Week Four Training Log

Nothing too out of the ordinary this week – starting another 3 week cycle of 5/3/1 before a week of de-load, then 8 weeks until meet day.  Some highlights of the week were starting dumbbell work with fat gripz (1 arm OHP and DB Bench) – definitely adds a lot to the movements.  The added grip work is very evident in the deadlift – last time through the 5/3/1 cycle, I lost grip after 3 reps @345 and four weeks later, I nailed 5 reps @355 with pauses at the top.  Also did short band deadlifts for the first time in a while – highly recommend investing in some short bands if you want to increase your bench/deadlift.  Squats are starting to feel really good – the time I spent last year dropping the weight and working exclusively on form is starting to pay off.

Stayed around 178 BW this week.

Monday, January 19

Squats

5 x 45

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 175

Working Sets

5 x 210

5 x 245

5 x 275

5 x 245

12 x 210

SS Yoke bar squats

10x135

10x155

6x175

6x155

Leg extensions

5 x 10

Crunches

5 x 30

Tuesday, January 20

Pullups 4 x 10

Overhead Press
5 x 45

5 x 75

5 x 100

Working Sets
5 x 115
5 x 130
4 x 145; 3 x 145....[expletive] hate OHP
5 x 130
7 x 115

Fat Gripz Incline bench
5 x 95; 115; 135; 155; 175; 175; 175

Fat Gripz one arm OH db press
40lbx10; 10; 6 (these are great)

Fat gripz cable rows dropsets (-20 each time)
150 x 10/10/9/8
140 x 10/10/10/10
130 x 10/10/8/10

Thursday, January 22

Deadlift
5 x 135

5 x 185

5 x 225

Working Sets
5 x 275
5 x 315
5 x 355
5 x 315
12 x 275

Band deadlift:

135+bands
2 x 5 average (+ ~240 at the top)

2 x 5 light (+ ~180 at the top)

2 x 5 monster mini (+ ~130 at the top)

Saturday, January 24
Pull ups 4x10

Bench Press
5 x 45

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 150

Working Sets
5 x 175 1 sec pause
5 x 200 1 sec pause
8 x 225 <1sec pause
5 x 200 1 sec pause
16 x 175 <1 sec pause

Fat gripz db bench
10;7;6;4;4 (50;60;70;80;80)

Chest support tbar rows
10 x 45;70;90;  
8 x115
7 x 115
10 x 90; 45

Tri extensions
5 x 10

Week Three Training Log

This week was a fun one – I typically use the 5/3/1 week to lift some heavier weights and see where I stand/where I’ve progressed since the last cycle.  This week I got nearer to a goal I’ve had for a while – a 1,000 lb total (Squat + Bench Press + Deadlift) – with 990 (305; 260; 425).  It is a total I’ve wanted to hit in the gym for a while and hope to pass in a meet later this year.

I went for singles on Deads and Bench this week (increasing the weight each set of 1 (5/3/1/1/1) instead of lowering weight and doing more reps (5/3/1+/3/5+)), but stuck with higher rep split on squats as I am still trying to do more volume with those.  Bench and deadlift were further encouraging as I missed a 260 lb bench and missed a 405 lb deadlift at a meet last October, so it was nice to get both of those lifts and a 20 lb PR in the deadlift – excited for the next meet in April.

Monday, January 12^th, 2015

Squats

5 x 45

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 175

5 x 215

Working Sets:

5 x 245

3 x 275

1 x 305

3 x 275

8 x 245

SS Yoke Bar squats

10x135; 8x155; 3 x (6 x 175)

Mini Band Standing Crunches

4 x 10

Leg Extensions

10; 10; 8; 8; 10; 10

Calf Raises

4 x 20

Tuesday, January 13^th, 2015

Overhead Press

5 x 45

5 x 85

5 x 105

Working Sets

5 x 120

3 x 135

3 x 150

3 x 135

8 x 120

Fat Gripz Incline Bench

5 x 45; 95; 115; 135; 155

5 x 175

5 x 175

4 x 175

Superset Fat Gripz Lat Pulldowns (160;70;80;90)/upright rows (150/racked)

10/10; 10/10; 10/10; 8/10

Facepulls (150(racked))

3 x 10

Thursday, January 15^th, 2015

Deadlift
5 x 45

5 x 195

5 x 145

5 x 185

5 x 225

5 x 265          

Working Sets
5 x 305
3 x 345
1 x 385
1 x 405
1 x 425 (20lb PR)

Deadlift +Bands
3 x monster mini+225
5 x monster mini +135
5 x light + 135 (took a chunk out of my palm on last set of deads, so grip has been better)

Standing band crunches
10/10/10/10 w.light bands, 10/10 w.monster mini

Leg curls
4x10

Saturday, January 17^th, 2015

Pullups 4x10/micro mini band rows/lacrosse ball on upper back

Bench
5 x 45

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 175

Working Sets
5 x 200
3 x 225
1 x 250
1 x 260
1 x 270(fail)

Dead bench singles
225; 235; 245 (fail)

Fat gripz lat pull downs
12 sets of 10. Fudge.

Front delt raises
3 x 10

Week Two Training Log

13 weeks until push/pull meet, fairly solid workouts - up weight and reps across the board - feel good going into heavy week (5/3/1) next week.  Felt better as the week went on - Monday and Tuesday was fighting off a cold, Deadlift grip felt great - definitely think the fat gripz and extra grip work is paying off.  Also love the "dead bench/band bench" combination, been using it for a couple months now.

Weighed in a steady 177-8 this week.

Monday, January 5

Squat
5 x 45

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 165

5 x 195

Working Sets
3 x 225
3 x 255
4 x 285
3 x 255
12 x 225

Hack squats(160)/crunches
10/20; 10/20; 10/20; 10/20

Not feeling it today, so [expletive] tired
Quad extensions x 10 until I can’t get ten
130; 145; 160; 175; 190; 205x8 (machine racks @250)

Tuesday, January 6

OH press
Warm up supersets
5 x 45/ 10 pull ups/ 10 mini band rows
5 x 75/ 10 pull ups/ 10 mini band rows
5 x 95/ 10 pull ups/ 10 mini band rows
Working sets
3 x 115
3 x 130
6 x 145
3 x 130
9 x 115

Superset Fat Gripz incline bench/15lb front delt raise
10 x 95/10; 10 x 115/10; 10 x 135/10; 9 x 135/10; 7 x 135/no

Narrow grip lat pulldowns + fat gripz
160x10; 170x10; 180x10; 190x6/160x6/130x6/110x10

Thursday, January 8

Deadlift

5 x 45

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 185

5 x 245

Working Sets

3 x 285

3 x 325

4 x 365

3 x 325

10 x 285

Deadlift holds - 30sec, 30sec, 20sec @225lbs

Superset bent over barbell rows (135) (overhand grip)/30 crunches

10/30; 10/30; 10/30

Standing "monster mini" band crunches 4 x 10

Saturday, January 10

3 x 10 pull ups, 10 mini band rows, lacrosse ball on upper back

Bench

5 x 45

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 160

Working Sets

3 x 185

3 x 210

6 x 235

3 x 210

15 x 185

Dead bench singles

225; 230; 235; 240; 245(fail)

Band benches

Average band x 6; 3

Light band x 9; 9; 7

Triple Superset: Fat Gripz wide grip low rows, tricep pushdown, upright cable rows

10/10/10; 10/10/8; 8/10/8; 8/10/10

Week One Training Log

Last time I wrote anything on here it was about horse racing?  One can tell the blog has lost a bit of direction since its inception in France almost six (6?!?!) years ago.  In order to get back in the hang of writing stuff that is unrelated to my dissertation, I've decided to take something I have written out every week for a year (weight training log) and post it here.  Occasionally, I'll write separate posts to reflect on what things have worked, what things haven't, what products/websites/authors/social media accounts I've found useful in the weight room, and why a powerlifting type program is more appealing to me than other exercise options.

A bit about this week - 15 weeks out from a push/pull in Staunton, VA (I competed in the fall version of this event and it was a lot of fun - unsanctioned so a bit more low key).  I'm planning on a full meet in September, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.  6 weeks on, a deload week, 6 more weeks on, a deload week, an off week, then the meet is the plan.  Periodization based on Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 training system.

It is basically (very basically), a four day/week split focusing on squat, bench, overhead press, and deadlift as the main lifts and accessory lifts to address other aspects of the main lifts.  I'll write more about it at some point, I'm sure...after all, this is writing about something that isn't my dissertation.

So here is what week one of a 15-week planned routine looked like.  Happy New Year.  Side note, I write these as I'm doing them or shortly thereafter, so sometimes there is profanity involved.  I'll try to [edit] all of it out.

Edit:  should note that body weight was between 175-177 each AM pre-workout

Week One

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Squat

Warm Up:
5 x 45

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 175

Working Sets:
5 x 205
5 x 240
6 x 270
5 x 240
14 x 205

Abs - 3 x superset 10 standing "monster mini" band crunches/20 crunches

Superset Hack squat(140)/calf raise(80)
10/20; 10/20; 10/20; 10/20

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Warmup:
Pullups(3x10) and standing mini band rows(3x10)

Overhead Press

Warmup
5 x 45; 85; 100
Working Sets

5 x 110
5 x 125
5 x 140
5 x 125
7 x 110

Fat Gripz incline bench (Slow)
10 x 95
10 x 115
8 x 135
6 x 135
5 x 135

Fat gripz low cable rows neutral grip (5 sets + drop set)
10; 8; 6; 4; 4; 6/6/6/6/10(,drop set) weight 130-170, drop set 170/150/130/110/90

Friday, January 2, 2015

Deadlift

Warm Up

5 x 45

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 185

5 x 225

Working Sets:

5 x 265

5 x 305

3/1/2 x 345  [expletive] my [expletive] grip.

5 x 305

10 x 265

Rack Pulls/20 standing band crunches between each

5 x 225

5 x 275

3 x 3 x 315

Hamstrings felt real tight going in, so didn't want to overdo anything

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Bench

Warm ups
5 x 45

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 150

Working Sets
5 x 170
5 x 195
8 x 220 (touch and go)
5 x 195
17 x 170 (touch and go)

Fat gripz lat pulldowns (6 sets then a drop set)
10;8;6;4;4;4; 3/4/5/4/6 drop set 210 minus 30 each set...forearms en [expletive] fuego

Superset tri pushdowns and Fat Gripz wide grip low rows
10/10; 10/10; 10/8; 10/8

So there's Week One in the books, fourteen more until meet day, hopefully will stay injury-free until then.

As always, thanks for reading!