:
5 trips with Prowler + 50lbs on grass

1st to puke after 2 trips

Week 3 Squat 2

Squat:
135x5
185x3
225x3
245x3
255x3
265x3
275x3
295x1, 1

Sumo Deadlift:
275x3
295x3
315x3

Barbell Row:
135x8
185x5
205x5
225x5
245x5 (matches PR)

Hammer Curls 3 sets

Tried to make the squats as fast as possible today. 225-265 were the fastest, and I kind of gassed out on 275 and 295. Did sumo deads to let my low back rest, and I found that I was super weak at doing them properly (no stiff-legging). Squat assistance? I think so.

Week 1 Bench

Bench:
135x5
165x3
185x3
205x3
215x3
225x3
235x3

Manpon:
245x3
255x3
265x3 PR
275x2 PR

Rows:
135x5
185x5
205x5
225x5x2

Pull-ups:
BW x 12, 12, 10, 7, 7

Curls

Benched in the bear cave today. Something was off when Terence and I were benching today. I vote for benching at Wooden like we usually do.