Deadlift

Deadlift
341 x 5 sets of 2

GMOPs (off of #10 pin)
175 x 5, 5
185 x 5
195 x 5
These actually felt pretty good for a change. I think it helped to think about arching hard throughout the lift like Dave said. Also, we did these facing the mirror today and I realized that I feel the tension much better in my hamstrings when I focus on keeping my legs straighter.

Back raises
BW x 3 sets of 50 -massively massive lower back pump

Standing abs
100 x 12
110 x 10
120 x 10, 10

3.4.10--Deadlift

Ultimate betrayal by Dave's fake birthday. Not cool.

Deadlift:
155x5
220x3
260x2x5
I'm going to try conventional next week per Kyle's suggestion to see if it helps my back rounding problem.

GMOP (pin 10):
135x5
155x5x4

Hypers:
BWx50

Cable Abs:
BW+80x10x3
BW+90x10

And for good measure, Lakers, Kings, and Bruins lost today. FAIL

Quicklift

Deadlift

323 x 2 x 2

333 x 2 x 2

343 x 2

Gmop

165 x 5

175 x 5

185 x 5 x 2

Had to leave early so just made sure to get the bigger lifts in.

RE Deadlift

Deadlift:
523 x 2, 5 sets @ 8

Lower back still not feeling so hot. Much better than last week. I seem very slow off the ground, which is unusual for me.

GMoP @ Pin 11:
315 x 5 @ 7
405 x 5, 5, 5 @7.5

Went a bit easy on this to save my lower back (based on what happened two weeks ago). I'm noticing that if I arch much harder, I can get a bigger hamstring stretch.

Finished with cable Pull-throughs and light banded hypers for 50 reps.

Post workout meal: TRIPLE DECKER MOON PIE. Best March 4th Birthday Ever.

3/4 Deadlift

Deadlift:
329x2
339x2, 2
349x2
359x2

GMOP: (pin 10)
135x5
185x5, 5, 5

and abs to finish. I feel just as strong as ever on my deadlifting even after this long hiatus. Awesome.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121212081

I can't paste the link into the text field, so it's in the title. Interesting food for thought. Don't be a pussy.

Happy Birthday

Let's get shitfaced to celebrate Dave's birthday!

RATTLE THE CAGES

Bench
135 x 4 x 6

3 Board
165 x 5 x 3
175 x 4+f

Not quite sure why the first set and last set felt so hard, either fatigue or misgrooving. Kind of concerned about how hard just holding 165 at the top felt, considering normal benching earlier felt pretty easy.

Dumbbell triceps
20 x 8

22.5 x 8 x 3

Cable flyes

Bench

Bench (paused)
165 x 5 sets of 4
165 x 3+help on the last rep
I think doing multiple sets at this moderately heavy weight helps for working on form.

3-board press
Didn't realize how incredibly weak I am on these. I think I have a case of the MattButtimers.
175 x 5
185 x 4+1fail
175 x 5
175 x 4+1fail
Before, I knew my lockout was weak but didn't realize it was this weak. I hope that more strengthening my lockout will help improve my bench numbers.

Pushdowns
70 x 10
80 x 9, 8
70 x 10

Cable flyes
60 x 10, 10, 9

3-3-10 Bench

Bench with self imposed pause which was a little short

165x4x2

175x4x4 the last reps were all hard

3 board

185x5

195x4

195x5 my back was feeling a little sore so I decided to skip the last set. I suck at 3 board press compared to foam roller press. I was feeling weaker than I wanted to feel today on bench.

One Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension

17.5x10 per arm

20x10 per arm

25x10x2 per arm

Cable Flys

60x10

70x10

60x10

3.3.10--Heavy Bench

Bench Press:
warmups
95x6
135x4x6

3 Board Press:
155x5
165x5x2
175x5

Dumbbell Triceps:
15x8x4 for the right arm
15x8x3 and 15x5 for the left arm
Conclusion: 15s were too light for the right arm and too heavy for the left arm.

Cable Flyes:
45x8x3

Funny Video of the Week:
Does this video remind anyone of a member on our team? *cough* CLAY *cough*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4cD-gblAa8

3/3 Bench

Bench:
195x4x6

V-Squat OH Press:
90x10
100x7, 7, 5

Seated Pin Press:
165x7, 7, 6


Curl Bar Extensions:
75x10
95x8
105x7


Felt kinda weak today, probably owing to the fact that I got maybe 3 hours of quality sleep last night. Fail lol.

RE Bench

Bench
275 x 6 sets x 4

3-board
295 x 5
315 x 5
335 x 5
355 x 3

Cable triceps
4 sets x 12-15 @ 6

Elbows were feeling a bit beat up when I started these, so I went for high reps.

Machine Flyes:
300 x 8,8,8,8

Hadn't done these in a while, but they felt pretty good.

Squat Day 3/1/2010

Squat:

5 (275lbs), 5(275lbs) @ 77-80%, 3 (295lbs), 3(315lbs) @ 80-85%

Box Squat:

8(225lbs), 8(225lbs), 6(275lbs), 6(275lbs)

Front Squat:

5 (135lbs) , 5 (165lbs), 5 (185lbs)

Calves

Abs

One of my better squat days. My first time doing a triple at 315. It was also my intro to front squats day, which was pretty uncomfortable.

03/02/10 Bench

Today was a mixed-bag. The full range comp. pause bench felt good. The last rep of 275 I got some slight help from the spotter at my sticking point and then locked it out.

Historically my 3-board press is hideous - and today was no exception. Its very frustrating to struggle at 3-board with a weight that you just went full range on. Almost defies logic. I am almost certain that if fresh, I could do more off my chest than off a 3-board.

Normal Grip Competition Pause Bench

225 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
245 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 8.5 RPE
255 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE
265 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE
275 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 10 RPE

3-Board Press

225 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
255 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 8.5 RPE
275 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE
285 lbs x 1 reps x 2 sets @ 10 RPE
285 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 10 RPE

Standing OH Pin Press (Pin 4)

95 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 7 RPE
135 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
155 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE
165 lbs x 3 reps x 2 sets @ 10 RPE
135 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE

Finished with some face-pulls

Total Workout Time: 1h30m

BW (post dinner): 190.2

Upper Back

Pullups
BW+45 x 6
BW+55 x 6
BW+65 x 5, 4

D-bag rows
99 x 8, 8
124 x 8
Despite popular opinion that Kyle comes up with unnecessarily weird exercises, this exercise is actually a pretty good lat/upper back exercise.

Machine shrugs
5 plates/side x 18, 15, 15, 15

Dumbbell curls
45s x 8, 8
7 or 8 minutes rest
50s x 10

3.2.10--Upper Back

Thanks to all the 9:00 guys for not showing. I was the lone ranger, which of course meant I got some pretty good lifts (I once had a pretty good Gloom). The lifts do not compensate for the absolute shittiness of not getting university apartments. Not even epic Margan.

I started off by spotting my suitemate while he squatted. I looked up and considering it was upper back day and how close I got to a pullup last time, I just went for it.

ME BW Pullup:
1 PR

I was pretty damn happy that I got this, as it was one of my goals at the beginning of the year. Fuck yeah Seaking!

Shrugs:
135x10
185x8
205x6x2
205x4

I set up the rack to do some bent over rows, but then opted for cable rows instead.
Cable Rows:
100x8
120x8
140x8x2

Lat Pulls:
100x8
120x8
140 (hard)
150 (grinder, but I got it)

BB Bicep Curls For the Purpose of Lady Getting:
50x7x2
50x4+f

I know Dave has us doing abs today, but I'm just doing abs on Mon, Thurs, and Sat.

Total time: 40 mins

Biceps and abs day

DB row

75 x 8

85 x 8

90 x 6

95 x 6

Pull ups

BW x 5

+10 x 4

+25 x 3

+35 x 3

+45 x 2 and a shitty one

BW x 8

Machine shrugs

4 plates and a quarter x some

Grip feels kind of weak on these, but I want to keep the weight high since I might as well use it as a grip exercise too.

Hammer curl/abs superset

55 x 8 x 3

UB

shrugs
mts row
chin ups (wide-grip aggravated my elbow)
leg raises (lazy)

3-2-10

Bad day, didn't get university housing. The apartment search begins.

I'm gonna probably miss the rest of this week to give my back some time to recover. I really hurt it last deadlift day, but it seems to be getting better. I will skip deadlifts this week as well as upper back. I already missed squat. I am undecided about bench. It hurts to bend my back, not to arch. Thoughts?

3/2 Back

Pull-ups:
5 sets of 6 w/BW
1 set of 6 w/BW+25

D-Bag Rows:
110x8/8
125x8/8, 8/8

Lat Pulldowns and Cable Rows to finish. The lifting felt a little lackluster except for the D-bag Rows. The heavier the weight gets, the better these feel.

Also, the networking meeting was completely unnecessary. Common sense.

march 1

Squat 5x5 @165
Pull Ups 3 1 2 3 plus 3 negatives

3.1.10--Squat

Rushed to the Wooden Center after looking at most of the intriguing university apartments for next year. I'll have a new place to call home tomorrow at 2. Because of my tour de Westwood, I did not have time to eat dinner, which resulted in some soft attempts.

Squats:
warmups
95x5
135x5
185x5 (I don't think I had hit depth on any of my lifts yet. Glutes were still super sore from Friday's Deadlift and to be honest, my hips need about 15 reps in to feel warmed up)
175x1 (felt like shit and almost went to the dorms to get food, but I decided to toughen it up and finish at least one workout)
165x5
175x3
185x3

Box Squats with Foam Pad:
135x5x4

We said "fuck it" to front squats due to time constraints.

Calves:
140x12x3

Abs:
transversus for 3 sets

Pancake Party (a.k.a. dinner):
5 pancakes, top eater in the competition.

Shitty Movie Monday:
Every Monday, we watch a really shitty movie. Past weeks have had us see "The Wicker Man" (the Nic Cage one), and "Shark Attack 3: Megaladon." This week's movie was "Teeth," which is about a condition called Vagina Dentata. 'Nuff said.

03/01/10 Squat

This is the beginning of a 2 week raw intensity block to ramp into geared lifts prior to the meet. The box squats (as was the same the previous 2 weeks) were pretty slow off the box. This made it hard to gauge what type of RPE each lift was. Honestly the 335 was just as slow and grinding as 365 was - so I hard to guess a bit as to what the RPEs were. I was happy with the 365 though, I kinda hard that in my head as a number I wanted to try and hit.

I was slightly disappointed with my reverse band squats as I have had better days at it. The box squats took away a bit of my ability to drive out of the hole on these. The last rep of 495 was a grinder and I was happy in that I felt myself almost lose my tightness and round my back a little - but fought it and was able not to. The last rep for 515 was similar although I did end up rounding my back a little. At the end I measured what the bands took off at the top and bottom....95#s at the top 165#s at the bottom. These made me feel better as it meant for the last set I was hitting 355 at the bottom, which is not a light weight for me.

By the time I reached the GMOP's my back was tired and because I had rounded a little on the last set of Reverse Band Squats, I didn't want to push it too hard. So I just used moderate weight.

Box Squat (Low Box + 45 plate)

275 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
315 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
335 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 8.5 RPE
345 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE
355 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE
365 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 9.5 RPE

Reverse Band Squat (greens)

405 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
455 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 8.5 RPE
495 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 9.5 RPE
515 lbs x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 10 RPE

Good Mornings Off Pins (Pin #10)

185 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 7 RPE
225 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
275 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
315 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE
275 lbs x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE

Finished with calves/abs and BW hypers as prehab.

Total Workout Time: 1h40m

BW (post dinner): 189.2

Rush'n Squat

Squat
225 x 5 x 2
235 x 3 x 2

Box squat
155 x 8 x 2
165 x 6
175 x 6

Front squat (screw the harness)
135 x 5
145 x 5 x 3

Did the 135 way early since I came in late and was thinking of starting backwards with the workout; Matt called me a moron and I did the workout in the intended order.

calves

Time

~80 minutes (squat day PR)

Squat

Squats
215 x 5
225 x 5
235 x 3
245 x 3

Box squats
155 x 8
165 x 8
175 x 6

Front squats
135 x 5
155 x 5 -I was feeling these primarily in my lower back so I did a couple sets of lunges

Lunges
135 x 7, 7

Kneeling abs
92.5 x 10
97.5 x 10, 10

3/1 Squat

Squat:
225x5
235x5
265x3
285x3

Front Squat: (to box)
135x5
155x5, 5

2 sets EAGLE GLUTE MACHINE and abs

I had like 1 meal today, but my strength was still about 90% there. The front squats felt really difficult, so that is something to work on.

RE Squat

Squat:
405 x 5 @ 8
425 x 5 @ 8.5
445 x 3 @ 8.5
455 x 3 @ 9

I widened my stance slightly. This feels good, but I'm having trouble consistently hitting depth on the first rep (maybe 1" high?), which is the rep that really matters for competition.

Box Squat:
315 x 8, 8
335 x 5
355 x 6

Front Squat:
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 5

Finished with leg raises and calves

MIT Meet Results

Yesterday, 6 lifters from MIT did the AAU Cabin Fever Meet. I'm not sure how many of the current UCLA lifters care, but I've met a couple of you and I know some of the old folks read the blog still. And to whatever extent I've encouraged the MIT lifters to attend meets, I guess its an offshoot of the UCLA Powerlifting club.

I was helping "coaching" and handling lifters for this meet, as for 4 of the 6 it was their first meet. The meet was really well run and there was decent competition except for about 10 high school lifters who didn't know what they were doing.

Anywho, results (100% RAAAWWWWW, in kg):

Jason Ansel (198) - 142.5/95/190 - 427.5 (942)

My labmate who started PL last summer. Went 9/9, setting PRs on all lifts with room to spare. Could have done 975, maybe 1000.

Gordon Lu (198) - 195/127.5/202.5 - 525 (1157)

18 months ago, he was squatting 185. We all expected him to get 450+ on squat, but it wasn't his day. He had one of the funniest moments of the meet when his first bench (115kg) was misloaded (150kg) and he was crushed. The weight literally bounced off his chest.

Rene Befurt (220) - 175/137.5/207.5 - 520 (1146)

Rene was one of the first "serious" lifters I met at MIT, but this was his first PL meet. He had a couple miscues on squat and bench that basically left him with 2 attempts, or he could have done 30# better on total for sure.

Brian Yutko (165) - 135/105/190 - 430 (946)

Brian did meets in highschool as a wrestler in the 123 weight class, even though he is over 6'' tall. He's filled out a little bit since then, but he still wears a girl belt.

Deirdre Connolly (132) - 90/57.5/130 - 277.5 (611)

Dee had a kind of unfocused training cycle since her last meet, but this was still a 11# total PR. Squat was a small PR, bench was a clusterfuck (weird bench at the meet), and she destroyed a 10# deadlift PR. Anyway, this total gives her #16 ranking nationally for 1000% RAW 132 Women.

Frank Wu (181) - 175/130/272.5 - 577.5 (1273)

Frank had an off-day on squat for unknown reasons. His bench was also off towards the end of his training because of elbow tendonitis, but he came through better than expected. Oh, and he also DESTROYED a 55 lb PR on deadlift, pulling 600 lbs. This means his deadlift almost equals his squat and bench together. He also got third in best lifter, only off 1st by a few points.

Vids and pics are here.

QE Bench

Another fantastic wake-up-and-work-out training session <3

Bench:
275 x 5, 5 @ 8
285 x 4 @ 9

Frustrated on the last one, as the random spotter started helping on the 285, which messed up the set.

Seated Military Press:
165 x 8, 6
155 x 6

Gassed a bit sooner than I would have liked. My right elbow started hurting from having irritated it with the good-mornings on thursday. Need ice + vitamin-I.

Finished with flyes, close-grip pull ups, cable triceps and sub scap pulls.

Bench Assistance

Standing press
105 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 3
135 x 3 -PR, last rep was a grind. Happy with the PR but honestly this exercise seems to have very little carryover to my bench.

Skull crushers
70 x 12
80 x 8, 7, 7

Flat dumbbell presses
50s x 12
55s x 10
60s x 8

Dumbbell rows
So I bought a dumbbell handle from Sports Authority but unfortunately the handle rolls and grip is kind of an issue. Additionally, the damn thing isn't long enough to hold enough weights.
122 x 8 (12 lb bar)
132 x 8
There wasn't enough room on the bar for more weight using 25s so I tried using 45s and did them standing, which worked out okay.
132 x 8
142 x 8
I could probably work with this if I do them standing from now on, but I feel it somewhat in my lower back. Considering I'll probably be using dumbbell rows for a long time to come, I think I'm gonna return it and try to find a better one that doesn't roll and is longer.

2.27.10--Bench Assistance

I woke up this morning still feeling the effects of the night before. I took my workout easier than I should have because of this.

UCLA Basketball Game:
fail

DB Shoulder Press:
20sx8
25sx8x2

DB Bench Press:
40sx8x3

Cable Flyes:
35x8x3

Lat Pulls:
100x6
120x3

Pullups:
I came so close to getting my first ever wide grip pull up. My nose broke parallel, but my chin did not :/

02/27/10 Bench

Not much else to say other than a great workout. PRs in everything. Hitting heavy bench movements twice a week is definitely something that works well for me.

Reverse Band Bench (purples at pin 6)

275 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 7.5 RPE
315 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE
315 lbs x 4 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE
295 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
295 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 8.5 RPE

Normal Grip Pin Press (pin 13)

225 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
245 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE
245 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE

CG Bench (no pause)

225 lbs x 4 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE
225 lbs x 4 reps x 2 sets @ 8.5 RPE

Finished with I's, Y's, T's superset for shoulders - 3 sets

Total Workout Time: 1h30m

BW (post-lunch): 188

2/27 Study Results - Accessory

Got up this morning at 8 to do the Exercise Study. They did a whole bunch of stuff, including taking blood samples, ultrasound of carotid artery, and a DEXA scan. I am 18.6% bodyfat at a weight of 222 and height of 6'2.5". Also, what is a notable mention is that my bone mass readings were much much higher than everyone else's - even people of similar height. Especially when it came to the skull. My skull had 715g of bone, and the next highest person there had only 620g. Dropped as a child FTW.

Leg Press Max: 810 + 100lb sled
Bench: 235 (wasnt easy, but wasnt too difficult either - could have gone higher with more sleep/blood)
Machine Row: 250

since I did not feel fatigued by the testing, I did a normal workout as well:

Dips:
BW+45x5
BW+55x5
BW+70x3

SHIP:(assuming Smith bar weighs ~30lbs)
120x10
140x10
160x8

Ultra-Wide BB Row:
135x10, 10, 10

High Row Triceps:
60x10
65x10, 10

2-26-10 Deadlift Schrempf

Deadlift

295x2 Conventional just to see what happens

305x1+fail I farted during my first lift and that really threw me off. I switched to sumo and only got it 2 inches off the ground. I think this hurt my back.

295x1 I went for a second one, but my back was hurting

Romanian Deadlift

175x8x2

185x8

and then jump stuff. my back hurts. I think the jump program I'm doing is working because I can now hang from the rim and dunk a ping pong ball. yeaaaaahhhh

2.26.10--Deadlift Day

I know I said I'd head into the gym at 2:00, but that was before I stayed up until 4:00 playing Pokemon. When I woke up today, it was already 3:00. Whoops. I went to the gym at 6 instead for some lower back work. Thanks to Greg, whose belt I stole without him knowing.

Deadlift:
135x5
185x4
215x3
275x2x3
I'm still having problems rounding out my back :(. I'm lucky so far that I haven't gotten injured, but I could really use either Matt, Dave, or Kyle to give me some advice on my form.

Conventional Deadlift off Blocks:
245x5 (easy)
275x5 (grinder)
245x5

GMOP (pins at 10)
warmups
45x10
135x8
155x8x2
I was using good form most of the time, but started squatting them up when I got tired.

Abs
Reverse Hypers-3 sets (2 of the sets I also held a 10lb weight)

February 26

BW Pull ups 3 2 3
BW Dips 8 8 8
Squat 1x5 @135, 5x5 @155
Ran into scott and luke at the gym

Deadlift

Deadlift
343 x 2
353 x 2, 2

Block pulls
343 x 3, 3 -lower back was really tired after these

GMOPs (off pin 9)
135 x 8
155 x 8
165 x 8
I felt that my form was much better with the higher pin setting.

Finished with hanging leg raises and calves

02/25/10 Deadlift/Lowers

Great workout today! Had a bad day yesterday getting back a poor grade on a midterm and was pretty bummed the rest of the day. It is funny how a great workout can make me forget it and feel soo good!

Had laid off deadlift movements the past 2 weeks due to just flat out being tired and a bit of lingering pain in my lower back. This proved to have been the right thing to do as I hit the deadlift off blocks hard and they have never felt easier!

The wide stance squats were a new exercise for me so I didn't go all out. I liked the exercise a lot and really worked my hips well. I could only hit just about parallel before the flexibility in my hips prohibited me.

Sumo Deadlift Off Blocks

443 lbs x 4 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE
463 lbs x 4 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE
483 lbs x 4 reps x 1 sets @ 8.5 RPE
483 lbs x 4 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE

Wide Stance Squats (Slight Pause)

185 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 7 RPE
225 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE
245 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE

Banded hamstring curls (green).

Banded hyper-extensions (blue).

Calves and Abs.

Total Workout Time: 1h40m

BW (post dinner): 190.8 (PR)

FE Deadlift

Deadlift:
453 x f, 1

CNS was gone. This has happened before, which happened about the same time after doing a meet and then training hard. This time I think the GMoP last week did me in.

GMoP:
315 x 3
335 x 5
345 x 4

Lower back actually started hurting, so I stopped.

Cleans:
133 x 5
183 x 3, 2

Dead as expected, but hey - this is more reps that I got last week when I was really dead.

Finished with some hamstring curls and banded hyperextensions and then called it a day.

2/25 Deadlift

Conventional Deadlift:
313x2
333x2
353x2

Leg Press:
450x10
540x10
590x10
630x10

GMOP:
185x8, 8, 8

and abs/calves to finish. The deadlifts actually felt really good and strong off the bottom, which is rare. My lower back felt pretty strong too. Success!

GI Effort Deadlift

Deadlift

343 x 2 x 3

Block pull (conventional)

343 x 4

343 x 5 x 2

Ended the first one early due to fear of sharting. Probably should've eaten more than some pepitas beforehand because throughout these sets food felt like it was coming out one way or the other.

G-mop

155 x 8

165 x 8

175 x 8

I'm benching!

Bench (paused)

155 x 2 x 4

160 x 2

135 x 8 + 2 Kyle

Was originally going to go for the 10 at 125 but Kyle put on a plate and wouldn't take it off.

Incline bench

115 x 5

125 x 5

135 x 5

Only started this low because I was drained from doing the 135 right after the 160.

Dips

BW x 15

BW x 12 x 3

Thinking of replacing something on bench accessory day with something that will help me from the bottom, since I got every incline rep to rattle. Kyle suggested low pin presses, so I'll try those.

Bench

Bench (paused)
175 x 2, 2, 2
180 x 2
182.5 x 2 -the fireman loaded the weights wrong on this set, the first rep felt slightly uneven, but for some reason the second rep felt normal because I compensated for the extra weight on one side or something

Incline bench
145 x 5
155 x 5, 5

Dips
BW x 12, 12, 12, 12

No failure = good bench session

2/24 Bench

Bench:
205x2
215x2
225x2, 2

Incline Bench:
145x8
155x8, 6

Seated Pin Press:
165x10
185x3
135x10

HS High Row Triceps:
55/side x 10, 10, 8

A good session today, despite the fact that I am down about 4lbs and have a strange shooting pain in my right trap/clavicle. I think the 225x2 was a PR for me as well, but the first set was too easy to for me to deem it a true PR. The weird neck pain kind of kept me from getting too tight on the bench, but the carryover power from the floor presses was there. Also, the High Row Triceps are basically tricep extensions done on the HS High Row machine. Like pushdowns, but without elbow irritation.

Bench

Legs and traps were extremely sore today. I notices that my butt came off the bench when it hadn't last week, which gives more evidence to the current theory.

Bench:
275 x 3
285 x 3, 3 2+1f

All with Terence-counted press call

2-board
285 x 3
295 x 3
315 x 3
245 x 10

All except 245 with press call

Dumbbell shoulder press:
80s x 6
90s x 6, 6, 6

Finished with dips: 15, 20, 20, 17

2.24.10--Heavy Bench

Bench Press (2 second pauses):
warmups
95x5
135x2
155x2x3
155x1+fx2 (the pause killed me)
115x10 (1 second pauses)

Incline Press:
115x1 (too heavy to do sets after being drained from bench)
95x5
105x5x2

Dips supersetted with Abs
3 sets

I won't be at the gym for Deadlift day because I have a basketball game, but I'll head to Wooden around 2ish on Friday if anyone wants to have a makeup day also.

Funny Videos for the week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhcdBuTLk6s&feature=related the original
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQTXawaAKNA the remix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbIplIIJTP4 no, not those stats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBizgLZX7W0&feature=related awesome movie scene

2-24-10 Bench, Heavy

Bench with 2 second paawwwss so longgg

180x2 lol

185x2x3

185x4 I decided to not pause because it was funny

1x10@155 jk 155x10 this set was damn hard on that last rep I felt pretty pretty tired tired

Incline Bench

135x5,5,4+spot I felt like I had gone soft when I struggled so hard on these

Everyone's favorite, Dips! (with a little bit of jalapeno)

BWx 15, 15, 10 uuhfffggg

And some abs

2-23-10 Upper Back

Bent Over Rows

155x10

165x10

175x10

Douche Bag Rows

3 sets PER ARM

Hammer Strength Iso Lat Pull

4 plates x 10 x 3 sets

Stealth Curls

3 sets

Also in the news

I forgot to mention that the Eleiko weight set winner that was announced on powerliftingwatch.com, was one of my old coaches from when I trained in Boston. That gym is pretty awesome; I'm jealous they have such a awesome weight set. Steve is a pretty cool guy too. Next contest, we should all enter so Wooden can have some legit weights.

Rainbow Dragonfly Ponies

http://games.adultswim.com/robot-unicorn-attack-twitchy-online-game.html

Upper Shrugs

Shrugs
450 x a lot
540 x a lot
630 x a lot
720 x a lot
810 x 8?
810 x strip set to 90. (fun times)

We discovered that adding weight to the shrug machine is as easy as just setting it on top in a messy pile. Due to the leverage of the machine, there's no way it's 810. Probably a 50% reduction due to the lever arm position? You still look bad ass doing it, so whatever.

Finished with MTS Row, Isolateral front lat pull down and Curls (up to 70s x 10).

Feb 23

Pull Ups 3 1 3
Dips 3x8
Squat 1x5 @135 4x5 @145

I was super tired, i did this at midnight and wasn't feeling well

Today I was thinking I could get stronger if I envisioned myself like a really strong animal. The strongest I could think of is a whale. I mean their hearts are bigger than the circuit room. How could they not be strong. To pump myself up, I tried singing whale songs between sets, but people didn't enjoy me going MRUUUUUUUUUUU UUU UUUUU UUUUUU really loudly. I bet they would think differently if they were looking at a super strong WHALE!


This cat is trying to be a super strong whale, but it's not really. It's just fat.

02/23/10 Bench

Very happy with today's workout. Two weeks ago I took out the weekly speed bench day and substituted in another heavy movement day. I have already noticed significant improvement in my benching. It looks like I will use the speed bench sparingly (especially considering my strength and speed off my chest is a huge strong point for me right now).

Hit a PR in floor press.

Also as a point to note I have gained 7 pounds in the last week or so which is good. Am consistently weighing 187-189 at night and 185-186 in the morning. Can't say I have been eating or dieting any differently. I did switch my protein drink to the Optimum Nutrition 2:1:1 Recovery Mix. But historically I will go 6 months without gaining any weight and then in one week gain 5-8 pounds just to remain there for another 6-months. Either way, this is a much better weight to be training at for my weight class than the 178-182 I used to be at.

Normal Grip Competition Pause Bench

225 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE
235 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 8.5 RPE
235 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE
225 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets @ 8 RPE

Floor Press (Medium Grip)

225 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE
225 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE
225 lbs x 4 reps x 1 sets @ 10 RPE

DB Overhead Press

65 lbs x 7 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE
65 lbs x 7 reps x 2 sets @ 9 RPE

Finished with Chest Supported MTS rows.

2.23.10--Upper Back

Bent Over Rows:
90x10
135x8x2
145x6

Douchebag Rows:
45x8 (each arm)
60x6 (each arm)x2
60x4 (each arm)

Hammer Strength Front Lat:
140x5x2
140x4

Ninja Preacher Curls in the Library:
80x8
80x6
70x8

2/23 Back

Wide-Grip BB Rows:165x8
185x8, 7
205x10 (loose form)
D-bag Rows:100x8/8, 8/8
115x8/8 (straps)
HS Front Lat:125x6, 6

and a few sets of NINJA CURLS to finish.

Upper Back

Barbell rows (off the ground)
185 x 5
195 x 5
205 x 5
215 x 5

Machine shrugs
5 plates/side x 15, 15, 15, 18

Iso lateral front lat eagle glute pulldown
3 plates/side x 8, 7, 7

Hammer curls
50s x 8, 8, 8

Only had one small meal in me by the time I lifted which I think caused me to start feeling gassed during pulldowns.

02/22/10 Squat

Box Squat (Low Box + Foam):
275 x 5 @ 8
295 x 5 @ 8
295 x 5 @ 8
315 x 5 @ 9
295 x 5 @ 9
275 x 5 @ 8.5

Banded Box Squat (Low Box + Foam + Greens):
225 x 4 @ 8
235 x 4 @ 8
245 x 4 @ 9
245 x 2 @ 8.5
Stopped the last one short on account of potential sharting.

GMOP (pin #10):
185 x 5 @ 7
225 x 5 @ 7.5
255 x 5 @ 8
275 x 5 @ 8
275 x 5 @ 8
This is a pin higher than normal. I wanted to isolate my lower back more as opposed to my hamstrings. It felt very good and strong. Going into the workout my lower back was bugging me so I wasn't sure if I was going to keep the GMOPs or substitute in lighter seated GMs. Happy to have hit the GMOPs.

Squats

Lower back was still sore from deadlifting and gmopping on Thursday.

Squat
245 x 5 sets of 2 -
Most of these reps were slow, but I got them. I'm pretty sure my main problem with squatting is being weak in the hole, so I'm trying to make a conscious effort to think about being faster/more explosive out of the hole.

Box squats (box and blue foam pad)
155 x 8
165 x 8
175 x 8 -this set took a while and left me pretty winded

Lunges
135 x 7, 6, 6 (per leg) -I was breathing really hard after these.

Standing abs
100 x 12
110 x 10, 10, 10

Squatting all the time, every time

Squat

245 x 2 x 3

255 x 2 x 2

Box squats

155 x 8 x 2

165 x 8

Pause squat (3 sec)

185 x 3 x 3

Easy enough I might've actually been able to go through with Kyle's slowass counting. Also thinking of doing secondary lifts unbelted on days I don't feel like doing abs, like today.

2-22-10 Squat

Squat

235x2

245x2x3

255x2 all reps felt easy

Box Squats

155x8

165x8

175x8 all easy

Transversus

Jump Stuff

2/22 Return to THE SPLIT: Squats

Squats: 255x2, 2, 2
275x2, 2
Box Squats: 135x6
165x8
185x6

2 sets on the Eagle Glute Machine and 4 sets of pulldown abs to finish. The 5x2 on squats actually felt pretty good - although it was strange to be doing more than just one set.

2.22.10--SKWAT

Squat:
warmups
95x5
135x4
185x2
205x2
205x1+f (too high... didn't have a good feeling for the hole and I just missed it)
205x2x3 PR

Box Squat:
115x8x3

At this point I was sucking air as if I had ran wind sprints. Not a good sign. I scrapped pause squats/lunges because I felt like I had nothing left in my tank. Maybe I'll hit some CYBEX EAGLE GLUTE MACHINE tomorrow to compensate.

Transversus:
3 sets

RE Squat

My hamstrings were still extremely sore from last thursday. I used the foam roller saturday, sunday and monday morning, but the soreness persisted. I think it's the GMoPs.

Squat:
405 x 5, 5, 5, 5 @8
415 x 5 @ 9

Work capacity is coming back, which is nice.

Box Squats:
315 x 6, 6, 6, 6 @8

Lunges:
185 x 10, 10

These were hurting my knee at the top when the stationary leg starts to lock out. Was planning on doing 3 sets, but bailed early.

EAGLE GLUTE MACHINE:
1 set to make up for the lunges

finished with leg raises and calves.

2/20 Chest, etc.

So Arthur needed to lift at 9 am so he could do BAR prep work. Unfortunately, 9am on a Saturday is the equivalent of the asscrack of dawn, so my power level was far below 9000. Instead of my weights and reps, I give you this funny video. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h05ZQ7WHw8Y

Bench Assistance

I think I'm coming down with a cold AKA I'm coming down with a personal problem.

Standing press
95 x 8, 8, 8

Flat dumbbell presses
70 x 5, 5, 5

Dumbbell rows
115 x 8, 8
125 x 8

2.20.10--Bench Assistance

Last night was a long night, so there was zero chance of me waking up early enough for the noon workout. No great stories from the night, except me getting put in the "friend zone" for my 4th time this school year, a clear PR.

Standing Press
45x5
65x8
75x8x3

Floor (Sleepy LOL Barzan) Press
95x5
135x5x3

Cable Flyes
45x8x3

Assisted Pullups (-50lbs) and Sup Scaps

Cable Rows
40 (each arm) x10
45 (each arm) x10
50 (each arm) x10

2-20-10 Bench Assistance

Standing Press

85x8

95x8x2

Floor Press

175x4

165x5x2 I felt so tired on these, they seemed way harder than normal bench

Cable Flys

70x8

60x12

70x7

Pullups

Cable Row the machine with two handles

50x10 each arm

70x10 each arm

80x10 each arm

Bench Assistance

This was a longer workout, but didn't seem that way since i woke up only minutes before leaving for the gym, and so wasn't very aware of what was going on. This definitely affected my military press.

Seated Military Press:
185 x 5 @9
185 x 5 @9
195 x 3 + 1f @10
195 x 3 @9


Band-lightened Bench:
275 lbs x 9? 10? @8
295 lbs x 5, 5 @8
315 lbs x 5 @8.5
295 lbs x 3 + laughing + 1 @10 (Due to laughing)
275 lbs x 5 @ 7

Did these with Matt calling out press calls. I switched half way back into my oly shoes, which made a huge difference off the chest.

Standing Pin Press:
135 x 5
155 x 5
185 x 3, 4
135 x 10

Last set was much quicker and focused on explosion.

Finished with a 5 sets of chin ups, flyes and MTS rows.

02/20/10 Bench

Very happy with this workout. It was the first time since I have been recovering from my forearm injury that I put a decent load on it. In the beginning it hurt a little, but as I worked the pain subsided totally.

I measured the purples to take 125# off at my chest and 0# for the last inch or so of the lockout. The 315 ties a PR and considering I haven't benched heavy or worked on my lockout in a little while, im quite happy.

The standing OH pin press was an interesting movement and one I had never done before. I felt a good isolation in my front delts and triceps - my two week points in the bench.

By the time I got to the CG I was a bit spent so I opened up with 185. And as can sometimes happen with me I caught my "second wind" and as I continued the weight got easier so I was able to work up to 215.

Reverse Band Bench (purples at pin 6)

275 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @8
295 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets @8
315 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @10
295 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @8.5
275 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @8

Standing OH Pin Press (Pin 3)

95 lbs x 8 reps x 1 sets @7
115 lbs x 6 reps x 1 sets @8
135 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @8.5
155 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets @9
135 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets @9

CG Bench (no pause)

185 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets @8
205 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets @8
215 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets @8.5

I finished with some tricep pushdowns against a purple band and some band pull-aparts also against a purple.

02/18/10 Active Recovery - Hammies and Lower Back

In planning out my training for this week last week, I thought that an easier day today would be warranted and I was quite right. All the box squat work did a number on my hips and hamstrings and my lower back is still sore from my last DL session. So I took it easy today to just work the muscle groups and everything felt good. I left the gym feeling better than when I entered - which was a good sign.

Good Mornings Off Pins (Pin #11):
185 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets
225 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets

Straight Leg Deadlift:

235 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets
255 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets

Power Clean:

165 lbs x 5 reps x 1 sets
185 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets

Finished it off with some banded hypers: 1 set x 15 x green, 1 set x 12 x blue, 1 set x 10 blue+purple, 1 set of 8 blue+green+purple

Condensed bench

Seated military press

95 x 8 x 3

Floor press

135 x 5

145 x 5

155 x 5

Cable flyes

Making up my back

Bent-over row

133 x 6

143 x 6 x 3

Machine shrug

3 plates x 15

4 plates x 12

4 plates x 10

4 plates x 8

Neutral grip pullups

BW x 6 x 4

Hammer curls

45 x 8 x 3

2-18-10 Deadlift

Deadlift

293x2x3

Conventional Block Pulls

263x5

293x5x2 PR

GMOP

145x8

185x8

Jump stuff

Deadlift

2/18/10

Deadlift

323 x 2

318 x 2, 2

Block Pulls

318 x 5

313 x 5, 5, 5

Good-Mornings Off Pins

185 x 7 x 3

Aerobic Ball Abs

2.18.10--Deadlift

It was weird to be deadlifting on a Thursday... just putting that out there.

Deadlift
135x5
185x5
225x2
263x2x4

Deadlift (conventional) off Blocks
263x3+f
243x5x2

GMOP
145x8
185x8x2

Abs

Squat deadlift practice

I wore my Oly shoes for all of these, which makes me a good 1.5" taller.

GMoP
365 x 5
405 x 5 @8
425 x 5 @8
445 x 5 @9
465 x 5 @9

I almost passed out on the last one from hyperventilating. After that, my CNS was shot and I felt like fainting or puking for the rest of the workout. Jake, any idea what's up with that?

SLDL:
333 x 5
363 x 5
383 x 5

Tried doing these thumbless (Bull-style) for fun.

Cleans:
185 x 1
wheezing x 5 minutes
135 x 5
hang clean 135 x 5

I got 185 up but my lower back was obliterated at that point. Any quick movement resulted in dizziness.

Finished with banded hyperextensions. worked up to green+blue+purple.

Lifting things then putting them back down

Deadlift

325 x 2 x 4

Block pull (conventional)

333 x 5 x 3

I think I forgot how to do conventional. These were harder than expected and honestly I felt like I was straight legging them the whole time.

GMOP

135 x 5

155 x 5

165 x 5

175 x 5 x 2

crunches and such

Return of the Deadlift

Deadlift
343 x 2
333 x 2, 2

Block pulls (100lb, 50kg, and a 45lb plate)
333 x 5
343 x 5, 5

GMOPs
155 x 8
185 x 8, 8 -form is still pretty bad on these but I faced the mirror on these sets to see what I looked like which may have helped

Ab planks (on the blue ball w/ feet elevated)
4 sets

With 5 people this workout took about 2 hours which was a little disappointing, but I think it's because it took time to set up the "blocks" and readjust the plates. Could we possibly do these in the power rack off pins? I think it would save some time and be a little less annoying having to readjust on every rep.

2/18 Back

HS Pullover: 270x11, 9
Lat Pulldown: 240x8
250x5 (Stack)
Yates Row: 205x10, 6
D-Bag Rows (as T-bone calls them): 2px10/10x3

The 1-arm t-bar rows apparently make me look like a total douche when I do them, but they feel quite effective at stimulating the lats and upper back. I will definitely be hammering these for the next couple of weeks.

In other news, I will be returning to THE SPLIT next quarter. I have learned much from my travels amongst the programs, and learned what was missing from THE SPLIT - week-to-week progression. I had no sense of what weight I should have been doing on a weekly basis. I have figured out how to plan this now (as well as what exercises are effective for me), and am looking forward to making big gains.

Bench

2/17/10

Bench

225, 215, 205, 205 x 2

175 x 8, 7

Close-Grip

155 x 4, 4

145 x 4

Skull Crushers

80 x 5, 5

70 x 8

Bench

Bench (paused)
175 x 4 sets of 2
135 x 2 sets of 8

Close grip bench
155 x 5 (paused)
155 x 5 (quick pause)
155 x 4+fail (no pause)

Skull crushers
70 x 10, 9, 10, 9

2-17-10 Heavy Bench

Bench with pause

185x2

190x2

195x2x2

145x8

155x8

Close Grip Bench with not so much pause

145x5

155x5

150x5

Triceps Extension

70x8

55x15

70x7+ fail

I also did some shrugs, pullups and curls because I missed yesterday

Bench

Bench
145 x 2 x 2

155 x 2 x 2
105 x 8

115 x 8

Close grip bench

125 x 5 x 2
130 x 5

Skullcrushers
50 x 10

60 x 10 x 2

60 x 9

Didn't want to fail so I left one in the tank

2.17.10--Heavy Bench

Bench Press
145x2x4
115x8x2

Close Grip Bench Press
125x5x2
135x5

Skull Crusherzzzzz
50x4
40x10x3

RE Bench

Bench:
Terence called pauses on all of these. First three sets were competition pauses.
275 x 3
285 x 2 + 1 F (close)
275 x 3
225 x 9 + 1 F @ 2 sec pause
225 x 7

Noticeable lack of pop off the chest from the heavy upper back work yesterday. Misael also noticed the same feeling. The last two sets were extra volume, but made more grueling due to lack of lats.

Close-grip:
off the foam roller, w/ 1 sec pause
225 x 5 (too easy)
245 x 5
265 x 4 (heavvy)
245 x 5

These were a good follow up.

Finished with four sets of cable triceps and three sets of dips (20, 17, 15).

Really trying to push the volume for the next few weeks in an effort to gain some chest muscle.

Quick workout today. Only took ~55 minutes from the time we got the bench. I like this new timing.

ME Left Trapezius Only

Shrugs:
5 plates per size x a lot, a lot, a lot
did some with purples, then greens,
then a strip set.

Strip sets on the shrug machine are clearly the way to go. I plan to hit these hard the next two months.

Isolateral front lat eagle glute row machine:
4 sets

Isometrictonic front low lat pull down eagle glute row machine
4 sets

I like doing these two machines as they hit the upper back hard and I can't actually max out either yet, so there's something to work up to.

Finished with thumbless reverse-grip curls.

Squt

Squat

245 x 2 x 3

255 x 2 x 2

Box squat

185 x 4

195 x 4 x 2

205 x 4

Underestimated myself since these were kind of easy

Lunges

135 x 6

115 x 8 x 2

Too tired to do 135 for more sets.

cabs

CLAY THIS IS WHERE THE TITLE GOES. YOU CAN PUT TEXT HERE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT DAY IT WAS

HI MY NAME IS CLAY AND I LIKE TO TYPE LONG SENTENCES ABOUT WHAT I DID IN THE WORKOUT.


Pull ups 3 3 2 1
Dips 10 7 4
Squat 5x5 @135
Dragon Flags


I REALLY ENJOYED TODAY'S WORKOUT. IT WAS FUN AND INVIGORATING.

THIS IS A PICTURE OF A CAT TRYING TO LIFT WEIGHTS:


THAT CAT IS FUNNY BECAUSE IT CAN'T REALLY LIFT WEIGHTS. MOSTLY BECAUSE IT HAS NO THUMBS AND WOULD HAVE TO USE A THUMBLESS GRIP, WHICH IT SHOULDN'T BECAUSE IT'S NOT SAFE.

2.16.10--Upper Back

Only Greg and I were there for the 9:00 session. Not necessarily a problem on upper back days -- we finished in 50 min.

Upright Row

55x8
95x6
115x6x3
125x6

Band-Resisted Shrugs (purple)

135x6
185x6
225x4
185x6x2

BW Neutral-Grip Pull Ups
singlesx3 and a couple of negatives

Hammer Curls
22.5 (each arm)x8x2
22.5 (each arm)x5

Upper Back

2/16/10

Only Scott and I were there for the 9:00 session. Not necessarily a problem on upper back days -- we finished in 50 min.

Upright Row

145 x 6 x 4 (6 reps, 4 sets)

Band-Resisted Shrugs

315 x 6 x 4

BW Close-Grip Pull Ups

Hammer Curls

Abs

02/16/10 Bench

Ultra-wide Pause Bench:
205 x 5 @7.5
215 x 5 @8
225 x 4 @9
215 x 5 @8.5
205 x 5 @8.5
205 x 5 @8.5

Floor Press:
205 x 5 @7
225 x 5 @8
225 x 5 @8
235 x 3 @10
225 x 3 @9

DB OH Press:
65 x 8
70 x 5
70 x 5
55 x 10

Chest-Supported Rows

2/16 Chest, Etc.

Floor Press: 215x6, 3
BTN Barbell: 115x12, 8
Seated BB Curl: 95x6
Pressdowns: 90x10
80x12

and some rear delt flies to finish. I was wandering around quite a bit today, which may have impeded gym performance slightly. Also, the Smith Machine bar weighs quite a bit more than I suspected (probably ~30lbs), as the barbell presses were ridiculously easy.

Upper Back

Chest supported rows
125 x 6
135 x 5
145 x 5
155 x 5

Machine shrugs (weight per side)
4 plates x 15
5 plates x 20
5 plates+purple band x 10, 10, 10

Iso lateral front lat pulldown (weight per side)
2 plates+quarter x 10
3 plates x 8, 7
3 plates+ten x 6

Reverse grip EZ bar curls
70 x 8, 8, 8, 8, 6

2-15-10 Squat

Various jump stuff

Romanian Deadlift 165x5x4

Squat 185x5, 205x5, 215x5, 225x5

cable abs 100x10x3

Squatta

Squat:
405 x 3
415 x 3
425 x 3
435 x 3

Feels good to have my work capacity coming back. I'm still hesitating to hit the hole hard on the first rep. On one of the warmups, I hit the rack and rotated to one side. This aggravated my right hip, which started throbbing. Need to be more careful in the future.

Box Squat:
225 + greens x 4 slow reps
315 x 4
365 x 4
385 x 4

My lower back did not respond well at all to dynamic band tension. I had to go slow to avoid shooting pain. However, my strength off the box feels pretty good, especially since it's only 20lbs below my first work set...

Finished with pull throughs, hyperextensions and ghr abs.

2/15 Back

Well, I did DM this weekend. Had a lot of fun, but unfortunately my knees are now messed up. Icing and taking Vitamin I + Glucosamine to try and speed the healing process while taking a break from leg work. Turns out that being on my feet for any extended period of time (running, walking or standing) accelerates my knee problems. Nothing serious yet, but going to play it safe.

This whole thing really pisses me off though, because I have had zero trouble with my knees for the past 3 years. And now I decide to dance for an extended period of time, and all of my hard work goes down the crapper. Now in addition to my no running rule, I will add no standing for 3+ hours.

Anyways, here was today's lifting:

HS Pullover: 250x11
270x10
HS High Row: 155/side x 8
135x 9
Yates Row: 183x12
203x8

2.15.10--Speed Squat

Got to the Wooden Center at 4:55 and didn't get on a squat rack until 5:05, with the gym closing at 5:45 so it was definitely a day where I made haste.

Squat
warmups
95x5
135x5
155x5
165x5
175x3

Pause Squats (3 seconds)
155x1 (too heavy to do more because I wasn't getting enough rest in between sets because of time constraint)
135x2
145x3

Cable Abs
BW+80x10x3

This workout left me winded afterwords. I think it might be because its been a while since I've done high volume work because I was training for the competition.
I'll be at the Wooden Center tomorrow at 9 for upper back, and I have Dave and Matt's washed singlets.

02/15/10 Squat

Started a 9-week peaking cycle for collegiates using Mike Tuchscherer's RTS template.

Squat (Low Box + Foam):
275 x 5 for 2 sets @8
295 x 5 for 1 set @9
275 x 5 for 2 sets @8.5

Squat (Low Box + Foam + Greens):
225 x 4 for 5 sets @8

Each of these were meant to be medium intensity, higher volume work mainly focusing on hip strength and speed out of the hole. It ended up being slightly more intense than anticipated but the volume was good and I definitely worked my hips well.

Banded (Green) Pull-Throughs
4 x 10

Banded (Blue) Hypers
3 x 10

Abs - Physioball trunk twists (w/ 25 #)

Squat

Can't make it tomorrow so I squatted today. This workout was rushed and took about 50 minutes, which was a bad idea...

Squat
205 x 5
215 x 5
225 x 5

Pause squats (3 seconds)
185 x 3
195 x 3, 3

Lunges
135 x 5 (per leg) -This set felt good but my hamstrings and glutes started cramping when I tried another set so I stopped.

Kneeling ab pulldowns
95 x 12, 12, 10 -Got a massive cramp in my lower abs after this last rep which lasted for like 10 minutes.
Lesson learned: Don't rush squat workouts after not squatting for 3 weeks.
It feels good to be back in the gym though.