BW - 201
Hypers - 5 sets of 15-20
Squats -
BarX5
95X5
135X5
185X5
210X3
235X1
Pendlays -
BarX10
95X5
115X3
135X3
125X15
Dips - BWX7, 9, 12, 9, 7
Chiro Crunches - 5 sets of 25-35
Continue to like the hypers over the reverse hypers for now. Interestingly, in the first few sets I feel the muscles really getting worked, and then for the last few, they just feel warm and "capable" for lack of a better word.
Squats actually went pretty well, and I possibly could have gotten another rep or two at the end, but I'm lowering my training max after this without a deload, so I didn't want to grind this out beforehand.
Tried something a little different with the Rows, and that was going back to something I did on Paul Carter's UB - Reps Strength program where I over warmed-up on rows and then did my rep-out set as a back-off. Went great, and 125X15 is a Rep PR and projected 1RM increase.
For dips, rather than try to push a new projected 1RM, I went back to the ladder I ran 2 weeks ago, and tried to run it with 2 more reps per set in order to push the overall volume for the session up. This worked very well, as I got all the reps on each set, but the last reps on the last two sets were all out efforts.
New diet starts on Sunday. I broke it out into a table for myself yesterday, and will do the grocery shopping for the first week soon. This will take a lot of pre-planning and vigilance to pull off over the next 2 months, and I'm excited about it.
Showing posts with label Ultimate Beastdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ultimate Beastdom. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
UB: Reps - Review
I've finished the 6-week rep strength block from Paul Carter's Ultimate Beastdom - How to get What Constitutes Strong (WCS).
This cycle called for lifting 3 times a week (I just went every other day, or 7 times in two weeks) with 1 hard conditioning session and the option to mix in some steady-state. After consulting with Carter, I made a change to the original programming. Instead of doing Deadlift high-rep work, I did maintenance deadlifts, and worked on my rowing strength with high-rep T-Bar work.
Here are my results for the cycle:
Squat - Several Rep PR's, projected increase to 1RM (15 lbs.).
Deadlift - Several Rep PR's, increased 1RM (15 lbs.). All PR's were on the last day of the cycle.
T-Bar Rows - Several Rep PR's, increased 20RM (20+lbs.)
Bench - Several Rep PR'S, projected increase to 1RM (5 lbs.).
For Conditioning, I mostly did Prowler pushing on the weekend, with one session of sledge-hammer swings. I did fasted steady-state in the mornings at least one weekend day a week, and often both Saturday and Sunday.
It's amazing what can happen in 6 weeks.
High rep Squatting is a whole other animal from anything I've done before. On this movement, more than any of the others, Paul's "Over Warm-Up" technique of working up to a heavy-ish single and then backing off to your repping weight seemed to pay the most dividends. I actually set a 1 Rep PR because my max last increased on the UB Strength 5X5 cycle, so the 90%X1 on the last week was with a weight I'd never actually had on my back. On my last week, I took my previous projected 15 RM to 20 actual Reps. I won't say those 20 Reps were easy, but at no point in the set did I doubt I would hit them. I probably enjoyed squatting during this cycle more than I've ever enjoyed it since I started squatting a year ago. AND it makes me excited to go back to heavier squat work, and see what that's like now.
I really, really love Deadlifting, and have always hated T-Bar Rows, so this cycle was a bit difficult for me because I constantly had to resist the urge to pull more and/or heavier deads instead of doing bare-minimum maintenance. It helped that I went with unsupported T-Bars rows. I just hate the chest-supported kind because it seems really hard to breathe, and fighting for breath always interferes with my attempts to push the reps. I already mentioned that doing rows here was a modification to the program. I made one additional modification in that instead of working up to a waved, heavy single, I waved a top triple before backing off to my work-sets. This just made more sense for me because it allowed me to keep my form stricter without trying to pull a heavy-ass single on a movement I am/was not very good at yet.
Because I haven't done these kind of rows a lot, I made progress VERY quickly. I twice hit 20+reps with my work weight, and had to increase it for the following sessions. By the end of the cycle, I'd increased my work weight by 30 lbs., and was still able to take that final work weight for 15 strict reps. I think this process has allowed me to fall a bit in love with rowing, and I will work on some DB rows for my next cycle, and then attempt to transition into strict BB/Pendlay rows. Basically, I've given Chin-ups a lot of attention in the past, and I now see no reason why rowing shouldn't get an equal amount of my time. Especially because...
...my Deadlift went up on this program. On the final session of the cycle, I felt really awesome walking into the gym. My top deadlift the week before had a been a ridiculously easy 1 Rep PR (remember, I'd been doing 5X5 and 531 for strength previously, so almost no heavy singles). Not only did I feel great, but I wanted to know how much the rowing had helped my Pull, and didn't see any reason to have a separate testing day or start a new program/cycle without finding out the State of my Pull. So I was supposed to pull 315 for a single (and a 1 Rep PR). I decided I would pull it for a double, and I easily did. I added 10 lbs. and pulled another single. I added another 10 lbs. and pulled a difficult single. I added another 10 lbs. and failed at lock-out. I took a long rest, tried it again, and failed below the knees. Okay. So I had to settle for a new 1 and 2 Rep PR's, and a demonstrated increase to my 1RM. Woe is me.
Benching was a mixed bag for me on this. I really shouldn't say that because I hit Rep PR's, and twice hit projected increases to my 1RM. That is success. However, the last two sessions were real grinders, and the final session was a failure. Shit happens, and it was probably just a bad day. Also, bench doesn't mean as much to me as Squats and Deads so I'm not tore up about it.
An additional wrinkle that probably impacted my bench (although I don't know why it didn't effect my squat) was my diet on this program. I'm not a diet guy, but I took some direction from Carter's Shake Diet, and had a MRS for breakfast every day, and one more either after a training session, or often as my lunch on non-training week-days. I'd have one helping of whatever I wanted for dinner, and try not to eat anything late in the evening. I also mostly switched from beer to bourbon when having drinks. Again, I'm not a diet guy, so I don't hop on a scale very often, and then it's usually at the gym when I've got at least one meal in me. Thus I can't speak to weight change, but I've certainly trimmed up quite a bit around my mid-section. A loss in weight is classically accompanied by a decrease in bench performance, so I'm not very surprised to crap out on bench at the end of the cycle.
I learned a great deal about myself as a lifter on this cycle, and there's a lot to carry with me into future training set-ups. I still plan on basing the majority of my training for the foreseeable future around 531 for the main lifts, however nothing I did on this program is incompatible with that. I've mentioned this before, but as an example, to take this program and adapt it to 531, I would simply hit the target reps on a 531 movement, and then back the weight off to attempt to increase strength in a higher rep range. Not entirely dissimilar from Wendler's own Boring But Big template.
This cycle called for lifting 3 times a week (I just went every other day, or 7 times in two weeks) with 1 hard conditioning session and the option to mix in some steady-state. After consulting with Carter, I made a change to the original programming. Instead of doing Deadlift high-rep work, I did maintenance deadlifts, and worked on my rowing strength with high-rep T-Bar work.
Here are my results for the cycle:
Squat - Several Rep PR's, projected increase to 1RM (15 lbs.).
Deadlift - Several Rep PR's, increased 1RM (15 lbs.). All PR's were on the last day of the cycle.
T-Bar Rows - Several Rep PR's, increased 20RM (20+lbs.)
Bench - Several Rep PR'S, projected increase to 1RM (5 lbs.).
For Conditioning, I mostly did Prowler pushing on the weekend, with one session of sledge-hammer swings. I did fasted steady-state in the mornings at least one weekend day a week, and often both Saturday and Sunday.
It's amazing what can happen in 6 weeks.
High rep Squatting is a whole other animal from anything I've done before. On this movement, more than any of the others, Paul's "Over Warm-Up" technique of working up to a heavy-ish single and then backing off to your repping weight seemed to pay the most dividends. I actually set a 1 Rep PR because my max last increased on the UB Strength 5X5 cycle, so the 90%X1 on the last week was with a weight I'd never actually had on my back. On my last week, I took my previous projected 15 RM to 20 actual Reps. I won't say those 20 Reps were easy, but at no point in the set did I doubt I would hit them. I probably enjoyed squatting during this cycle more than I've ever enjoyed it since I started squatting a year ago. AND it makes me excited to go back to heavier squat work, and see what that's like now.
I really, really love Deadlifting, and have always hated T-Bar Rows, so this cycle was a bit difficult for me because I constantly had to resist the urge to pull more and/or heavier deads instead of doing bare-minimum maintenance. It helped that I went with unsupported T-Bars rows. I just hate the chest-supported kind because it seems really hard to breathe, and fighting for breath always interferes with my attempts to push the reps. I already mentioned that doing rows here was a modification to the program. I made one additional modification in that instead of working up to a waved, heavy single, I waved a top triple before backing off to my work-sets. This just made more sense for me because it allowed me to keep my form stricter without trying to pull a heavy-ass single on a movement I am/was not very good at yet.
Because I haven't done these kind of rows a lot, I made progress VERY quickly. I twice hit 20+reps with my work weight, and had to increase it for the following sessions. By the end of the cycle, I'd increased my work weight by 30 lbs., and was still able to take that final work weight for 15 strict reps. I think this process has allowed me to fall a bit in love with rowing, and I will work on some DB rows for my next cycle, and then attempt to transition into strict BB/Pendlay rows. Basically, I've given Chin-ups a lot of attention in the past, and I now see no reason why rowing shouldn't get an equal amount of my time. Especially because...
...my Deadlift went up on this program. On the final session of the cycle, I felt really awesome walking into the gym. My top deadlift the week before had a been a ridiculously easy 1 Rep PR (remember, I'd been doing 5X5 and 531 for strength previously, so almost no heavy singles). Not only did I feel great, but I wanted to know how much the rowing had helped my Pull, and didn't see any reason to have a separate testing day or start a new program/cycle without finding out the State of my Pull. So I was supposed to pull 315 for a single (and a 1 Rep PR). I decided I would pull it for a double, and I easily did. I added 10 lbs. and pulled another single. I added another 10 lbs. and pulled a difficult single. I added another 10 lbs. and failed at lock-out. I took a long rest, tried it again, and failed below the knees. Okay. So I had to settle for a new 1 and 2 Rep PR's, and a demonstrated increase to my 1RM. Woe is me.
Benching was a mixed bag for me on this. I really shouldn't say that because I hit Rep PR's, and twice hit projected increases to my 1RM. That is success. However, the last two sessions were real grinders, and the final session was a failure. Shit happens, and it was probably just a bad day. Also, bench doesn't mean as much to me as Squats and Deads so I'm not tore up about it.
An additional wrinkle that probably impacted my bench (although I don't know why it didn't effect my squat) was my diet on this program. I'm not a diet guy, but I took some direction from Carter's Shake Diet, and had a MRS for breakfast every day, and one more either after a training session, or often as my lunch on non-training week-days. I'd have one helping of whatever I wanted for dinner, and try not to eat anything late in the evening. I also mostly switched from beer to bourbon when having drinks. Again, I'm not a diet guy, so I don't hop on a scale very often, and then it's usually at the gym when I've got at least one meal in me. Thus I can't speak to weight change, but I've certainly trimmed up quite a bit around my mid-section. A loss in weight is classically accompanied by a decrease in bench performance, so I'm not very surprised to crap out on bench at the end of the cycle.
I learned a great deal about myself as a lifter on this cycle, and there's a lot to carry with me into future training set-ups. I still plan on basing the majority of my training for the foreseeable future around 531 for the main lifts, however nothing I did on this program is incompatible with that. I've mentioned this before, but as an example, to take this program and adapt it to 531, I would simply hit the target reps on a 531 movement, and then back the weight off to attempt to increase strength in a higher rep range. Not entirely dissimilar from Wendler's own Boring But Big template.
UB: Reps Week 6. Bench
Defranco Shoulder mobility
Bench -
BarX15
65X10
105X6
135X3
190XFAIL
135X12
OH Extensions - 45X15, 15, 15, 12, 12
Cable Upright Rows, V-Grip - 4 sets of 12
-10% session big-time. Sucks to end the program this way. All the bench sets felt heavy, and I knew I was in trouble about half way through. I had trouble getting 190 out of the rack, and had to try it twice before I got it out. It didn't even really come off my chest. I had to roll it down my body and onto the bench while I scooted out from under it. Then 135 was brutal approaching 10 reps. A complete disaster of a bench session. The only consolation is that I don't care about bench nearly as much as Squat and Deads, and those were great on the program. And I did set PR's the last two week's on bench, so the cycle wasn't a waste, just the last session.
Bench -
BarX15
65X10
105X6
135X3
190XFAIL
135X12
OH Extensions - 45X15, 15, 15, 12, 12
Cable Upright Rows, V-Grip - 4 sets of 12
-10% session big-time. Sucks to end the program this way. All the bench sets felt heavy, and I knew I was in trouble about half way through. I had trouble getting 190 out of the rack, and had to try it twice before I got it out. It didn't even really come off my chest. I had to roll it down my body and onto the bench while I scooted out from under it. Then 135 was brutal approaching 10 reps. A complete disaster of a bench session. The only consolation is that I don't care about bench nearly as much as Squat and Deads, and those were great on the program. And I did set PR's the last two week's on bench, so the cycle wasn't a waste, just the last session.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
UB: Reps Week 6. Back
Defranco - Rollovers, piriformis and lat stretches
Deadlift -
135X5X2
225X3X2
315X2
325X1
335X1
345X FAIL X2
T-Bar Rows -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
100X3
90X15
Standing Abs - 5 sets of 12
God. Damn. I love deadlifting. Last Back session of the program. Last October I failed to even budge 315, and today I was programmed to pull 315X1 and then move on to rows. Last week's 305X1 felt so stupid easy that I came into the gym planning to pull 315X2.
I did that, and the gym owner was walking by and I told him I just pulled 315 for the first time and for a double. "Was it easy?" "It was awesome" "Then go up." I threw on 10 lbs. and it went up. I threw on another 10 lbs. for 335, which put me at my projected max after the 315X2. I went and managed to salvage up some chalk dust out of one of the chalk stands (first time I ever used chalk), and pulled it too lock-out. It was slow and required much grunting. I threw another 10 lbs. on, chalked up, and failed just below lockout. I took a 2+ minute rest, chalked up again, and failed just below the knee. Done.
So 3 PR's and a confirmed new 1RM. I was ecstatic about all that, until I failed to pull the 345. Then I was pissed, and had to slowly talk myself into being happy again. I had to use chalk for the first time because my grip was feeling NOT strong, however I still used a basic double-overhand grip on all sets.
If I'd made the 345, I was going to give myself permission to skip the row, but I didn't so I went right ahead and set a PR there as well with 90X15. Going into that set, I thought that if I didn't make 20, I'd keep doing sets until I got 30+, but after the set of 15 I knew I was done lifting anything with my back for the day.
Just enough left in the tank for 5 sets of standing cable crunches. Then I treated to myself to a big bowl of rice and sashimi.
Deadlift -
135X5X2
225X3X2
315X2
325X1
335X1
345X FAIL X2
T-Bar Rows -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
100X3
90X15
Standing Abs - 5 sets of 12
God. Damn. I love deadlifting. Last Back session of the program. Last October I failed to even budge 315, and today I was programmed to pull 315X1 and then move on to rows. Last week's 305X1 felt so stupid easy that I came into the gym planning to pull 315X2.
 |
| Easy Double |
So 3 PR's and a confirmed new 1RM. I was ecstatic about all that, until I failed to pull the 345. Then I was pissed, and had to slowly talk myself into being happy again. I had to use chalk for the first time because my grip was feeling NOT strong, however I still used a basic double-overhand grip on all sets.
If I'd made the 345, I was going to give myself permission to skip the row, but I didn't so I went right ahead and set a PR there as well with 90X15. Going into that set, I thought that if I didn't make 20, I'd keep doing sets until I got 30+, but after the set of 15 I knew I was done lifting anything with my back for the day.
Just enough left in the tank for 5 sets of standing cable crunches. Then I treated to myself to a big bowl of rice and sashimi.
Monday, May 14, 2012
UB: Reps Week 6. Squats
Defranco Hip Mobility
Squats -
BarX20
95X10
155X6
195X3
275X1
195X20
Leg Curls - 5 sets of 15; 10 partials at the end of the last set
V-Ups - 3X10
Prowler Pushes; High-Handles down and back - 90 lbs., 15 pushes, 15 minutes
275X1 is a Rep PR, 195X20 is a Rep PR, increase to projected max, and my target for the cycle. Left me sweating hard, and with my heart pounding like crazy. Great session, great cycle for squatting. Don't know what else to say.
Squats -
BarX20
95X10
155X6
195X3
275X1
195X20
Leg Curls - 5 sets of 15; 10 partials at the end of the last set
V-Ups - 3X10
Prowler Pushes; High-Handles down and back - 90 lbs., 15 pushes, 15 minutes
275X1 is a Rep PR, 195X20 is a Rep PR, increase to projected max, and my target for the cycle. Left me sweating hard, and with my heart pounding like crazy. Great session, great cycle for squatting. Don't know what else to say.
UB: Reps Week 5. Bench
Defranco Shoulder Mobility
Bench -
BarX20
65X10
105X6
135X3
180X1
135X16, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3 (30 total reps)
Standing OH Extensions - 55X12, 45X12, 12, 12, 15
Cable, Neutral Grip Upright Rows - 3X10
Strange bench session. 135X16 is a Rep PR and an increase to my projected 1RM. So yay, BUT that 16th rep was so goddamn hard I only locked it out as it traveled back into the J-hooks. Then on that last set of two, I didn't set my feet far enough back and my heels came all the way to the floor on the presses. The result? MORE STABILITY AND A STRONGER PRESS. This led to being able to close out the bench with two sets of triples. So, I guess, this was a really awesome session because of the big PR and the improvement to my form, but it felt crappy at the time that I could barely even get 16 reps on my first set.
I should note that the 180 felt pretty easy, which was comforting.
Bench -
BarX20
65X10
105X6
135X3
180X1
135X16, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3 (30 total reps)
Standing OH Extensions - 55X12, 45X12, 12, 12, 15
Cable, Neutral Grip Upright Rows - 3X10
Strange bench session. 135X16 is a Rep PR and an increase to my projected 1RM. So yay, BUT that 16th rep was so goddamn hard I only locked it out as it traveled back into the J-hooks. Then on that last set of two, I didn't set my feet far enough back and my heels came all the way to the floor on the presses. The result? MORE STABILITY AND A STRONGER PRESS. This led to being able to close out the bench with two sets of triples. So, I guess, this was a really awesome session because of the big PR and the improvement to my form, but it felt crappy at the time that I could barely even get 16 reps on my first set.
I should note that the 180 felt pretty easy, which was comforting.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
UB: Reps Week 5. Back
Defranco - Rollovers, piriformis and lat stretches
Deadlift -
135X5X2
225X3X2
305X1
T-Bar Rows -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
80X3
75X22, 8
Standing Abs - 5 sets of 10-12
I love deadlifting. 305X1 was an easy 1 Rep PR. I actually got unbalanced on the way up, and the bar wobbled down on the left-hand side, but I had no difficulty locking out. Can't wait for my first 3-plate pull next week.
I also hit 20 reps with 75 easily on the T-Bar and will up the weight to 100 for the final week. I might not be able to clear 10 reps with that weight, but I don't care. I'll just do as many set as it takes to get 30 like it was any other day of the cycle. No finish lines.
Got 5 sets of abs in, but it was tough. Normally I'd be inclined to take a session or two off for recovery, but I may try a different movement, or even a light circuit just to stay in the habit of doing ab work.
Deadlift -
135X5X2
225X3X2
305X1
T-Bar Rows -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
80X3
75X22, 8
Standing Abs - 5 sets of 10-12
I love deadlifting. 305X1 was an easy 1 Rep PR. I actually got unbalanced on the way up, and the bar wobbled down on the left-hand side, but I had no difficulty locking out. Can't wait for my first 3-plate pull next week.
I also hit 20 reps with 75 easily on the T-Bar and will up the weight to 100 for the final week. I might not be able to clear 10 reps with that weight, but I don't care. I'll just do as many set as it takes to get 30 like it was any other day of the cycle. No finish lines.
Got 5 sets of abs in, but it was tough. Normally I'd be inclined to take a session or two off for recovery, but I may try a different movement, or even a light circuit just to stay in the habit of doing ab work.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
UB: Reps Week 5. Squats
Defranco hip mobility
Squats -
BarX20
95X10
155X6
195X3
265X1
195X18, 6, 6 (30 total reps)
Hamstring curls - 5 sets of 10-15
Standing Abs - 4 sets of 8-15
Awesome squat session. 195X18 is a Rep PR, and a projected increase to my 1RM. Also, 24 combined reps on the first two work-sets is a cycle best, and getting 30 reps in 3 sets ties my cycle best. 20+ reps is in the bag next week. I hope to use a power rack, but it was f'ing busy as hell in the gym today. I'm scheduled to squat again on Sunday, though, so it likely won't be as packed.
Squats -
BarX20
95X10
155X6
195X3
265X1
195X18, 6, 6 (30 total reps)
Hamstring curls - 5 sets of 10-15
Standing Abs - 4 sets of 8-15
Awesome squat session. 195X18 is a Rep PR, and a projected increase to my 1RM. Also, 24 combined reps on the first two work-sets is a cycle best, and getting 30 reps in 3 sets ties my cycle best. 20+ reps is in the bag next week. I hope to use a power rack, but it was f'ing busy as hell in the gym today. I'm scheduled to squat again on Sunday, though, so it likely won't be as packed.
Monday, May 7, 2012
UB: Reps Week 4. Bench
Defranco Shoulder Mobility
Bench -
BarX20
65X10
105X6
135X3
170X1
135X15, 5, 3, 3, 3, 2 (31 total reps)
Lat Pull-Downs - 5 sets of 8-10
Hammer & Tire - 4 rounds of 20 swings "per arm" with 30-60 second rests; 10 minutes
Accomplished what I wanted on bench here. 135X15 is a Rep PR. 20 combined reps for my first two sets is a best for the cycle, and getting 30+ in only 6 sets is also a best for the cycle. Jefit says 135X15 is an increase to my projected 1RM, but the formula I use says it only matches my 1RM. Still, pretty OK with that.
Now I have to consider what I want to do next week. Last week, I backed off the first work-set to try and get more reps on the following sets, and get my 30+ in fewer total sets. That worked somewhat, but then I came back this week and did great, and some of the credit should go to what I did last week. I have two bench sessions left. I'm considering backing off the first set again next week and seeing if I can get 30+ in even fewer sets, and then trying to blast out the last week and try to get 20 reps on my work-set (with a spotter, lol). It may be a game time decision based on how the first work-set is feeling next week.
Bench -
BarX20
65X10
105X6
135X3
170X1
135X15, 5, 3, 3, 3, 2 (31 total reps)
Lat Pull-Downs - 5 sets of 8-10
Hammer & Tire - 4 rounds of 20 swings "per arm" with 30-60 second rests; 10 minutes
Accomplished what I wanted on bench here. 135X15 is a Rep PR. 20 combined reps for my first two sets is a best for the cycle, and getting 30+ in only 6 sets is also a best for the cycle. Jefit says 135X15 is an increase to my projected 1RM, but the formula I use says it only matches my 1RM. Still, pretty OK with that.
Now I have to consider what I want to do next week. Last week, I backed off the first work-set to try and get more reps on the following sets, and get my 30+ in fewer total sets. That worked somewhat, but then I came back this week and did great, and some of the credit should go to what I did last week. I have two bench sessions left. I'm considering backing off the first set again next week and seeing if I can get 30+ in even fewer sets, and then trying to blast out the last week and try to get 20 reps on my work-set (with a spotter, lol). It may be a game time decision based on how the first work-set is feeling next week.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
UB: Reps Week 4. Back
Defranco - Rollovers, piriformis stretch, lat stretch
Deadlift -
135X5X2
135X10
225X3X2
295X2
T-Bar Rows (unsupported) -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
80X3
75X17, 13, 5 (35 total reps)
Standing Abs -5X10-15
295X2 is a Rep PR on the Deadlift. Back in October, 295 tested as my true max. This was pretty easy, and that feels awesome. However, my grip felt a little shaky on the 2nd rep. Bears keeping in mind.
Upped the work-weight on the rows to 75. My target for this session was 15 reps on the first set, which would project to an increased 1RM. I hit that and clearly had more so I kept going, however the 17th rep was difficult to touch on. Nevertheless, I was jazzed and determined to reach my 30 rep total on the 2nd set, which I did, but again the last couple reps were hard. I decided to throw in one more set just for the extra work. Also, because my grip was shaky at the end of the Deadlifts, I didn't use straps on my first work-set here, and only pulled them on to make sure I got to 13 on the 2nd set.
I like my chances for hitting 20 in one set next week, and then upping the work-weight again for the final week of the program. Also, I'm feeling significantly more comfortable with this movement than I ever did before. I think it's time to start seriously doing some Pendlay's now. I'm probably going on a 2-day split following this because of my schedule, but when that opens up again, I'm considering keeping bench on the back-burner and focusing on BB Rowing.
I also contracted my abs against resistance whilst in a standing position. Repeatedly.
Deadlift -
135X5X2
135X10
225X3X2
295X2
T-Bar Rows (unsupported) -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
80X3
75X17, 13, 5 (35 total reps)
Standing Abs -5X10-15
295X2 is a Rep PR on the Deadlift. Back in October, 295 tested as my true max. This was pretty easy, and that feels awesome. However, my grip felt a little shaky on the 2nd rep. Bears keeping in mind.
Upped the work-weight on the rows to 75. My target for this session was 15 reps on the first set, which would project to an increased 1RM. I hit that and clearly had more so I kept going, however the 17th rep was difficult to touch on. Nevertheless, I was jazzed and determined to reach my 30 rep total on the 2nd set, which I did, but again the last couple reps were hard. I decided to throw in one more set just for the extra work. Also, because my grip was shaky at the end of the Deadlifts, I didn't use straps on my first work-set here, and only pulled them on to make sure I got to 13 on the 2nd set.
I like my chances for hitting 20 in one set next week, and then upping the work-weight again for the final week of the program. Also, I'm feeling significantly more comfortable with this movement than I ever did before. I think it's time to start seriously doing some Pendlay's now. I'm probably going on a 2-day split following this because of my schedule, but when that opens up again, I'm considering keeping bench on the back-burner and focusing on BB Rowing.
I also contracted my abs against resistance whilst in a standing position. Repeatedly.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
UB: Reps Week 4. Squats
Defranco Mobility
Squat -
BarX20
90X10
155X6
195X3
255X1
195X15, 7, 8 (30 total reps)
GHR - 5X10
Prowler High-Lows - 13 trips; 15 minutes
Great session. 195X15 is a rep PR, 15 and 7 for 22 reps between my first two work-sets is a best for the cycle, and getting 30 reps in 3 sets ties my best for the cycle. And everything felt good. I actually could have maybe gotten more reps on my first work-set, but I really wanted to beat 20 reps on my 2nd set, so I saved it. Mental fist pumps after these squats.
Squat -
BarX20
90X10
155X6
195X3
255X1
195X15, 7, 8 (30 total reps)
GHR - 5X10
Prowler High-Lows - 13 trips; 15 minutes
Great session. 195X15 is a rep PR, 15 and 7 for 22 reps between my first two work-sets is a best for the cycle, and getting 30 reps in 3 sets ties my best for the cycle. And everything felt good. I actually could have maybe gotten more reps on my first work-set, but I really wanted to beat 20 reps on my 2nd set, so I saved it. Mental fist pumps after these squats.
Monday, April 30, 2012
UB: Reps Week 3. Bench
Defranco Shoulder mobility
Bench -
BarX30
65X10
105X6
135X3
170X1
135X10, 6, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3 (31 total reps)
Pull-Downs - 5 sets of 8-10
Standing Abs - 5 sets of 12
Because I failed to hit my target reps in Week 2, and then had to do a lot of singles on my way to 30+ reps, I decided to back-off the first work-set a little in the hopes of bumping up the following sets. I had mixed results here, as you may be able to tell. I got more reps on the 2nd set than I had the previous two weeks which is good, however it immediately devolved into triples and doubles. Also the total reps for the first 2 sets combined isn't any better than the first two weeks, nor did I beat the total number of sets needed to reach 30+. All in all it kind of seems like I just rearranged the deck chairs.
I think there are two factors at play here: 1) because I train alone, I just don't feel comfortable taking every set to the limit, and 2) I seem to be trimming up. I don't really weigh myself, but I pretty clearly look leaner in the mirror. Some of this could be diet. I haven't been paying any more attention to what I eat, but I think there's a chance I'm not eating as much as I have been. This may be having the effect that I'm not getting growth in my pressing muscles due to a lack of nutrition. Also, less mass means less area to distribute the load over, meaning the muscle I do have actually has to work harder to lift the weight.
All in all, I'm not super worried about this becasue I don't really care about the bench press that much. As long as my squats and rows show improvement, that's the main thing for me, and I haven't stalled on those. If my squat stalls out 2 weeks in a row, I will eat more going into the following week. For now, I probably prefer being leaner to making a lot of bench progress.
Bench -
BarX30
65X10
105X6
135X3
170X1
135X10, 6, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3 (31 total reps)
Pull-Downs - 5 sets of 8-10
Standing Abs - 5 sets of 12
Because I failed to hit my target reps in Week 2, and then had to do a lot of singles on my way to 30+ reps, I decided to back-off the first work-set a little in the hopes of bumping up the following sets. I had mixed results here, as you may be able to tell. I got more reps on the 2nd set than I had the previous two weeks which is good, however it immediately devolved into triples and doubles. Also the total reps for the first 2 sets combined isn't any better than the first two weeks, nor did I beat the total number of sets needed to reach 30+. All in all it kind of seems like I just rearranged the deck chairs.
I think there are two factors at play here: 1) because I train alone, I just don't feel comfortable taking every set to the limit, and 2) I seem to be trimming up. I don't really weigh myself, but I pretty clearly look leaner in the mirror. Some of this could be diet. I haven't been paying any more attention to what I eat, but I think there's a chance I'm not eating as much as I have been. This may be having the effect that I'm not getting growth in my pressing muscles due to a lack of nutrition. Also, less mass means less area to distribute the load over, meaning the muscle I do have actually has to work harder to lift the weight.
All in all, I'm not super worried about this becasue I don't really care about the bench press that much. As long as my squats and rows show improvement, that's the main thing for me, and I haven't stalled on those. If my squat stalls out 2 weeks in a row, I will eat more going into the following week. For now, I probably prefer being leaner to making a lot of bench progress.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
UB: Reps Week 3. Back
Defranco - Rollovers into V-sit, piriformis stretch, lat stretch
Deadlift -
135X5X2
225X5X2
285X3
T-Bar Rows (unsupported) -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
75X3
60X20, 10, 5 (35 total reps)
Standing abs - 5 sets of 12-15
Deadlifts were okay. I need to remember that just because it's not the main movement of the day, that I still have to focus and try to pull correctly. I think my form went a bit to shit on the top set.
So my rowing strength is progressing very quickly. That was probably predictable since I've never dedicated this much time or thought to progressing on them. This might be one of the last worthwhile movements I ever see novice gains on. So I have a dilemma here. My original goal was to try and approach 30 reps with 60 lbs. on the bar. Now that looks not only certain, but I might get it in week 5. I could be wrong, but that set of 20 was pretty damn easy. I could have gotten 2-3 more, but I wanted to make sure to get a quality 2nd set. I've dropped Paul Carter a note asking for his input on this. I have to decide whether to keep pushing the reps up with this work-weight, or up the work weight to something I'll have a harder time making 20 reps on over the next 3 weeks.
Deadlift -
135X5X2
225X5X2
285X3
T-Bar Rows (unsupported) -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
75X3
60X20, 10, 5 (35 total reps)
Standing abs - 5 sets of 12-15
Deadlifts were okay. I need to remember that just because it's not the main movement of the day, that I still have to focus and try to pull correctly. I think my form went a bit to shit on the top set.
So my rowing strength is progressing very quickly. That was probably predictable since I've never dedicated this much time or thought to progressing on them. This might be one of the last worthwhile movements I ever see novice gains on. So I have a dilemma here. My original goal was to try and approach 30 reps with 60 lbs. on the bar. Now that looks not only certain, but I might get it in week 5. I could be wrong, but that set of 20 was pretty damn easy. I could have gotten 2-3 more, but I wanted to make sure to get a quality 2nd set. I've dropped Paul Carter a note asking for his input on this. I have to decide whether to keep pushing the reps up with this work-weight, or up the work weight to something I'll have a harder time making 20 reps on over the next 3 weeks.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
UB: Reps Week 3. Squats
Defranco Hip Mobility
Squats -
BarX25
95X10
155X6
195X3
245X1
195X13, 7, 6, 7 (33 total reps)
GHR - BWX12, 10, 10, 10, 12
195X13 is a Rep PR. Some of the work sets/reps felt a little off, especially at the turn-around. It feels like I may be turning or twisting one way or the other or something. Might bear more thought.
Upped the difficulty of the GHR bench settings by raising the cross-bar one notch. Didn't actually seem to make that much of a difference, so next time I may drop it back down but move it forward one notch.
I worked out back to back days here, so I decided to skip the standing abs work. Probably not the right decision, but I had an ab strain once before, and that shit makes all kinds of things difficult until it clears up.
Squats -
BarX25
95X10
155X6
195X3
245X1
195X13, 7, 6, 7 (33 total reps)
GHR - BWX12, 10, 10, 10, 12
195X13 is a Rep PR. Some of the work sets/reps felt a little off, especially at the turn-around. It feels like I may be turning or twisting one way or the other or something. Might bear more thought.
Upped the difficulty of the GHR bench settings by raising the cross-bar one notch. Didn't actually seem to make that much of a difference, so next time I may drop it back down but move it forward one notch.
I worked out back to back days here, so I decided to skip the standing abs work. Probably not the right decision, but I had an ab strain once before, and that shit makes all kinds of things difficult until it clears up.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
UB: Reps Week 2. Bench
Defranco Shoulder Mobility
Bench -
BarX15X2
65X10
105X6
135X3
170X1
135X13, 4, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 4 (32 total reps)
Press -
95X5
85X5
65X5
BarX10
BarX11
Standing Abs - 5 sets of 8-15
135X13 is a Rep PR. Bench was alright, but I wanted to get 14 reps on my first work set, and I had no confidence I would go back up so I stopped at 13. Interestingly, after the single, the doubles were significantly easier as should be evident by my ability to get 4 reps on by final set. I a;ls got more total reps than last session. Possibly it would be worthwhile to try for a few less reps on the first set, in the hopes of getting more reps on the subsequent sets. I might try this next week to see what happens.
Bench -
BarX15X2
65X10
105X6
135X3
170X1
135X13, 4, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 4 (32 total reps)
Press -
95X5
85X5
65X5
BarX10
BarX11
Standing Abs - 5 sets of 8-15
135X13 is a Rep PR. Bench was alright, but I wanted to get 14 reps on my first work set, and I had no confidence I would go back up so I stopped at 13. Interestingly, after the single, the doubles were significantly easier as should be evident by my ability to get 4 reps on by final set. I a;ls got more total reps than last session. Possibly it would be worthwhile to try for a few less reps on the first set, in the hopes of getting more reps on the subsequent sets. I might try this next week to see what happens.
UB: Reps Week 2. Back
Rollovers, piriformis stretch, lat stretches
Deadlift -
135X10
225X5
275X3X2
T-Bar Rows -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
60X3
70X3
60X15, 8, 5, 6 (34 total reps)
Prowler High-Lows - 90 lbs., 14 sets, 15 minutes
Standing Abs - 5 sets of 10-15
My mind was off today, plus I didn't consult my programming close enough, and so and didn't do everything the way I was supposed to.
I should have done 225X5 twice and then 275X3 once. I didn't realize my mistake until after my first 275 set. Rather than be done, or go back down, I decided to just do another set of 275. No big deal. Besides, I like Deadlifting, heh.
Same on the rows. the set of 3 was supposed to be at 70, not 60 as I'm waving a top triple instead of a top single like on squats and bench. No matter. I needed to hit 14 reps on my first work-set to be on track for my goals or this movement, and I got that plus one more. Feels good.
Deadlift -
135X10
225X5
275X3X2
T-Bar Rows -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
60X3
70X3
60X15, 8, 5, 6 (34 total reps)
Prowler High-Lows - 90 lbs., 14 sets, 15 minutes
Standing Abs - 5 sets of 10-15
My mind was off today, plus I didn't consult my programming close enough, and so and didn't do everything the way I was supposed to.
I should have done 225X5 twice and then 275X3 once. I didn't realize my mistake until after my first 275 set. Rather than be done, or go back down, I decided to just do another set of 275. No big deal. Besides, I like Deadlifting, heh.
Same on the rows. the set of 3 was supposed to be at 70, not 60 as I'm waving a top triple instead of a top single like on squats and bench. No matter. I needed to hit 14 reps on my first work-set to be on track for my goals or this movement, and I got that plus one more. Feels good.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
UB: Reps Week 2. Squats
Defranco hip mobility
Squats -
BarX15X2
95X10
155X6
195X3
245X1
195X11, 9, 10
GHR - BWX10, 12, 12, 10, 10
Standing Abs - 5X10-20
Walk home - 20 minutes
195X11 is a Rep PR. I'm pretty stoked that I dropped from 5 sets to get 30+ reps down to 3 here, even if I just made the 30. Two psychological things that I think contributed: 1) I think the single being heavier this week made the work sets feel lighter, and 2) I altered my set-up a bit. Before, when I set up under the bar I'd always try to make sure my body was tight. This session I found myself not just getting tight through my body, but also getting tight against the bar. What I mean by that is, I pushed myself into the bar as hard as I could without actually lifting it. Then when I inhaled and arched the bar out of the hooks, it felt lighter for some reason. Maybe it's mental, and maybe I was just that much tighter as a result of this tweak. Pretty cool, though. I still sweat like Bobby at the reading of Whitney's will because I once again stayed up late drinking the night before a squat session.
Squats -
BarX15X2
95X10
155X6
195X3
245X1
195X11, 9, 10
GHR - BWX10, 12, 12, 10, 10
Standing Abs - 5X10-20
Walk home - 20 minutes
195X11 is a Rep PR. I'm pretty stoked that I dropped from 5 sets to get 30+ reps down to 3 here, even if I just made the 30. Two psychological things that I think contributed: 1) I think the single being heavier this week made the work sets feel lighter, and 2) I altered my set-up a bit. Before, when I set up under the bar I'd always try to make sure my body was tight. This session I found myself not just getting tight through my body, but also getting tight against the bar. What I mean by that is, I pushed myself into the bar as hard as I could without actually lifting it. Then when I inhaled and arched the bar out of the hooks, it felt lighter for some reason. Maybe it's mental, and maybe I was just that much tighter as a result of this tweak. Pretty cool, though. I still sweat like Bobby at the reading of Whitney's will because I once again stayed up late drinking the night before a squat session.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
UB: Reps Week 1. Bench
Sunday:
Timed Mile - 10:38
Monday:
Defranco Shoulder Mobility
Bench -
BarX15X2
65X10
105X6
135X3
160X1
135X12, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3 (30 total reps)
Chin-ups - Gym BW 210X7, 3
Presses - 95X5, 85X5, 65X5, BarX7, BarX10
Decided to do a light one-mile run between lifting days. Just went for something easy; I even walked a bit after the initial quarter mile. Had to keep my focus to keep my pace down though. When I run by myself, my instinct is too just take off.
So the numbers Paul Carter lays out in this plan call for the work-sets to be 63% of your 1RM*1.05. For my bench, that comes out to about 130lbs. This is one of the rare examples where I have consciously made an ego-driven change to my programming. It just seems dumb to put a 25, 10, 5, and 2.5 lb. plate on each side for this instead of just throwing full plates on there on working on that weight for this cycle. Also, 135 projects as my 15 rep max, same as what I'm doing on Squats.
The results were interesting. It was easier than the Squats (have I mentioned I'm a poor squatter?), but not as easy after the first set as the rows. Could be because I upped the weight slightly over the recommended %? I also cut those later sets shorter than I may have needed to because, ya know, the weight is hovering over my chest with no partner to catch it. Anyway, with the 30 second rests (it's 60 for Squats) this was a bit of a romp. Pretty fun.
Timed Mile - 10:38
Monday:
Defranco Shoulder Mobility
Bench -
BarX15X2
65X10
105X6
135X3
160X1
135X12, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3 (30 total reps)
Chin-ups - Gym BW 210X7, 3
Presses - 95X5, 85X5, 65X5, BarX7, BarX10
Decided to do a light one-mile run between lifting days. Just went for something easy; I even walked a bit after the initial quarter mile. Had to keep my focus to keep my pace down though. When I run by myself, my instinct is too just take off.
So the numbers Paul Carter lays out in this plan call for the work-sets to be 63% of your 1RM*1.05. For my bench, that comes out to about 130lbs. This is one of the rare examples where I have consciously made an ego-driven change to my programming. It just seems dumb to put a 25, 10, 5, and 2.5 lb. plate on each side for this instead of just throwing full plates on there on working on that weight for this cycle. Also, 135 projects as my 15 rep max, same as what I'm doing on Squats.
The results were interesting. It was easier than the Squats (have I mentioned I'm a poor squatter?), but not as easy after the first set as the rows. Could be because I upped the weight slightly over the recommended %? I also cut those later sets shorter than I may have needed to because, ya know, the weight is hovering over my chest with no partner to catch it. Anyway, with the 30 second rests (it's 60 for Squats) this was a bit of a romp. Pretty fun.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
UB: Reps Week 1. Back
Defranco warm-ups - Rollovers to V-Sits and lat stretches
Deadlift -
135X5X2
225X5X2
265X3
T-Bar Rows (unsupported) -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
60X3
60X10, 8, 6, 8 (32 total reps)
Prowler High-Lows - 90lbs., 8 trips
Since Paul Carter wrote the Ultimate Beastdom articles, his attitude towards high-rep Deadlift work has clearly changed. After some consultation with him, I decided to replace the high-rep Deadlift work with high-rep Rows. The idea I came up with is to start with some easy deadlift sets, and wave the top set through the 6-weeks to get heavy enough at the end to get some rep PRs, but not so heavy that I'm trying to increase my projected max. Then I will use Carter's over warm-up method to work on my rowing rep strength with unsupported T-Bar Rows. The only difference there is that instead of waving the top single on rows, I will wave a top triple. I just think this makes more sense for rows. This way I still get to have some fun with Deadlifts, including a shot at some low rep PRs, but most of the work is on Rows, which I need to do some work on anyway.
This session came with only a one day break since the first high-rep squat workout, and my hamstrings were quite tight, and made it a little bit difficult to get into position for the deadlifts, but ultimately these pulls were fine.
The Row work was easier than the work on Squat day. After I worked up to the set of 3, I pulled on lifting straps so that I didn't have to worry about my grip distracting from the quality of my rows. I would say this went fine, but afterwards the mid-back strain that I developed during the strength cycle reared it's head. I've been looking forward to getting some quality rowing done on this cycle, and I'm going to be righteously pissed if this strain gets in the way. I'm gonna be foam rolling like a mother this week, and we'll see what happens next time.
Deadlift -
135X5X2
225X5X2
265X3
T-Bar Rows (unsupported) -
BarX30
30X10
50X6
60X3
60X10, 8, 6, 8 (32 total reps)
Prowler High-Lows - 90lbs., 8 trips
Since Paul Carter wrote the Ultimate Beastdom articles, his attitude towards high-rep Deadlift work has clearly changed. After some consultation with him, I decided to replace the high-rep Deadlift work with high-rep Rows. The idea I came up with is to start with some easy deadlift sets, and wave the top set through the 6-weeks to get heavy enough at the end to get some rep PRs, but not so heavy that I'm trying to increase my projected max. Then I will use Carter's over warm-up method to work on my rowing rep strength with unsupported T-Bar Rows. The only difference there is that instead of waving the top single on rows, I will wave a top triple. I just think this makes more sense for rows. This way I still get to have some fun with Deadlifts, including a shot at some low rep PRs, but most of the work is on Rows, which I need to do some work on anyway.
This session came with only a one day break since the first high-rep squat workout, and my hamstrings were quite tight, and made it a little bit difficult to get into position for the deadlifts, but ultimately these pulls were fine.
The Row work was easier than the work on Squat day. After I worked up to the set of 3, I pulled on lifting straps so that I didn't have to worry about my grip distracting from the quality of my rows. I would say this went fine, but afterwards the mid-back strain that I developed during the strength cycle reared it's head. I've been looking forward to getting some quality rowing done on this cycle, and I'm going to be righteously pissed if this strain gets in the way. I'm gonna be foam rolling like a mother this week, and we'll see what happens next time.
Friday, April 13, 2012
UB: Reps Week 1. Squats
Defranco Mobility
Squats -
BarX15X2
95X10
155X6
195X3
225X1
195X8, 6, 7, 6, 5 (32 Total Reps)
GHR - 5 sets of 10 (on a medium setting)
You guys, these squats were no joke. The last two blocks were relatively easy the first week or two. This. Was. Not. Now, I usually start cycles with some kind of pressing day because that's the way Defranco laid it out, and that's the way Wendler laid it out. For the first two blocks of UB/WCS, I always ended up Squatting on Saturday or Sunday, invariably on not-enough-sleep and often a bit hungover. I wanted to break that cycle up, and decided to start this block with Squats to make sure I was fresh going in. Man am I glad I did.
Squatting has never come easy to me, and yet I knew 195 projected to around my 15 Rep Max so I expected to get to those work sets and maybe start off with 10, and try to get the 30 reps done in 4 sets. This was a complete brain-fart on my part because it didn't take into account fatigue from working up to the single. With Deadlifts, a more natural lift for me, this wouldn't have mattered as much, but with Squats I new I was going to be in trouble right around the 155X6. Everything felt heavy and hard. By the time I got to the work sets, I had no idea what would happen. Frankly, I'm kind of amazed that I got the reps I got, because I was afraid I might not be able to do even 6 sets of 5 to get my 30 rep total. When I'd finished my 3rd set, though, I knew I'd be able to clear 30 with my last two. Man. I'm pretty excited to see how this goes with the other movements, and for the rest of the block.
Squats -
BarX15X2
95X10
155X6
195X3
225X1
195X8, 6, 7, 6, 5 (32 Total Reps)
GHR - 5 sets of 10 (on a medium setting)
You guys, these squats were no joke. The last two blocks were relatively easy the first week or two. This. Was. Not. Now, I usually start cycles with some kind of pressing day because that's the way Defranco laid it out, and that's the way Wendler laid it out. For the first two blocks of UB/WCS, I always ended up Squatting on Saturday or Sunday, invariably on not-enough-sleep and often a bit hungover. I wanted to break that cycle up, and decided to start this block with Squats to make sure I was fresh going in. Man am I glad I did.
Squatting has never come easy to me, and yet I knew 195 projected to around my 15 Rep Max so I expected to get to those work sets and maybe start off with 10, and try to get the 30 reps done in 4 sets. This was a complete brain-fart on my part because it didn't take into account fatigue from working up to the single. With Deadlifts, a more natural lift for me, this wouldn't have mattered as much, but with Squats I new I was going to be in trouble right around the 155X6. Everything felt heavy and hard. By the time I got to the work sets, I had no idea what would happen. Frankly, I'm kind of amazed that I got the reps I got, because I was afraid I might not be able to do even 6 sets of 5 to get my 30 rep total. When I'd finished my 3rd set, though, I knew I'd be able to clear 30 with my last two. Man. I'm pretty excited to see how this goes with the other movements, and for the rest of the block.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
