BLAB Log: Week 5.Day 3

Simple-6

Chins - X4, X3

DB Press - 70X15, 70X11

Incline Rear Delt Raise - 50X10X2

Barbell Curl - Empty Curl BarX25X4 w/ minimal rest

This was all fine.  I think I was technically supposed to do the empty bar curls with a standard 45 lb. barbell, but the last time I did barbell curls I used 65-75 for my work sets, so I was dubious about being able to do 45X100.  Chins feel like they're getting stronger at the close or overhand grip.  I also feel more explosive with those grips for some reason.  Probably just confidence.

BLAB Log: Week 5.Day 2

Agile-8

DB Squat jumps - 20X6X2

Squats -  105X5, 125X5

Back extensions - BWX10
super-set with
Plate twists - 25X10X2

Day 2 of the deload week went fine.  I decided to pause at the bottom of all my squat warm-ups and my first work set.  I suspect that's why my legs were very tired by late the following afternoon, but no biggie.

I also did mixed grip chin sets between most of the programmed sets.  Neutral close grip seems to be the easiest, so I will focus on that going forward.  I also finished with 25 non-stop push-ups to try to work on my rep strength in that movement.  25 was my target, but it eas probably my limit.  RPE was at 10.  One more easy day to go before 15 real work sessions.

BLAB Log: Week 5.Day 1

Simple-6

Barbell Bench Press 45.0x10,65.0x7,80.0x5,95.0x5 Dumbbell Bench Press 100.0x15,110.0x15 Cable Seated Row 90.0x15,100.0x15 Dumbbell Shoulder Shrug 120.0x10,140.0x10 Barbell Complex 45.0x8
Deload Week.  Everything was fine.  I went heavy on the accessory movements and hit PRs on DB bench.  I also added in chins between almost every set in the hopes to get those up.  Neutral close-grip seems promising.  I also added 20 push-ups at the end.  I will continue to do chins between sets this week, and try to add 5 push-ups to the extra "finishing" set every session, as well.

BLAB Log: Week 4.Day 3

Simple-6

Chin-ups - warmed-up with band-assisted, then BWX4, BWX3, backed-off with drop-set (No band, band on knee, band on foot)

Neutral Grip-Pulldown - 70X18(?Jefit?), 70X20
super-set with
Standing, Neutral grip DB Press - 60X18, 60X12

Cable Rear Delt Raise - 30X10, 25X10X3

"Run the Rack" DB Curls - 35, 25, 15, 5X8

Core Circuit (Sprint-ups, V-ups, Toe-touches, Hip-ups) X2

Body-weight Complex (Mountain Climbers, Push-ups, Groiners, Burpees) X Fail

Annnnd -10%.  Figures that would happen after Tuesday's +10 day.  The cable stuff and the curls are fine, but they're cables and curls, ya know?  Although, there appears to be a glitch in the Jefit App, wherein in it mis-records some of the weights on super-sets.  I think I actually got 26 reps on my first set of pull-downs.  I'll have to play with it.

The chins just don't seem to be moving anymore.  I've gone up in weight by around 5 lbs. over the last two weeks, but I refuse to accept that as an excuse.  I'm gonna try varying grips and see if I can get any more reps that way.

The Core circuit was the only thing I felt good about today, because I was able to complete the prescribed sets/reps.  However that back-patting turned into excruciating shoulder-wrenching when I started the BW Complex.  Climbers and Groiners are fine (probably because they're already in the Agile-8 warm-up drills I've been doing for months), but our old nemesis the push-up rears it's head once more.  The program calls for 3 sets of descending reps on the 4 exercises: 30 MCs, 20 push-ups, 10 groiners, 5 burpees.  I was worried, but I got through the 20 push-ups, but after the first burpee I thought I would pass-out.  I got through the next set up to the burpees, and I was just done.  Workout cancelled at the end.  Fuck.

Next week is the "deload" week of light work.  These BW complexes come back into the program for chin-up day after that.  I hope I can get this.  It's damn frustrating to begin a work-out by failing to progress on chin-ups, and end by not being able to finish a conditioning circuit.

BLAB Log: Week 4.Day 2

Agile-8

BB Squat Warm-up - BarX10, 65X8, 95X6, 135X3

BB Squats - 165X5, 175X3, 195X1

Bulgarian Split-Squat Jumps - 10X5X5

Stability Ball Leg-Curls - 3X15
super-set with
Spread-Eagle Sit-ups - 10X15, 25X15X2

60 Sec. Alternating DB Lunges - 30X28, 30X27

Timed One-Mile Run - 9:12

+10% Day, as Paul Carter would say.  I injured myself taking 195 out of the rack a month back.  I tried to tell myself I was nervous about the weight, but I wasn't.  I arched it out of the rack, took a step back with each foot, and it went all the way down and came right back up like bad sushi.  Honestly, if not for the scheduled run, I might have taken it for a few more squats.  But I didn't, because the whole reason I'm following such a rigid program is to protect myself from myself until I know more about what I'm doing.  Regardless, it's nice to ace that weight coming back from the injury and heading into the scheduled deload week.

Just to prove I really am keeping my ego in check, I sure did go right ahead and do those split-squat jumps holding 5 lb. weights, and the timed lunges holding 15's while some of the biggest guys in the gym were doing heavy-ass BB and DB benching all around me.  Fuck it.  My quads felt like they were going to slide off the front of legs after that shit.  Getting the work in.

I felt like crap heading into the gym today after getting no sleep due to house-guests over the weekend, and yet I was able to do the sit-ups with a 25 lb. plate, after having to ditch a 10 lb. plate in favor of BW last week.  There really is no forecasting how you're gonna do in the gym.

Likewise, I knocked 43(!) seconds off my previous best time on the 1-mile run.  Kind of makes me sad that the timed runs are now over.  Oh well, I'm sure Joe D. has something planned that will kick my ass down to humble in whole new ways.  Also, after the first deload week, I'm allowed to max out the reps on my last squat set.  So in two weeks, after the deload, if I can take that last set of 175 to 10 reps, Jefit says that's a PR.  I've been setting rep PR's on my last bench sets, and I hope to start doing that with squats as well.

BLAB Log: Week 4.Day 1

Simple-6

BB Bench Warm-up - BarX10, 65X10, 95X8, 115X5, 135X3

BB Bench - 125X5, 130X3, 145X6

Incline DB Bench - 45'sX25, 45'sX16

One-Arm DB Row - 70X8, 70X8, 75X8, 75X8
super-set with
Rope Push-downs - 40X8X4

BB Shrug - 155X8, 160X8, 165X8
super-set with
Incline DB Rear-Delt Raise - 50X8X3

Barbell Complex (DL, Bent Row, Hang Clean, Push Press, Back Squat) - 65X10, 45X10X3

Ha, I wasn't paying attention to my programmed work-set weights for the bench and over-shot that weight with my warm-ups.  Just shows I'm getting stronger in the bench, hopefully.  The 145X6 projects as a PR according to Jefit.  My previous best when I was at B@lly and working with suspect weights was 155X2, so I think it's true.  However, I really think my form is getting more locked in, and that is likely playing a large part as well. 

Speaking of that, the heavy lifters were working in the gym today, and I got to watch them bench at the same time as me and compare our set-ups.  These guys are doing the full PL form where they set-up with their heads way behind the bar, plant the balls of their feet there, and then pull everything else in front of the bar.  Extreme arch so that only the traps and head are on the bench, and their heels are way off the ground.  For myself, I put my eyes right behind the bar, pull my feet back as far as I can without my heel rising off the ground, then I pull myself forward so that my eyes are just in front of the bar.  My heels come off the ground a little, but I manage to keep my butt on the bench.  I then push on the up-rights to make sure my shoulders are tight together and making a nice solid surface with my traps for me to press against.  I grab the bar with my middle-finger on the rings, squeeze and "pull the bar apart," take a lot of air into my belly, and take the bar out.  If it's a work-set, I will pause at the top and take new air into my belly before taking the press.  I let the bar come down in a natural path (about to my diaphragm), then I focus on pressing it back up in the same groove.  I also focus on keeping my elbows tucked coming in and out of the bottom of the press, but letting them flare at lock-out.  This is feeling pretty good for now, and I'm hitting PR's.  I don't know if it is going to be stable enough as the weight keeps increasing though.  Looseness was one of my big problems at B@lly.  The bar swaying side-to-side as it came out of the rack, etc. 

Figuring out this form has been a bit nerve-racking.  The fact seems to be that there are many ways to interpret what constitutes strong in the bench.  So much of the stuff I read is geared towards power-lifting, which emphasizes that big arch that helps hit big numbers at meets.  But I'm not going to do PL meets.  Then when I read Rippetoe, he has you starting with the head and shoulders in final position in front of the bar, feet flat and shins at 90 degrees, and with just enough arch that a flat hand can slide between the back and the bench.  He also has trainees keep the elbows out at about 60 degrees during the press.  So PL form de-emphasizes the chest, and puts more of the weight on the triceps and the lats, which helps to move more weight.  Rippetoe's method uses more chest and shoulders.  I asked Paul Carter about form, and he said I'd have to figure it out for myself, and I guess that's what I'm doing.  To clarify, my goal is this:  Use the Bench Press to Get Stronger.  This doesn't mean I'm trying to build up my chest, but it I'm not sure it means that I need to build the biggest bench possible which would involve the PL-style extreme arch.  So for now, I'm settling on this hybrid with maximum arch while keeping the butt on the bench and feet almost flat.  As the weight goes up I'll just have to make adjustments as necessary.

Back to the session, all the assistance stuff went great.  If the one-armed DB rows, continue to have higher numbers than cable rows and/or pull-downs, I'm gonna want to know what that's about.  Am I being a wimp on the cable stuff, or just cheating more with the DB?  Probably the latter, as I don't think I've ever heard of anybody being more tentative on machines.  Whatever.  Right now it's just fun to be increasingly rowing weights from the fat end of the rack.

I should mention that I was totally out of gas for the BB complexes.  I think it was probably a combination of only having a shake that day prior to training, and having house-guests/staying up late the night before.  I started with the same weight as last time, but almost couldn't finish the set.  The cleans are always a momentum killer for me on these, but this time I just didn't have any reserves.  I was facing a mirror and my eyes literally went wide with surprise and concern on the first clean.  Pretty funny.  I pulled all the weight off after the first set, and barely managed to get through the rest of the sets/reps.  Hey, dummy, eat and sleep!  Tip o' the hat to you , Joe Defranco.  These finishers are definitely exposing all kinds of holes in my training.

BLAB Log: Week 3.Day 3

Simple-6

Chin-Ups - Band-Asst.(Foot)X10X2, BA (Knee)X5, BWX4, BWX3, BA (Knee)X5, BA (Foot)X10

Pull-Down (Neutral Grip) - 70X23, 70X18
super-set with
DB Standing Presses (Neutral) - 30'sX18, 30'sX12

Cable Rear Delt Raise - 30X10, 25X10X3

"Run the Rack" DB Curls - (30, 20, 15, 8, 5) X8

Core Circuit X 2

Timed Pushups - 50X4:25

Crap session.  -10% as Paul Carter might say.  Some possible progress on the chin-ups.  Not in reps, obviously, but in technique.  I really tried to go all out on the band-assisted sets instead of treating them as warm-ups/downs and I felt it a lot more in my lats so I'll be sure to get after every chin-set no matter what going forward.  I really, really want to progress to weighted chins. 

On a hopefully related note, I was able to jump up 10 lbs. on the pull-downs pretty easily.  Initially I thought that was due to the grip change, but since the DB presses didn't get a similar benefit I'm hoping that's real progress on back strength.


Bent over cable raises were very nostalgic.  The sets went well, but it was disconcerting because I kept flashing back to my mid-twenties when I used to do a lot of body-building style weight lifting, so-called "bro-splits," etc.  Nevertheless, it was kind of fun.  I had just watched some of the Indigo-3G training videos, and picked up some possible form tips for laterals from Christian Thibaudeau.  He didn't say this explicitly, but when I was doing the reps, rather than think about bringing the weight up in an arc, I though more about throwing the weight sideways.  I actually picked a target in my peripheral vision that was on the same plane as my shoulders, and threw the weight towards that target without letting go.  I believe I was able to take my traps and back out of the peak contraction portion of the movement in this way.  Little bit of an ego-check on the weight to do this, but I think it was right.

Started off too light on the curls, and had way more reps in the tank on the lower weights.  Have to go up 5-10 lbs. next week.  Even if I have to muscle up the last few sets of the opening weight, I think the final reps on the lower weights will be under more fatigue.

I continue to suck at direct ab work.  No strength or endurance there at all.  Had to pull back from all the prescribed reps as my abs were starting to cramp half way through the 2nd movement of the first set.  Likewise, the push-ups actually LOST time from last week.  This really sucks because I looked at the program this morning, and realized the timed push-ups are over, and I never actually got to the prescribed hundred.  I don't feel okay about this.  For those of you (imaginary) that are keeping track, the list of things I suck at and now feel compelled to keep in a program no matter what are: chins, push-ups, direct ab work, and single-leg squat variations.  Looking at that list, I realize probably anything where body-weight makes up a significant portion of the overall load may be lagging for me.  Except for dips.  For whatever reason those were going fine when I worked them into WS4SB prior to starting BLAB.  I even started strapping on weight with a dip-belt.  Maybe I've got good dip genes or something.  Anyway, I like chins and single-leg squat stuff is growing on me, but I hate the push-ups and the ab work.  That tells me I HAVE to make sure to keep it in future programs.  When I start 531 this fall, I've got to remember to find where this stuff plugs-in.  I know Wendler uses hanging-ab raises with the feet coming all the way up as ab work, but I'm wodering if I shouldn't take the ab circuit progressions out of BLAB and put them on my 531 schedule.  Food for thought.

Speaking of food, I started with protein supplements yesterday.  It was just to damn hard to try and get all the protein in from food, and attempting to do so was screwing up my cooking.  The wife was never totally pleased that I kept substituting additional meats for carbs whenever I cooked big portions of things.  Hopefully now I can feel more comfortable churning out rice and starchy vegetable sides.