Max effort benching

Warm up:

bar x 10

bar x 10

135 x 8

Lighten method flat bench: 

315 x 10

405 x 7

455 x 3

475 x 1

405 x 7

405 x 7

Flat bench lockouts

315 x 8

365 x 6

405 x 3

405 x 3

Stopped those to do 

floor dumbell presses with the group.

3 sets with 80 pound dumbells.  

These were strange.  I haven't done dumbell presses in a long time.

Finished up with 4 supersets of tricep cable push downs and face pulls.

My weight's right at 310 pounds.

I talked to Russ about doing strongman stuff.  Sounds like fun.  He also said that he squats on mondays.  I'm going to try to join him, I'd love to have somebody to squat with.

DE Box squats

I didn't expect too much from todays workout after being super sore from ME squats on Sunday and moving this workout up a day because of thanksgiving..

Warm up

bar x 10

bar x 10

135 x 8

DE Box squats

10 sets of 2 reps working up to 275 + purple bands.

As expected the squats felt a little sluggish today.  No big deal.

Leg curl machine:

3 sets of 10 various weights ( I don't remember )

Short workout, but I WAS SOOO DONE!

Dynamic Effort bench in AF

After some pretty serious DOMS from squats on Sunday, which caused me to feel basically like I was run over by a truck this morning, I actually had a decent DE bench workout.

Warmup:

bar x 10

bar x 10

DE bench

10 sets of 135x3 (trying to learn how to be patient :) )

Standing tricep cable push downs 

5 sets up to 200 with two pullies

Face pulls

5 sets of 15-20 reps whole stack

Tried the shoulder press machine, but I can still feel the injury, weird that I can't feel it at all benching.  I probably should have tried just pressing a straight bar, but their rack isn't tall enough and I don't like doing them outside the rack since there are so many people who don't pay attention when they're walking by.

Overall a pretty good workout considering how sore I was this morning.

Squat PR

ME Squats at golds on 13th

bar x 10

bar x 10

135 x 7

225 x 6

315 x 3

405 x 1

445 x 1 (PR no knee wraps, no belt)

405 x 2

315 x 5

315 x 3

Still really happy with how squats are going.  I widened my stance slightly, but I'm realizing that I'm never going to be a really wide stance squatter, and that's ok.  I'm really happy with how the squats are going.

Leg press machine:

3 sets of 8 with as much weight as it can hold

Leg curl machine:

3 sets whole stack + 15

Max effort benching

Max effort benching at Ripped fitness

warm up:

Bar x 10

Bar x 10

Bar x 10

Bar x 10

Bar x 10

bench:

135 x 10

135 x 10

225 x 7

275 x 4

315 x 1

Board presses: 

Kind of forgot what I did.  I believe I went up to 335x 4 with 6 boards

Chain presses:

3 sets.  I have no idea how much the chains weigh, at the bottom it felt like maybe 150, at the top it felt like maybe 250 ( maybe a little more ).  It's hard to tell since it feels much less stable than having weight on the bar.

Tricep presses and Face pulls.

Not a bad workout for still being able to slightly feel my injury.  The energy seemed different than a normal saturday though.  

Next week, I'm hoping to try Stump's old shirt.

Good DE squat workout

warmup 

bar x 10

bar x 10

DE box squats

135x2

225x2

225x2

225 + purple bands x 2

275 + purple bands x 2

295 + purple bands x 2

315 + purple bands x 2

335 + purple bands x 2

355 no bands x 2

355 no bands x 2

275 no bands x 2

The squats felt GOOD, REALLY GOOD.  Glad to be squatting again after a missed ME session.

4 sets on leg curl machine with the whole stack

4 sets on leg extension machine up to the whole stack

Tuesday DE bench

Warmup:

bar x 10

bar x 10

DE Benching:

10 sets of 135 x 3

145 x 3

155 x 3

I actually felt pretty fast today.  Stump gave me crap for trying the 155 but I think I was about as fast with it as 135, after all sometimes I do 135 + mini's.  The sternum bruise is healing pretty good, lately I only feel it first thing in the morning.

Standing overhead shoulder presses:

I didn't do much weight here because I felt tight from the bruising.  

Tricep extensions, I forget how many sets, whole stack + 25 on the machine with 2 pullies

Face pulls, don't remember the weight or number of sets, I kept it light though.  They felt pretty good though.

I think I'll be back to normal for saturday's ME session.

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday:

I didn't bench more than the bar because I was too bruised up from a stupid skiing incident ( I've been skiing for 20+ years and nothing like that has ever happened, but I ended up going over a little dip in the flat run out part under the cirque and it threw all 305 pounds of me forward right over my skis.  My chest hit hard against some pretty hard packed snow.  The doctor said that I strained/bruised my sternum. )  I just tried to stretch out and get things moving a little, and I helped Stump a little.  I was able to do some tricep cable extensions and that was about it.  Moving the bar around seemed to help though.

Sunday:

Normally this would have been my max effort squat day but I didn't want to push it given I'm still a little bruised up ( but it's healing ).  I did leg presses for the first time since I started squatting.  Back then I probably would have put 4 plates on each side and called it good, but today I was able to really load the thing up and do reps with what had to be over 850 pounds ( I'm not sure how much the machine itself weights ).  I made sure that I went below "parallel" or what would be parallel if I was really doing squats.  After that I did leg curls, leg extensions and some calf work.  I miss doing squats!  But I'm healing quick and I'm sure next time I'll be back squatting again.

Pretty Decent DE box squat session

DE box squats at Golds in AF

bar x 8

bar x 8

135 x 2

2 sets of 135+mini+purple bands x 2

2 sets of 225 + mini + purple bands x 2

3 sets of 275 + mini + purple bands x 2

295 + mini + purple bands x 2

225 + mini + purple bands x 2

225 x 2

When I first started doing squats, I couldn't have done 295 period, let alone with mini + purple bands and in a somewhat explosive manner.  It feels nice to realize that I'm still making progress.

Rack pulls just below the knee

315 x 8

405 x 6

455 x 3

500 x 1

I actually felt really strong with the rack pulls today, but I was dead from the squats.

3 sets on the leg curl machine.

I got on the scale on the way out, 303#.   I love it.  My pants are getting tight around my legs but not my waist.  If the weight keeps going in the right places, I can see easily being 345# and not being "fat".

DE bench solo tonight ( Stump is training tomorrow )

Dynamic effort benching:

bar x 10

bar x 10

3 sets of 135 x 3

6 sets of 135+mini bands x 3

I actually felt pretty explosive today.

Standing overhead Stump presses

65 + 70 hanging x 10

85 + 70 hanging x 6

95 + 70 hanging x 5

105 + 70 hanging x 5

115 + 70 hanging x 5

I've got a long ways to go, but my shoulders ARE getting stronger.

Supersets of face pulls and standing tricep press downs.

Overall a good workout after a very stressful day at work today.  Thankfully I was not laid off.  Unfortunately the manager over my team was, very said because I felt like she was very good a her job.  I hope things work out for her.

Max effort squats with SSB

Monday, Squats at Ripped Fitness.

Safety Squat Bar squats

Bar x 8

155 x 8

205 x 6

245 x 5

295 x 2

295 x 2

315 x 1 ( PR for this bar )

315 x 1

The safety squat bar is HARD.  Compared to normal back squats, it felt like there was a bunch of weight pulling my core forward.  I can see how doing squats with this bar will really build core strength.

For some reason I decided to do some pulling SUMO, which I haven't done in a while

135 x 10

225 x 8

315 x 5

365 x 3

405 x 1

Actually felt pretty good.  I'll have to continue pulling sumo.

Sunday, Skiing.  They opened purvian gulch which was covered with thick heavy powder.  My legs were sore, but not nearly as sore as after friday.

Max effort benching

Benching at Ripped Fitness with Stump, Jeff, Mike, Nick.  The Ripped fitness group was there too, Russ, Scott, Brad, Todd, another Mike that I just met today..

Lightened method pin presses, the pins were just above where the bar would touch my chest:

275 x 10

315 x 10

365 x 8

405 x 5

455 x 3

While unloading the bar we determined that the bands helped about 185 at the bottom and 90 at the top ( maybe less, it was hard to estimate the top).  

Board presses:

Probably 5 sets working up to 345x3 with 6 boards ( which is probably about the same as 3 boards for everybody else ).  I think if I hadn't done the reverse bands first, I could press 335 no boards.  I noticed that my first rep is always the hardest.  Stump said that it's because I'm letting the bar get out in front of my elbows.  Ie the bar is coming down low, but my elbows aren't under it, they're closer to my head.  Only on the first rep though.  Very good information.

Standing tricep cable extensions:

5 sets working up to 100 pounds ( only one pulley no mechanical advantage unlike when I do these over at golds ).

Face pulls:

5 sets didn't keep track of the weight

Grip roller,  this is the one I'm starting to love the pain of. LOL  It makes my forearms feel like they're on fire.

Good luck to everybody going to WABDL worlds next weekend.

Skiing!

I was on the first chair up the mountain this morning up at snowbird!  What an awesome first day of the season.  Tons of powder to track up.  Sooo much better than the first day of the season last year.

Tuesday and Thursday

Tuesday:  DE bench

Bench:

8 sets of 3, not very explosive today

Monday killed any explosiveness I would have on bench so I didn't worry too much about it.  

Overhead press lockouts:

worked up to a max of 2 reps, 245 

Tricep extension, and pulldowns

Thursday:  

DE squats:  8 sets x 2 worked up to 275# +purple+mini's x 2

Rack pulls: worked up to 545 x 1

3 sets on Leg curl machine

Max Effort Concentric Goodmornings

I finally have access to a safety squat bar to do concentric good mornings as on the westside DVD's

Concentric Goodmorning:

Bar x 6

Bar x 6

155 x 5

245 x 3

265 x 1

285 x 1

295 x 1

305 x 1

Wow, it's so much different with the safety squat bar than a straight bar off straps.  

Deads

225 x 7

315 x 3

405 x 1 ( dead after concentric goodmornings )

Dumbell rows:

100 x 8

120 x 8

120 x 8

120 x 8

Did some grip work, I don't really know what to call what I was doing, but my forearms are on FIRE and I can barely type right now.

BENCHING!

Benching at Ripped Fitness with Jeff, Stump, Mike, Nick ( still no Moosie/Parker, hope he's healing OK )

Flat bench:

Bar x 10

Bar x 10

135 x 8

135 x 8

225 x 5

275 x 3

320 x 1 ( PR )

325 x 1 ( Stump or Jeff helped don't remember who not really sure how much )

I'm still feeling really good about benching, things are finally coming together.

Tricep standing cable extensions

whole stack x 20

whole stack x 20

whole stack + 25# x 15

whole stack + 25# x 15

whole stack + 25# x 15

5 sets of face pulls

4 sets on shoulder press machine ( I know, I know, but it was there  )

OK, Stump, next week I'm definitely changing my ME exercise.  Sorry I HAD to bench this week.