Friday, November 30, 2018

Bench test and deadlift

Fri, 30 Nov 18

Bench: 135x10, 185x3, 205x2, 225, 245, 265. 275 F
Deadlift: 225x5, 315x5, 365x5, 385x1, 405xF

So my top three bench sets were with my strap - which does assist me a bit.  I was benching alone in a gym with no safeties, so I turned a couple of plyo boxes on their sides and used the strap just in case I found it too hard at the bottom.  (think slingshot but nowhere's as heavy).  I also didn't use any stimulants - so I'll split the difference and say 255 max.  That's 10 up from my calculated max three weeks ago.  I'll start another cycle next week.  I just decided to deadlift to see where I was.  I was doing a few shrugs and figured, meh, might as well do some deadlifts.

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Squats (end of week 1)

Thurs, 29 Nov 18

Squats: 135x10, 225x5, 315x10x3

Not too bad!  I was supposed to do 320, but there are no 5's or 2.5's in the gym.  It was a lot of work, but I managed to get through it with minimal rest periods.  I did do 5 minutes on the bike at the beginning.  Since I'm not walking to the gym (the 5 or so minutes I used to walk each way) my legs aren't as warmed up as they used to be.  So, I figured I better get them warmed up a bit on the bike.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Bench (Final Smolov session)

Tues, 28 Nov 18

Bench: 135x5, 185x5, 205x3, 225x10x3
DB hammer curls : 30x8, 35x8, 40x2x8
Triceps pushdown : 50x10, 60x10, 70x10, 80x10
Face pulls: 50x10, 60x10, 70x10, 80x10

My session today was supposed to be 215x10x3 - but as I mentioned yesterday (I think), they have no 5's or 2.5's.  So after a set I decided I would go 225 instead.  While it was harder towards the end, it wasn't too bad.  I supersetted some of the hammer curls, then near the end supersetted the pushdowns and face pulls with the bench.  So, I'll have to do a strength test and see where I am next.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Squats (Week 1)

Tues, 27 Nov 18

Squats: 135x2x5, 225x5, 275x5, 295x3, 315x8x4

I tried working out in the new gym in our building today.  They didn't have any 2.5's or 5's, so I had to make due with 10's being the smallest.  The workout should have been 300x8x4.  It wasn't really a problem, I got out of breath a bit.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Bench (Smolov week 3)

Thurs, 22 Nov 18

Bench:  135x2x5, 155x3, 175x2, 190x1, 200x8x4

Smith Machine shrugs (plates) : 2x10, 4x10, 6x2x10

Went well.  Once again the weights were heavy, but never grindy or slow.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Squats (Week 1)

Weds, 21 Nov 18

Squats: 135x2x5, 225x3, 245x2, 265x1, 285x7x5

Another good session.  No pain.  Drops were under control and smooth.  Lifts were snappy.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Bench (Smolov week 3)

Tues, 20 Nov 18

Bench: 135x2x5, 155x3, 175x2, 190x7x5
Kneeling Cable Lat Pulldown: 100x5x10
Pec Deck: 100x2x15, 100x2x10
Tricep Press: 100x2x15, 100x2x10

The session went well.  I had no issues completing the bench presses with minimal rest, and continue to use a narrower grip.  I did some pumpy accessory work to finish off the session.

Monday, November 19, 2018

Squats (Smolov Week 1 redux)

Mon, 19 Nov 18

Squats: 135x2x5, 225x5, 265x6x6

First day back after a week and a half of no squats.  Went well.  No pain.  Short of breath, but other than that - no worries.  Lowering the weight was a good idea - it kept the reps faster.

Friday, November 16, 2018

Bench (Smolov Week 3)

Thurs, 14 Nov 18

Bench:  135x5, 155x5, 170x3, 180x6x6
Seated DB OHP: 40x5x10
Smith Machine Shrugs (plates): 4x2x10, 6x2x10

I bench exclusively narrow-ish today.  (baby fingers on the inner rings).  It's definitely becoming easier and I'm feeling it more in my chest then triceps.  Super easy session.


Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Bench (Smolov week 2)

Weds, 14 Nov 18

Bench: 135x5, 155x5, 175x3, 195x2, 210x10x3

This went well.  The top sets were a little hard, but I required minimal rest and they weren't grindy.

I didn't bother with accessory work as I had to change before and after the session in the gym, as opposed to my normal changing at work first.  This cut into my time significantly.  (It was too cold to wear shorts back to the office).


Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Squat (Smolov Week 1)

Tues, 13 Nov 18

Squats: 135x2

No go.  I tried warming up, and as soon as I put weight on the bar I could feel pain in my groin.  Sounds like a week of no squats.  But I will bench the next three days.


Friday, November 9, 2018

Bench (Smolov Week 2)

Fri, 9 Nov 18

Bench: 135x5, 155x3, 175x2, 185x1, 195x8x4

No problem.  They were heavy-ish, but not grindy or anything.  I finished up with 60 reps each (6x10) of seated smith OHP and shrugs.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Squat (Smolov Jr Week 2)

Thurs, 8 Nov 18

Squats: 135x5, 225x5, 275x3, 310x5x5

Goal was 7x5 today, but at the end of the 5th set I felt a tender twinge in my upper hamstring where it meets the groin. I'm thinking adductor or graciius.  I presume I had my feet too wide.  Anyhow - the sets did seem a little hard at the top, and the goal isn't for that to be the case.  So I think I will reset to week 1, drop the weight by about 20 lbs and try again.

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Bench (Smolov Jr Week 2)

Weds, 7 Nov 18

Bench: 135x5, 155x5, 185x7x5
Seated DB OHP: 40x6x10
Farmer's Walk : 75x4x50

The bench was fast and smooth.  Rests were under a minute.  I reduced the weight on the DB OHP so I could have more control on the negative, and didn't need to take a rest on the last rep of the farmer's walk today.

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Squats (Smolov Week 2)

Tues, 6 Nov 18

Squats: 135x5, 225x5, 275x3, 290x6x6

This wasn't too bad.  I was able to keep decent speed and depth.  I actually lost count at one point, so I may have done 7 sets of 6 instead of 6.  I can't see where that would be a big problem though.

Monday, November 5, 2018

Bench (Smolov week 2)

Mon, 5 Nov 18

Bench: 135x5, 155x5, 175x6x6
DB Seated Shoulder Press : 40x2x10, 45x2x10, 40x2x10
Farmer's Walk: 75x4x50

The bench was very easy today, good stretch and pump.  I thought I'd try adding a little weight to the shoulder presses, they were too hard at the top and I really had to grind out the last few reps of the sets after switching to 45s.  The farmers walks were 75 lb db's in each hand, for 50 steps, 4 times.  I had to take a quick rest partway through the last walk and set the db's down, my forearms were getting brutalized. 

So, although the presses were easy today I'm sticking with the program as written.  I also thought the presses were easy early last week until day 3, and then NOT so easy.  It's that 8x4 volume day where it feels heavy.

Friday, November 2, 2018

Squat (Smolov end week 1)

Fri, 2 Nov 18

Squats: 135x5, 225x5, 315x3, 335x2, 345x10x3

Well, that was certainly hard work.  The last two sets I was just growling hard.  Not grindy though, but maybe too hard.... we'll see next week.  I'd like to not have to dial it back, but if I do, I do.

Bench (Smolov week 1 done)

Thurs, 1 Nov 18

Bench: 135x5, 185x5, 205x10x3
DB Seated Shoulder Press : 40x6x10
Hammer Curls: 30x6x8

Bench was really quite easy.  In fact, I found myself resting less than a minute at times.  I then did some accessory/vanity work since I had time.  I initially tried the 40's on the hammer curls too - but found I was just jerking them up in the air, which sort of defeats the purpose.  I lowered the weight on the curls and found (until the last few reps) that they were pretty strictly controlled.  I was seated for both the shoulder press and curls, and supersetted them.