6/20 Box Squat

Box Squat:
225x2
255x2
275x2
295x2
315x1

Seated GM:
135x10, 10
185x10, 10

Abs

ME Cleans

Thought I was going to deadlift but then forgot my long socks. Looks like I'll be pulling next week instead.

Cleans:
111 x 5
161 x 5
201 x 3
221 x 2
241 x fail x 2
231 x fail, 1
231 x fail, 1
231 x 1

I'm having serious technique difficulties at the top of my heavy cleans. I am unable to get the full arm rotation through, so I end up doing a high pull and failing. Not sure what the cause is, but I should probably video it. 221 x 2 felt easy, so I'm not sure why 231 was so difficult.

Seated Good-mornings off pins:
135 x 10
225 x 5
275 x fail
245 x 4

These were not working out.

Good-mornings off pins:
275 x 5
365 x 5, 5

I really like these. I feel much better about being able to sit back and I think my depth is actually better with these. I will probably incorporate these a lot more now.

Supersetted banded pull-throughs w/ blues and banded hamstring curls w/ greens.

Deadlifts

10/8/09

Block Pulls

293 x 3

333 x 3

333 x 3

353 x 3

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

155 x 6

185 x 6

245 x 6

Seated Good-Mornings

135 x 5

135 x 5

Pull Throughs

45lbs x 8 x 3

Squat

First day of training over at Seattle Strength and Power. Amazing gym, with a set up much like Olympia Barbell (i.e. basement). Bands, chains, boxes, all the bars you could want - they have it all. The walls are lined with trophies and pictures of their record lifts. It's a great place and I'll post pictures here later.

Squat
405 x 5
425 x 5
455 x 3, 2 sets

Three USAPL judges train there and commented that my squats were deep enough. Apparently, I was just at parallel on the first rep, but buried all the others. I think I may be a bit too hesitant. I ordered some Versus lifting shoes so hopefully they come in time for next week's squat workout.

SS-Bar box squat:
13" box (measured); no belt
145 x 8
195 x 8
225 x 8
245 x 8

Lower back felt a bit exhausted from the squatting so I didn't push it on these. Focused mostly on working the adductors and hips. Also SS-bar seems to be great for the core, so I will probably stick with it for my beltless box squats.

Finished with a few sets of seated good mornings and reversed hyperextensions (w00t). Also, standing cable abs.

Deadlifts

5/15/09

Deadlifts

worked up to

349 x 3 (slight hitch on last rep)

Zerchers off pins

225 x 5

225 x 5

245 x 5

245 x 5

Seated Good Mornings

135 x 7 x 4

Ball Twists

3 sets

SELECT workout_title FROM day WHERE lift = 'zercher';

Zercher:
Middle pin.

405 x 5
495 x 5
545 x 2 (ughh)
495 x 5, 3 sets

These nearly cramp my pecs up. It's a weird feeling.

Finished with standing hamstring curls, seated good mornings, stretching and ball twist abs.

Lower back

1/8/09
Deadlifts
265lbs x 3
275lbs x 3
285lbs x 3 belted
300lbs x 2 (PR)

Deadlifts Off Blocks
285lbs x 3
285lbs x 2
285lbs x 2

High Pulls
1??lbs x 5 x 4 (can't remember how much the black kg. weights weigh)

Seated Good-Mornings (using pins)
Good God I'm sore a day after doing these...
95 x 10
135 x 10 x 2

Kneeling Cable Crunches
Rowing Crunches
Obliques

Deadlifts

1/8/09

Deadlifts

245lbs x 3

295lbs x 3

315lbs x 3

335lbs x 2 + 1 WEAK HITCH

335lbs x 3 belted, not as bad hitch on last rep

Deadlifts Off Blocks

335lbs x WEAK

335lbs x 2 belted

335lbs x 3 belted, not too bad hitch on last rep

High Pulls

155lbs x 5

155lbs x 5

165lbs x 5

175lbs x 5

Seated Good-Mornings (using pins)

I didn't really feel these in any muscle specifically but I'm sure tomorrow I won't be able to bend over.

135 x 10 x 3

Kneeling Cable Abs

ME: Deadlift: ME

Deadlift:
605 x 1
655 x fail, 2 attempts (in a row)

First one drifted out. The second got stuck, as I was tired. I deadlifted last week, so I knew doing it again this week would be so-so. I can't remember the last time I deadlifted heavy two weeks in a row, but I really felt rusty last week from not deadlifting so I wanted to see how the higher weights felt.

Deadlift off blocks:
blocks were 6" high, or about 4" below my knees.
605 x 3, 4 sets

These felt ok. I wish I had remembered my baby powder for these

High pulls:
155 x 5
175 x 5
205 x 5
225 x 5

Seated Good-mornings:
Used the pad and put it high-bar, right on the neck. Paused on the pins for each set.
135 x 10, 3 sets

The SS-bar is better for these, I think, but this variation feels ok for killing off my core

Kneeling Cable Crunches
3 sets,

Bench + Deadlift

Had to skip yesterday due to moving to a new apartment and then party plans, so I did a ME bench and then went to deadlift.

Bench:
275 x 3
(put on the 48" phenom)
275 x 2 off a 2-board
315 x 1
355 x 1, 3 sets

355 felt nice and easy. I think all the pausing-on-chest has helped. The shirt seems like it's about to blow at any second but it doesn't, so it actually works. Based on today's performance, I think I will open with 355 and then go to 375 (or whatever the kg equivalents are). 3rd attempt will be based on how the second feels. I probably need to hit some heavy 2 boards to prepare for this as that's where it felt toughest.

Deadlift:
(some warm-up sets)
585 x 1
people said it looked easy
635 x 2.95

I failed at the very very top of that one because I misgrooved it and the bar came out. This was the first time I have deadlifted since tweaking the sciatic nerve back in November, so it wasn't too bad. I felt rather rusty.

Block Pulls:
495 x 5
545 x 5
585 x 5
I got mad for failing at that lock out, so I did block pulls. These felt easy, so I am less worried about my lock out now.

Band-resisted Deadlifts:
Brent was messing around, so I jumped in. We had to stand on the band, so I had to switch to conventional.

315 + blues x 1
315 + blues and greens x FAIL (ZOMG. SO HARD)

Then Spencer brought out the Monster Band, which is like two blues and crazy think. It's like a tire. Spencer said he was the only guy to deadlift a plate with the band...

135 + monster x 1

Brent failed, so then I was saying I could rep it.

135 + monster x 5

Hooray for lockout. That thing was probably 550+ at the top.

Seated Good-Mornings with SS-bar:
135 x 10, 4 sets

All reps were done with a full pause on the pins. These went well until around rep 7, when your core gets exhausted. Instead of gracefully reaching the pins with a good arch, I would just wilt like a sad plant and get it back up using my neck. I like these as a cool down.

Finished with scap pulls and standing banded abs.

Recovery Effort: The Deadlifting

Off-week for deadlift. Felt pretty tired today for some reason

Stiff-legged Deadlift:
407 x 5
427 x 5
457 x 5

I wasn't expecting to go over 407, but things felt easy and the sciatica felt ok, so I pushed myself a little.

I was planning to do good-mornings next, but on Monday, the squat suit had left some big gashes above my hips and today the belt re-opened them. I had to get bandaids to stem the bleeding, which was a first for me. The bench-shirt armpit gashes are at least hidden somewhat. Bleeding from your hips is not so hot.

Lunges:
135 x 10 each leg
225 x 8 each leg (exhausting)
245 x 4 each leg
225 x 5 each leg

Seated Good-Mornings:
I discovered this jumbo pad for the bar that lets you put the bar right on the neck. Doing good mornings with it feels like using an SS-bar, which is brutal.

135 x 10, 4 sets.

Hyperextensions:

green band x 2 reps

These are amazing in their ability to immediately irritate my sciatic nerve.

(superset)
Adductors
220 x 30
220 x 20
220 x 12

Hanging Leg Raises:
3 triple-sets
220

Deadlift: Hurrah! Another Year, Surely This One Will Be Better Than the Last; The Inexorable March of Progress Will Lead Us All to Happiness

Decided the sciatica had settled down enough that I could try deadlifting today. It still hurts at times (like right now as I type this), but it's manageable. I'm hoping it goes away completely before the American Cup.

Deadlift:
(warm-up sets omitted; done raw)
557 x 5

Felt pretty good. Not my heaviest 5 reps ever, but I didn't want to push it. I forgot my long socks so my shins are awesome.

Seated Good-mornings:
(no belt)
135 x 10
185 x 1 (awrrrr)
Moving up in weight realllly aggravated something so I dropped it back down. Then I added a full pause at the bottom where I set the weight on the pins. This seemed to stretch things pretty well.
135 x 12
135 x 20
135 x 15

I felt rather limber with all that stretching.

(superset)
Hip Abductors:
180 x 30
220 x 30
250 x 30
280 x 20

Lying Hamstrings:
70 x 10
100 x 10
120 x 10
150 x 6 (owww)
the lying version seems to upset something. The pain actually got worse with ever set, which normally doesn't happen.

Finished with ball twists (3 sets) and seated calf raises, 3 tri-sets until failure.

Exercises I probably shouldn't do

Deadlift off blocks:
385 x 5
475 x 5
565 x 5
615 x owww

After the first set, my pecs were feeling nasty. Whenever I have some heavy pec work followed by exhausted lats, my pecs feel like their about to tear off at the shoulder. The feeling has only happened twice before but with zerchers off pins. I think it's my traps not being able to keep my upper back together, so the pecs try to compensate and get obliterated. I stopped at 615 because as soon as I had it an inch off, it felt like they were certain to rip. I can't wait for bench tomorrow <3

Seated goodmornings:
All high-bar
135 x 12
225 x 10
135 x 5 + 135 x 10 (no belt)
135 x 12

Decided to take the belt off to work the abs more. Coming down deep with the bar on the pins really hits them pretty hard. I was planning to go up more but this exercise kills my sciatica still. It feels better now after all those reps, so I'm hoping I loosened things up.

Had to leave early to grade exams. 180 exams * 12 pages = 2160 moments of fun.

lwr bck

Deadlift off Blocks (stacked 2 100lb plates + 50kg plate):
381 X 5
471 X 5
491 X 5
521 X 3 + 2 fails

Seated Good Mornings (high bar):
135 X 8
225 X 8
225 X 8
225 X 8
135 X 15

Hang Cleans:
4 sets

Yesterday

Push press + ohs 3 + 2 155, 165, 175 (pounds)
Drop snatch 75/2 87/2 x 2 98/2 x 3 missed one of the last dop snatches, could feel it in my mid/upper back.
Good Mornings 4 x 3 215 pounds
Not very difficult but I do them with as straight of legs as possible
Streching and handstands

Really liked the push presses. I'm to to actually be working upper body again. I need to get huge.

Deadlifts

10/30/08

Deadlifts

(including bar weight)

30kgs + 135lbs x 8

30kgs + 135lbs x 8

30kgs + 185lbs x 6

30kgs + 185lbs x 5

30kgs + 225lbs x 4

30kgs + 275lbs x 1 (not sure why I didn't want to go for a second rep)

Seated Goodmornings

95 x 10 x 2

115 x 8

135 x 6

155 x 6

Glute Ham Raises

4 sets till failure

Band-Resisted Abs

5 sets till failure

Hyperextensions

100 x 2 (no weight)

Leg Raises

4 sets till failure

Hit & Pass w/ Terence

with some of Dave's tips I was really able to get my whole body into this and give Terence a run for his money; but in the end he hit more than me

Deadlift: the sickening

The qualifying paper for the CS Dept. is due in 11 days, and so far my advisor has trashed two versions of it. I think the stress and long/late hours are taking their tolls on my body and mental focus. I also think I'm coming down sick, which normally is a good sign for strength, but today I just felt lifeless and kind of faint.

Deadlifts:
653 x 2 FAILs.

the 573 warmup went up easy. These went up easy too but I could not lock them out. I was very unfocused today.

Seated Goodmornings:
225 x 10
315 x 10
365 x 10
365 x 10

Glute-Ham Raises:
2 sets x failure
2 sets w/ 45 then nothing x failure

Hyperextensions:
78 + 6
50 + 12 + 8 + .. + 9 = 100 reps

Leg Raises:
4 sets

Undeadlift

Deadlift: 275x2
295x1

+Suit & Belt: 335x1
385x2 PR (not too bad, just slow)

Seated GM's: 185x8, 8
225x8, 8

GHR: 8, 8, 8, 8

Back Extensions: 2 sets of 100

Leg Raises: 3 sets

And some biceps to finish. LOL.

As for weight, I am 202. It seems as though excessive eating caused me to lose weight. I like this diet.

Lower Back

Went for a heavy triple today on conventional deadlift.

Deadlift:
475 X 2
The first 2 reps were clean. The third one I got up, but I doubt it was clean. I think I hitched it and did some other illegal shit with it.

Box Squats (below parallel):
10 sets of 255lb X 2 reps with 60 second rest between sets. This was pretty tiring.

Seated Good Mornings (with wide stance):
185 X 6
225 X 6
225 X 6
255 X 6
275 X 7
Haven't done these in a while so I don't think my form was too good. Felt like I was working my hamstrings a lot. Also felt it in lower back so I think it served its purpose.

Adductors/Abductors Machines superset with calves:
20-25 reps for each

RE Lower Back

Woke up with my lower back feeling stiff. This was somewhat odd, since it felt fine the two days prior and I didn't really do anything to aggravate it. I think I must have slept on it wrong. The discomfort got worse throughout the day. I played ultimate frisbee today after a week off due to the rib. The lower back was super tight at first but gradually loosened up. The right hamstring started feeling tight though. Sitting at my desk all day, the lower back just kept getting tighter.

Seated Good Mornings:
stretching stick x 9001

I started warming up with the reverse hyper, but it was still tight. Did a bunch of regular hypers, still tight. Did some hanging ab crunches to round the back while the legs put it under some light traction. These actually seemed to help, but still felt tight. I ended doing like an hour of seated good mornings with various leg positions (straight, close to the box, etc.) to stretch it out. These actually felt great for flexibility. Eventually the lower back loosened up as well, but still felt really tender.

I'll hot bath / ice / ibuprofen tonight and if I feel good tomorrow, do the workout then.