Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Cutting, bench press

Tues, 31 May 16

Bench: 135x2x10, 185x2x8, 205x5, 225x3x3, 235x1, 245x1, 225x3, 205x5, 185x8
Pec Deck: 100x20, 130x10, 160x2x5, 130x7, 100x12
Single Arm Cable Flys:  25x2x12 (per arm)

Pretty decent workout.  I was on the road yesterday, and will be again tomorrow, so I'm trying to spend a few extra minutes in the gym and get in some volume.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Cutting, deadlifts

Sun, 29 May 16

Deadlifts: 135x5, 225x2x5, 275x5, 295x5, 315x3x5, 275x2x5, 225x5
Leg extensions: 90x20, 135x15, 180x2x10, 135x15, 90x20

Meh, nothing to write home about.  Focusing on "engaging my lats".  I read to imagine you had an orange under each arm and were trying make orange juice.  I didn't have any oranges, but I had two street hockey balls.  After a few lifts with this method I figured that my set up did include engaging my lats, but I may have been releasing them part-way through the lift.  I finished off with some le extensions to try to make legs ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE I LIFT!

Weigh in yesterday was 214.8, a drop of 2.6 lbs. 

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Cutting, upper body

Weds, 25 May 16

I couldn't get a regular, flat bench, so I did incline presses in the Smith machine.  I feel like such a wimp, because it's hard to do the press movement with any real weight.  I tried a reverse grip with 25 first - but my shoulder hated it, and I really wasn't getting the pec activation I was looking for.  Conversely, a normal grip really allowed me to flare my lats and squeeze my pecs at the top.  I started with 25x2x20, then 35x2x10, then 45x2x10, then back off sets to fatigued - 40x10, 35x7, 30x10, 25x15.  I then did 110x2x15, 130x2x10 on the pec deck, reversed it and did pulls 130x2x15.  They were hard.  Next I hit the cable fly, single arm, 20x15, 25x2x15 per side.  Then a bench was freed up.  I tried to warm up with 135 and had to struggle from 7-10 reps.  I was so fatigued I decided that was enough.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Cutting, squats

Tues, 24 May 16

Squats: 135x2x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x3x3, 275x2x5, 225x2x5

Once again, holding steady at 315 for a triple.  Crappy weight loss last week - down 0.2 lbs, 217.2.  Pretty sad.  Did a little single cable cross fly afterwards 2x20, 2x25 per side.


In addition I did high rep, single plate a side bench presses on the weekend.  120 reps on Sun and Mon per day at 135x6x20.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Cutting, bench and upper body

Fri, 20 May 16

Bench: 135x2x10, 185x2x5, 205x4, 225x3x3, 205x2x5, 185x2x5

Bench was slightly better than earlier in the week.  More reps.  I was considering doing a few singles at heavier weight, but decided against it.  If I can hang on to 2 plates while dieting I think that's a good place to be.  I finished up with pec deck,  dual cross over cable flyes, single crossover cable flies, tricep pushdowns (these are murder on my right shoulder for some reason), and bicep/lat pulldown.  Felt pretty fried after.  I like the way the cable flyes work - dual cable and pec deck seem to target the center of my chest.  Moving to a single cable and turning my body seems to hit the delt and anterior outer pec - near shoulder.  I did high reps while holding a hand over my pec, and you can really feel the activation.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Cutting, squats

Thurs, 19 May 16

Squats: 135x2x5, 225x2x5, 275x5, 315x3x3, 275x5, 225x5

Pretty much a repeat of last session.  That being said, weight staying on the bar is weight staying on the bar.


Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Cutting, lower body depletion

Tues, 17 May 16

Lots and lots of lower body work.  GHR 4x15, seated leg curls 4x15, lying leg curls 3x15, seated leg extension 8x15, dual leg sled 90, 180, 270 and 360 for 15 reps each.  Could barely walk after lol.  Then I did a little technique work on the one arm cable fly, 2 sets of 15 each arm - this may be one of my go-to chest movements as I could certainly feel the pecs working.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Cutting, upper body depletion

Mon, 16 May 16

Did an upper body depletion workout.  Weight on Sat was 217.4, this am 219 (carbs, etc)  Pounded myself on machines for close to 45 minutes.  Tomorrow, lower body.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Cutting, squats

Fri, 13 May 16

Squats: 45x2x10, 135x2x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x3x3, 275x5, 225x2x5

Managed to keep the weight on the bar.  I had hoped to do two drop sets at 275, but it felt pretty heavy and in the interest of staying healthy I ripped off two at 225 instead.  There's enough volume there to maintain.  I just have to keep fighting to keep the third plate up - because getting back to 4+ is going to be hard enough at this point.

Weight as of Sat am is 216.8.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Cutting, bench

Weds, 11 May 16

Bench: 135x10, 185x5, 205x5, 225x3, 225x2x2, 205x2x3, 185x2x5
Dumbbell Pec Work:  20x10,  25x10, 30x10
Pec Deck: 170x15, 190x15, 215x2x5

Decided to try more of a flat bench, guillotine style today.  Very wide and no arch other than scapular retraction.  No slingshot, belt, etc, just raw.  Right shoulder still feels odd, and I couldn't get as many reps out with the increased depth from doing the flat bench, but still happy overall.  I'll have to play with the dumbbell pec work a bit - I found it quite hard and had to use very light weight.  This goes to show that either my form sucks, or I'm actually quite weak off the pecs - which I believe is the actual issue.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Cutting, lower body depletion workout

Tues, 10 May 16

Lower Body Depletion:  Grueling.  Every body part from the back down for 6 sets of 15.  All machine work.  Could barely walk after, my thighs are blown up and are touching when I walk lol, that's how much pump is in them.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Cutting, upper body depletion

Mon, 9 May 16

Upper body depletion as the diet kicks back in.  Maxed weigh in was 224 lbs as of this am.  Talked to one of the regulars in the gym about hitting the pecs and he gave me a good dumbbell based exercise that really hits it.  It's essentially a seated incline dumbbell fly, but your sitting up so that your shoulder blades are the only part touching the bench, and arms are bent a bit.  I'm unable to find a video, but the guy has one of the best physiques in the gym and a great chest.  I watched him doing cable flyes and was trying not to look like I was trying to pick him up after when I went to talk to him lol.  But I mean, would you go to me for diet advice?  Not likely, you might ask me how I squat so deep, because that is something I'm good at.


Friday, May 6, 2016

Squats at maintenance calories

Fri, 6 May 16

Squats: 45x10, 135x10, 225x5, 275x5, 315x3x3, 275x2x5, 225x2x5

Hit the same targets today as last session.  Managed two sets of 225 on the back off sets.  Diet starts back up Sunday.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Bench at maintenance calories

Thurs, 5 May 16

Bench:  135x10, 185x5, 205x5, 225x3x5, 205x2x5, 185x2x10

Good session.  Right shoulder is being a bit cranky, clicky part when rotating.  Couldn't even manage two reps close grip with 135.  Shoulder would not let me.  Did some machine work after, but couldn't get on the pec deck.  Still not noticing a lot of pec activation in my bench - I'll ask a guy who I sometimes bench with if he sees any while I'm benching next time he's there.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Squats - maintenance calories

Tues, 3 May 16

Squats: 45x10, 135x10, 225x10, 275x5, 315x3x3, 275x2x5, 225x5

Great session!  The 315 I hit for singles last week I hit for triples today.  The back off sets were effortless.  I'm hoping to get in another squat day this week - say Friday.  Then back to dieting after.  My weight has been up a bit - but that's mostly water and extra food kicking around inside me.