Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Lower body

Weds, 28 Feb 18

Leg press (plates): 4x15, 6x15, 8x15, 10x10, 12x10, 10x10, 8x12, 6x10
Seated Calf Raises: 70x4x12
Leg extension (separate leg machine): 70x15, 80x15, 90x15, 100x10, 110x10, 100x10, 90x10, 80x10
Kettlebell swings:  25x30, 25x30, 25x30

Another brutal workout.  Once again, the leg extensions and swings are crazy hard!  I switched back to the seated calf work as I feel it isolates the calf muscles far more effectively.  I noted that with the standing movement I started taking up the slack in my back, shoulders, glutes, etc. and didn't push the calves as far on the heavier sets.  Even though the weight was 3x as high it wasn't all being loaded onto the calves.  Is this a better plan?  Who knows?  I surely can only just by what I see.

Getting some good depth on the leg press - stopping just as my back starts to come off of the seat with it in a 90 deg position, safeties set to the second notch from the bottom.

I've also been doing cardio for a little over a week now.  Plan is to do 30-50 minutes every second day, depending on how I feel right now.  It's mostly brisk walking, although I do throw a few five minute jogs, or one minute flat out runs in there.


Monday, February 26, 2018

Upper body (DB 75x8)

Mon, 26 Feb 18

DB Bench: 50x10, 60x10, 65x10, 70x10, 75x8, 65x10, 60x2x10
EZ-Bar Curls: 60x10, 70x10, 80x8
Dual Pulley Pulldown: 100x10, 140x10, 160x10, 180x5, 200x5, 180x5, 160x5
One armed cable flyes: 15x10, 25x10, 30x10, 25x2x10
Tricep press: 110x5x10

Managed to add quite a bit to the DB bench press - the bench felt wobbly, and I had to drop the db's a couple of times on lift off and get a better position.  It would help if the bench was just a bit wider as I feel like I'm going to roll off.  I don't believe that a floor press variation would give me enough elbow drop to get a good range of motion.  I wasn't feeling the curls today.  I was doing them standing without the preacher bench and started to cheat on the 80s.  Pulldowns were great today.  I've been using the thumbless, hands like hooks, technique and I can really feel the stretch in my lats.  Finished off with some cable flyes and tricep presses for a little extra work.




Thursday, February 22, 2018

Squats (405x5x1)

Thurs, 22 Feb 18

Squats: 45x10, 135x10, 225x5, 315x5, 365x1, 405x5x1

I decided not to mess around and go straight for the PR.  Sadly, when I walked out the 435 it just felt too heavy.  I decided not to risk injury and did another four singles at 405.  I think I probably could have did another few singles, but once again, decided to play it safe rather than risk.  I would certainly hope that the five singles at 95% of 1RM is enough to help stimulate growth and adaptation.


Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Upper body (DB 70x10)

Weds, 21 Feb 18

DB Bench: 50x10, 60x10, 65x10, 70x10, 65x3, 60x2x10
EZ-Bar Curls: 60x10, 70x10, 80x2x10
Smith Machine OHP: 90x10, 110x10,  120x2x5, 130x2x5, 120x5, 110x7, 100x10 , 90xF

Managed to add 3 reps to the DB bench.  Getting stronger.  By the time I hit the last set of the smith machine presses my arms were so fatigued I couldn't lift the bar back up.  So, I left it on the safeties (always set the safeties kids!) and slid out from underneath.  I finished up with some cable work for the pecs as the pec deck has been out of commission for a few weeks now.  The writing is so faded on the machine I couldn't tell you what I was moving though.  


Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Deadlifts

Mon, 20 Feb 18

Deadlifts: 225x2x5, 315x2x5, 365x3x3

Just a short session.  I was late in the day starting, and there's a bit of life stress going on.  In any case after doing the 3x3s I just didn't have anything left in me to get 385 off the ground.  I'm kind of sketched out by deadlifting in situations where I don't feel quite right, due to my hamstring tear last year.  It's a psychological barrier that's likely turned into a physical one - that I will have to train over.  It doesn't make sense that I'm squatting 425 but only pulling 365-405 off the floor.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Upper body (255 1RM)

Weds, 14 Feb 18

Bench: 135x10, 185x5, 205x5, 225x5, 245x2, 255, 275f, 225x2x5
Pull-ups: BWx5x5
DB Shrugs: 100x4x15
Standing curls: 50x10, 80x5, 90x5, 100x5

Went well.  Had issues with getting the machines I wanted, so I had to improvise a bit.  The pull ups were done from a dead hang, just body weight.  The shrugs were meh, not really worth the effort.  The standing curls were just an experiment to see how much I could curl - lots of body english.  I didn't feel like doing any after the 100.  I went to go do tricep pressdowns, but the machine was busy, and since I had been going for quite a while I called it quits.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Lower body

Tues, 13 Feb 18

Leg press (plates): 4x15, 6x15, 8x15, 10x10, 12x10, 10x10, 8x10, 6x10
Leg extension (separate leg machine): 70x15, 80x15, 90x15, 100x10, 110x10, 100x10, 90x10, 80x10
Standing calf raises: 250x5x10
Kettlebell swings:  25x50, 25x30, 25x30

Glutes. Are. Fried.  That is all.

Not really.  The leg press was good.  I had a nice wide stance and good depth.  The leg extension was hard but I got a really good pump of the teardrop. The standing calf raises were just for variety, and I can easily say that 20 reps with 70 lbs on the seated beats the hell out of 250x10 standing.  I expect it's because I'm using a whole pile of muscles to assist when standing, while isolating quite a bit while seated.  Kettlebell swings hammered my glutes and cardio.  I had to sit down after the first two sets.  I went both 10, left 10, right 10, both 10, right 5, left 5.  Then b10, r10, L10, and repeat for the last set.  I was kind of surprised I actually managed the 50 reps.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Upper body (DB 70x7)

Mon, 12 Feb 18

DB Bench: 50x10, 60x10, 65x10, 70x7, 65x10, 65x7
EZ-Bar Curls: 50x10, 60x10, 70x2x10
Seated Smith Machine OHP: 50x10,  70x10, 90x10, 110x10, 90x10, 70x10, 50x10
Dual Pulley Pulldown: 70x10, 100x10, 140x10, 160x5, 140x10

DB Bench is improving - I went from 70x4 to 70x7.  It's still pretty hard to get started, but I'm improving.  By the time I was done my triceps and shoulders were pretty pumped.

Friday, February 9, 2018

Upper body (DB 70x4)

Tues, 7 Feb 18

DB Press : 50x10, 60x10, 70x4, 65x2x10
OHP:  95x8, 135x5, 155x5, 175x1, 155x3, 135x10
Ez-Bar Curls : 50x10, 60x10, 70x10, 70x3, 70x7
Triceps Press: 110x10, 130x10, 150x10, 170x10

Nice session.

Deadlifts (1RM 405)

Fri, 9 Feb 18

Deadlifts: 135x10c, 135x10s, 225x5c, 225x5s, 315x5,  365x5, 385x1, 405x1,425F, 405x1, 385x1, 365x1

I'm not sure how the squat became better than my deadlift.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Squats (1RM 425)

Tues, 6 Feb 18

Squats: 45x10, 135x10, 225x5, 315x2x5, 365x3, 385x1, 405x1, 425x1, 315x2x5 (beltless)

Went really well.  I felt solid and strong and threw on the last two sets at 315 for a bit of a bonus.

Monday, February 5, 2018

Trying to start again lol. (DB 60x10)

Mon, 5 Feb 18

Chin ups: BWx2x10
Power Cleans : 95x2x10, 135x2x5, 155x5
Deadlifts: 225x3x5, 315x5x3
Bench: 135x10, 185x3x5
Ez-Bar Curls: 50x10, 70x2x10
DB Press: 40x10, 50x10, 60x10
Triceps Press: 80x10, 110x3x10

Last week was another mess.  I had hoped to get into the gym on Thursday, but when I got to the gym I realized I had forgot my shoes.  By the time I would have made it back to the office and back to the gym I would have had little time. 

So today I did a light full body session to get moving and get my muscles primed up.  My legs had the least involvement, so tomorrow I'll squat and maybe do a little extra leg work if I have time.