BLAB Log: Week 8.Day1

Simple-6

BB Bench Warm-up - 45X5, 65X5, 95X5

BB Bench - 115X6, 130X4, 140X10

DB Alternating Bench - 55sX10, 55sX7

"J" push-downs - 30X12, 40X12X3

Defranco's "Shoulder Shocker" - 45/50X10 (fail on the Clean&Press), 25/30X10 (fail on the C&P)

DB Timed Shrugs - 120X30sec. (34 Reps), 140X30sec. (40 Reps)
super-set with
Alt. Hammer Curls - 30sX10, 35sX10

DB Complex - 25X6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Jefit says 140X10 is a PR.  Nice to have those continue.

Made a stupid mistake on the shoulder super-set.  Tried to go at it with roughly the same weight Defranco used in the instructional video, namely a full plate for the front raises and something in the 25lb. range with the DBs.  Fail.  Got to the Clean & 1/2 Press and just stalled out.  It was better after I switched to the 25lb. plate and the 15s, but my shoulders were already toast.  I'll start off with that weight next time, and hopefully get the prescribed reps.

I think I did the right thing on the shrugs, namely reps for time.  I thought there might be a chance it was supposed to be a 30 second hold, but all the vids I found for timed shrugs involved reps.  And my traps were sore as shit for two days, so that's what I'll do next week as well.

Last week of the DB complexes.  They will be missed.

BLAB Log: Week 7.Day 1

Simple-6

Bench warm-up - 45X5, 65X5, 95X5

BB Bench - 115X7, 125X5, 135X10

Alternating Med-ball push-ups - BWX11, BWX8

Cable row, neutral grip - 100X10, 110X10X2
super-set with
Triceps extensions - 60X10, 70X10, 70X7

Face-pull, 2sec. hold - 50X10, 60X10X2
super-set with
Zottman curls - 50X10X3

DB complex (front squat, swings, curl+press, jump squat) - 25X7, 8, 9, 10

Rough commute today.  Exactly the kind of day I don't want to go to the gym, and exactly the kind of day when it's most important to make myself go.  Yay freakin' me.

Jefit says 135X10 is a bench PR.  So that feels nice.  I realized before that set that I had forgotten to throw chin-ups in between my earlier sets.  I started to go do them, but I stopped myself for two reasons.  1) I thought it might be beneficial to give myself a few days off from chins to be recovered before the next full chin day, and 2) it occurred to me that by throwing in sets of 2-4 chins all the time, I might only be training myself to DO 2-4 chins.  On Monday I am gonna by god do 5 or more chins without letting go of the bar.

The hypertrophy stuff was all fine today.  Triceps extensions PR, and I managed to keep the weight slightly up on the curls.  I think switching to the high pulley for the face-pulls helped my biceps rest more.

DB complexes are fun, but I'm sure glad I didn't up the weight from last week.  I was grinding on the extra 10 reps, and my legs are feeling it today.

BLAB Log: Week 6.Day 1

Simple-6

BB Bench Warm-up - BarX10, 65X8, 95X5

BB Bench Press - 110X8, 120X6, 130X11

Off-Set, Alternating Med-Ball Push-ups - BWX10, BWX7

Cable Row - 100X12X2, 100X10
super-set with
Lying Triceps Extensions - 60X12X2, 60X9

Face-Pulls - 40X12X2, 30X12
super-set with
DB Zottman Curls - 60X8, 50X7, 30X10

DB Complex (Front Squat, Swing, Curl+Press, Jump Squat) - 25X7, 25X8, 25X9

Bench felt good.  Program called for 4+ reps on the last, heaviest set.  Jefit projects the 130X11 as a PR which makes me 5 for 5 on Bench PR attempts in this program.  That's nice, but I can't help but feel that the little tweaks I'm making in my form might be contributing as much as any strength gains.  Oh well, a PR is a PR I suppose.

Speaking of form tweaks, I tried "grabbing" the bench with my legs as Wendler suggests in his 531 manual, but the bench isn't long enough for me to keep a strong arch between my butt and shoulders with my eyes in front of the bar, and still have my knees alongside the bench.  Maybe if I pull my heels even further back?  Maybe I'll try this on my warm-up sets next round and see if it's feasible.  Also, maybe a lot of powerlifters are shorter than me.

Threw chin sets in between bench work-sets.  Continue to feel stronger and more explosive since I started mixing up the grips with neutral and over-hand.

Triecps extensions were harder than usual for this weight.  Also, my left elbow didn't seem to like them much.  Makes me nervous because Paul Carter has ascribed all his elbow tendonitis to heavy free weight extensions.  I'm just trying not to lock-out and hope that keeps them healthy.  I was hoping to go heavy on these in my next program, but I may have to rethink that.

REALLY had to drop the weight on the Zottman curls.  I'm wondering if the combination of the programmed rows and the extra chins caused this.  Also, my biceps might have been more involved in the Face-pulls than normal because I'm having to use a seated pulley station and that has a low angle.  Maybe I'll try a high-pulley next week and see if that helps.

DB Complex was fun.  Might go up 5 lb.'s next week.  Would go more, but I'd probably lose gas on the Curl'n'Press.