Mike's Comeback Tour

A Strong Return

2009-01-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

Today was a strong return to weight lifting for me. I suffered a pretty bad injury and have not touched a weight in over a month. It will be even longer before I can return to doing squats and deadlifts again but I will work on what the doctor cleared me for, upper body. So today I wanted to find out where I was strength wise for a few exercises I want to incorporate. Today was like a chest/shoulder/tricep day. Here it is:

Legs Up Pause Bench

135x 10

225x 6

275x 6

295x 6

315x 6

Seated Shoulder Press

135x 10

185x 5

225x 5

185x 5, 10

Seated French Press

45x 20

95x 10

135x 8, 6

155x 6

That was it. I finished off with some cardio but no ab work due to the neck/back injury. I minimized all stress on the spine by benching with my feet in the air and doing my tricep work seated. I have no pain and was surprised at the strong workout after a month layoff.

Squat/Deadlift Strength Conditioning

2008-12-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

Front Squat

135x 8

225x 5

315x 2

405x 8

455x 3

*bar rolled on 2nd rep, could've done 5

Top Deadlifts

225x 3

315x 3

405x 3

495x 3

585x 1

635x 2 very tough

455x 8 off plate

Decline Sit Ups

BW + 15 x 3 x 15

This was all I had the energy for today. I was and am completely spent. Andy Bolton said when he switched to doing both squats and deadlifts on the same day he use to throw up and get sick to his stomach after every workout for 4 weeks or so. Today was the first time I ever felt that way. The top deadlifts are done starting at the top which gives you a negative and a lot of kinetic energy making the bottom very easy and the top very hard. I am weak at the top so this went well. Back to no equipment squats and stiff leg deadlifts next week. I will have to find time next week to do an upper back workout.

Bench Press Strength Conditioning Week 3

2008-12-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

Pause Bench Press

135x 2 x 6

225x 6

315x 3

365x 8 - all time PR for pause bench

405x 3 - ties all time best for pause bench

Seated Hammer Curls

45x 3 x 12

Tricep Extensions

115x 6

155x 3

105x 3 x 6 paused, wide grip

Seated Rows

5x 100-195 x 8-12

A big PR for me today with the 365x 8 paused reps. My front delts and outer pec muscles get really sore after my bench workouts so I dropped the narrow grips and went to an isolation exercise with the extensions. The close grip seemed to irritate my wrist so I tried a wide grip. these were different and left my triceps feeling good and pumped. The seated rows however caused quite a bit of discomfort in my injured shoulder.

Squat/Deadlift Training

2008-11-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

Front Squat

135x 8

225x 6

315x 4

405x 6(could've done 8)

425x 6

Stiff Leg Deadlift

135x 2 x 3

225x 3

315x 3

365x 3

415x 5

Shrugs

5x 270-500 x 20

Decline Sit Ups

15x2 x 15, 10x 12

Standing Abs

3x20

This was a really fun workout. I had been itching to do front squats for awhile now plus it took stress of my bicep/shoulder. Hit a very strong 405x 6 then a medium difficulty 425x 6. Will do 2 sets with 425. Did still leg deadlifts ala John Hudson. The only difference was I keep my head facing my feet till lockout.

Squat/Bench Training

2008-11-25T17:33:00.000-08:00

Squat - high bar, no equipment

135x 8

225x 5

315x 5

405x 1

495x 8

down sets

405x 3 x 8

Pause Bench Press

135x 10, 6

225x 6

335x 8

down sets - 5 second pause on each rep

275x 3 x 8

H Rolls

5x12

Decline Sit Ups

3x15

Another solid workout tonight. The squats were easy but by the 3rd down set I was feeling more then a little fatigued. The bench was real nice, 335 was surprisingly easy. Heavy deadlifts/back on Friday or Saturday. I am breaking deads out b/c it is the lift that needs the most work at this time.

Big Workout

2008-11-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

Had a great workout today! Here it is:

High Bar Squats(no equipment)

135x 8

225x 6

315x 3

405x 1

485x 8

down sets

435x 5

415x 5

395x 5

Pause Bench Press

135x2x6

225x 6

315x 3

365x 6!!! add wrist wraps

down sets(no equipment)

315x 8

295x 8

275x 8

Deadlift

225x 3

315x 2

405x 1

435x 8 EASY!!

down sets( stiff leg deads)

345x 5

365x 5

385x 5

Decline Sit Ups

3x12

Arms

7 sets total

This was a great workout. I can say that the deadlifts are what surprised me the most. I really did them like there was 135 on the bar. No bouncing either.

Squat Test

2008-11-19T17:55:00.000-08:00

Squat

135x 5

225x 5

315x 5

405x 1

495x 1 add belt

585x 1 belt & light knee wraps

675x 1 same EASY!!!

405x 2 x 5

Lying Leg Curls

55x 12

95x 12

Finished up with some abs and called it a day. This was the first time since July that I had to walk the weight out and setup. I also did all these squats ass to heels as opposed to having someone call my depth at just breaking the plane. In other words, this was an IPF legal squat. I am very happy with this lift and will setup my next cycle based off a 675 max so that I can leave some room to build.

Bench Press Strength Conditioning Week 2

2008-11-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

Pause Bench Press

135x2x6

225x6

315x3

355x2x6 easy!!!

Illegal Wides Paused

305x2x6 hurt wrist and shoulder somewhat

H Rolls

30x3x12

20x2x15

Looks like all the back work is paying off. Hit a very strong 355 for 2 sets of 6 paused. My spotter would give me a clap like an old school meet. Did some illegal wides today as the inclines were all being used and I didn't want to wait. They felt great but did give me some discomfort in my shoulder and wrist. Finished off with 5 sets of H Rolls. So next week 'll go for 3x6 with 355. My all time PR is 4x6 paused with 365. When I get 4x6 here I'll go up to 375 and start over. Wanted to do some tricep work tonight but my elbows were bothering me.

Deadlift/Back

2008-11-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

Deadlift

135x 5

225x 5

315x 2

405x 1

495x 1

555x 3

Stiff Leg Deadlift

315x 3 x 5

Barbell Rows - no straps

225x 8

275x 6

295x 6

Lat Pulldowns

160x 10

200x 10, 8, 8

Finished off the workout with some abs as I have been doing after every workout. 555x 3 was not tough but not easy. I really wanted to see where I was at this point to figure out what I needed to work on. Besides grip it is power off the floor. So I will be doing deadlifts off a 100 pound plate for sets of 6. This will build my grip, power off the floor, and speed for lockout.

Bench Press Strength Conditioning Week 1

2008-11-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

11/11/08

Pause Bench Press

135x 10, 5

225x 5

315x 1

355x 4

355x 6

Paused Incline Dumbbell Press

60x 6

90x 6

120x 2 x 6 easy

Narrow Grip Pause Bench

135x 3

225x 3

315x 3 x 3

Good workout on Veterans day. I hit all my numbers and I am pleased with that. I am starting a strength conditioning cycle hoping to build power from the bottom up. I didn't have a spotter for my first set with 355 and I didn't want to miss. Was very happy with the narrow grips though! Every single bench rep including warm ups was paused. I use to do it this way but I got away from it. Now I am back at it!

Deadlift/Back

2008-11-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

11/6/08

Deadlift

135x2x5

225x3

315x2

405x1

495x1

585x1 - all sets done sumo

405x1 - switch to conventional

635x Miss grip

705x Miss, used straps

Barbell Rows

135x 10

225x 10

315x 5

365x 5

315x 10

DB High Shrugs

20/25/30/35/40x 20 reps each

Lat Pulldowns

135x 10

165x2x10

VERY disappointed with my deadlift. I have actually gotten weaker in this lift. I did all sets without a belt today as well. About 4-5 weeks ago I got 700 past mid thigh and lost it b/c grip. Today I missed 635 at the very top with grip and couldn't even break 705 off the floor with straps! Oh yeah, I did the 700 pull after squatting last time!

Bent over rows went very well. I do these very strict, no swing, dragging the barbell up the thighs and explosively pulling the shoulder blades together and elbows back. Everything else was done light and precise today. I am still trying to figure out how I'm going to set up my training.

It's been awhile

2008-11-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

Well, we are getting back into the swing of things here. I have been training but not the same way as in the past. I am getting back to my roots to condition my body and get every link strong to the max. Here is todays' benching:

Bench Press

135x 10, 5

225x 3

315x 2

365x 1 paused

385x 1 paused

405x 1 touch & go

365x 2 x 3 touch & go

315x 3 - 3 second pause on chest

305x 3 - same

295x 3 - same

Modified Close Grips

225x3x5

*easy weight but need to build up the wrist and elbows slowly

H Rolls

4x15

That's it for today was smoked and trying to figure out what I can/can't do. I will once again be updating my blog regularly. Thanks for reading!

Random

2008-02-03T12:07:00.000-08:00

2/3/08

Felt like doing something different today:

Front Squats - no belt
135x8
225x5
315x5
365x5

Rack Pulls
135x5 off floor
225x5 off floor
315x5 off floor
405x3
495x5 add belt
535x4 miss 5th on grip

Grip Shrugs
275x27, 26

Seated Leg Curl
90x3x8

Past few workouts...

2007-06-29T04:53:00.000-07:00

Wednesday

Reverse Band Bench(small) 515x1

Doubled up Band Bench(small) 225x3

Front Plate Lift 45x3x10

Face Pulls 4x10-12

Thursday

Power Cleans 175x2/265x2/315x3

Abs 8x12

I will now be going on vacation for 8 days starting tommorrow. Got very little problems from my shoulder Wednesday so I will most likely venture on a program along those lines. Also, I will be losing some weight when I get back. Between 20-30 pounds is what we're shooting for.

Shoulders/Arms 6/20/07

2007-06-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

Fat Bar Pushdowns Green Bandx4x25
superst with:
Preacher Curl 4x12

Shoulder Circut
Front Plate Raise 25-100x20-6 reps
Leaning Away Side Raise 5-10x25-20 reps
DB Rear Delt Raise 25-45x12 reps

Repeated circut 5 times through

So, doing what I can and it sucks. I will be doing the Blakley shoulder routine next Wednesday so at least I have something to fall back on when I go back to benching.

Back in the saddle...for now

2007-06-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

Squat

warm up 135x2/245x1/335x1

work set 425x10

Pause Squat

work set 375x8

ABS 6 sets

A little pain today but found a way to work around 80% of it. I go into tommorrow to see if they want to do surgery. It was 91 degrees in the gym tonight so I was more than a little wet. Benching of any kind is out but I will be working arms and giving deadlifts a go on Friday.

Meet is out!

2007-05-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

Left torn Rotater cuff, nuff said. I talked to the meet director for the AAU worlds and they will let me compete this year so that is a big relief. So, for now I shall rest up, pull the sled, and go from there.

Chest/Shoulder/Tri 5/19/07

2007-05-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

3 Board Chain Bench
warm up 135x1/135+chainx1/225+chainx1
work sets 315+chainx1/335+chainx1/365+chainx1

Speed Bench 185x8x3
3 different grips used

Fat Bar Pushdowns with Band attached
STACKx5x12(wow, tough)

Elbows Out Extensions 6x10

Face Pulls 4x12

Chest Supported Row 5x12

ABS 8x12

Max out day, deload next week YESSSSSSS!!!! The 365 with chain was slow. I hold all my reps at the top for 3-5 seconds. Total weight at the top was 615. Today I also tried a suggestion from Ryan K. and that was to not take the bar down to the board slowly but rather "drop" it on the board, pause, and explode. Helped my shoulder out but I found it to be much harder this way??

My shoulder hurts real bad but I had no problems on the speed bench for some reason. I'm actually really interested to see where this plan will take me.
My triceps are getting much bigger and I now regret doing the reverse grip earlier n the cycle. But if I hadn't gotten hurt, I wouldn't be trying new things.

Squat/Deadlift 5/15/07

2007-05-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

Box Squat(11 inch)
warm up 135x1/225x1/315x1
work sets 405x2/455x2/500x2/550x2/585x2(wow)

Reverse Band Speed Deadlifts
warm ups 225x1/315x1
work sets 405x2/425x2/455x2/475x2/495x2(awesome speed today)

Leg Extension 3x12
Seated Leg Curl 3x12
Leg Press Calf Raise 3x30
Hise Shrug 4x20

Great Workout today. I was suppose to max out on the box squat today and ended up killing 585x2 but was done after that set. My speed on the 495x2 was freakin' awesome! All speed deads were done with 20 seconds rest between sets. Ran out of time so no abs tonight.

Chest/Shoulder/Tri 5/12/07

2007-05-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

Chain Bench Press
warm ups 135x6/135+chainx2
work sets 225+chainx2/275+chainx2
add 3 board and 3 second pauses
315+chainx2/335+chainx2/345+chainx2

Band Push Ups(small band around back)
BWx5/BW+45x5/BW+90x5/BW+135x5

Small Band Pushdowns 4x20
Kennelly Extensions 6x10

ABS 9 sets

Used 3 board b/c I tore my suprasupiniatis doing reverse grip last week and going to the chest with 275 and chain was very painful. The way I've decided to do this meet was to stick with my original plan but just do 3 weeks of 3 board with chain followed up with 8x2 speed bench, deload, then 3 weeks of 3 board with lots of bands followed up with speed bench, deload, then meet. Will use purple band+weight for pushdowns and alternate between floor extensions and kennelly extensions.

Squat/Deadlift 5/8/07

2007-05-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

Box Squat(11 inch)
warm ups 135x2/225x2/315x1
work sets 365x2/405x2/455x2/475x2x2

Reverse Band Speed Deadlift
warm ups 225x2/315x1
work sets 425x3x2/455x2x2

ABS 8x12
Hammer Pause Shrugs 4x8-20
Calf Raise 3x30

Added weight for the box squats and things went great. All weights were fast and smooth. Same goes for deadlifts. I didn't use the plate today and dropped the bands down 1 peg. All deadlift sets were done with 30 seconds rest between sets.

Chest/Shoulder/Tris 5/5/07

2007-05-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Chain Bench Press
warm up 135x15/135+5 sets of chainx3
work sets 225+chainx3/275+chainx3/245x2x3+chain/275+chainx3

Reverse Bench Press 135x5/225x5/315x5
Fat Bar Pushdowns STACKx5x12
Hammer Curls 1x12/3x8
Seated Rows 4x8
ABS 5x20

All bench sets were done with 5 sets of 5/8 chain cut in 3 foot lengths. It weighed out 200+ pounds. I paused the first rep on each set except 245 were I paused the first and last rep.

Squat/Deadlift 5/1/07

2007-05-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

Box Squat(11 inch box)
warm up 135x2/225x2
work sets 315x2/330x2/365x2/405x2/425x2 ALL EASY

Reverse Band Speed DL off Plate
warm ups 225x2/315x2
work sets 405x2x2/425x2x2/455x2 good speed on all sets

Leg Curl 3x12
Leg Ext. 3x12
Calf Raise on Leg Press 3x30
DB Shrugs 2x20
ABS 8x12

Real good workout today. It was fun working out with other people for once. Used a purple band for deads that gave us only about 15-20 pounds of assistance and gave out just below the knee caps. 2 of us did 5x2 in just over 5 mins.

Chest/Shoulder/Tris 4/28/07

2007-04-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Bench Press
warm ups 135x15/225x3
work sets 315x3/335x3/355x3/315x2x3 all last reps paused

Board Bench
work sets 365x3/375x3

JM Press
warm ups 95x6/135x6
work sets 225x6/276x6

Pushdowns STACKx5x12

Bradford Presses 95x3x15

Bradford presses irritated my shoulder a bit so I will have to drop those from the rotation. The JMs were hard, I wish I had videotaped them though. All that BB stuff made my triceps very strong. I will see if I can get those taped next saturday.

Squat/Deadlift 4/24/07

2007-04-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Squat
warm ups 135x5/225x1/315x1/405x1
work set 445x5 super easy

Deadlift
warm ups 225x1/315x1/405x1
work set 465x5 also super easy

Standing Single Leg Calf Raise 3x
DB Side Bends 4x12
Straight Leg Sit Ups 4x12
Timed Hangs(grip)

All sets for squat/deadlift were super explosive and easy. Another great day in the books.

Chest/Shoulder/Tris 4/23/07

2007-04-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

Bench Press
warm up 135x10/225x5
work sets 315x2x5

Board Bench
work sets 325x3/335x3

Dips
work sets BWx8/45x5/90x5 then 2 drop sets

Wide Grip Pushdowns 5x12

Reverse Pec Dec 4x8 ending at 180

Squat/Deadlift 4/18/07

2007-04-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

Squat
warm ups 135x5/225x3/315x1/405x1
work sets 425x2x5 very easy

Deadlift
warm ups 225x1/315x1/405x1
work sets 445x2x5 also very easy

Seated Calf Raise 135x3 sets
Weighted Abs 4x12

Today was a very motivating day. All weights were easy and I had no lower back pain, until I did my cardio. About 10 minutes into it my back became uncomfortable but I think it is just muscle soreness as it does not feel like the back pain I've expierenced in the past.

Chest/Shoulder/Tris 4/16/07

2007-04-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

Bench Press
warm ups 135x15/225x5
work set 305x8 last rep paused

Board Bench
work sets 315x3/325x3

Close Grip Bench
work sets 225x5/245x5/255x5

Pushdowns
stackx5x12

Plate Raises
45x3x12

Good day today. Finished with 8 reps now on to 5. Assistance work went well also considering I did tris on friday. Finished off with abs 3x12 and 20 mins of cardio(it may be time to go up to 30).

Upper Back/Hamstrings

2007-04-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

DB Leg Curl 45x4x10
Shrugs 270x3x12
Hammer Curls 50x8/55x8/60x2x8
Seated Row 300x2x10
V-Pulldowns 140x10/200x10/260x10
One Arm Row 100x2x10
Hamstring Curl Bench BWx2x20

Did all back work without straos and a thumbless grip. I also do timed weighted hangs from a pull up bar. I am more then a little sore now so tommorrow will be awesome. Monday I will be benching as well as doing reverse grip bench, floor extensions, and some shoulder work.

Squat/Deadlift/ABS

2007-04-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

Squat 435x8 - easy, had 10 in me
Rack Deadlift 485x8 - tough set. I couldn't believe how hard the 8th reps was
Weighted Decline Sit Ups and Weighted Side Bends

Squats were suprisingly very easy. The rack dls were done mid-shin and very explosive. I won't go off the floor until I'm down to triples. Never did this before so we shall see how it goes.

Chest/Shoulder/Tris

2007-04-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Bench Press 135x8/225x3/295x8 last rep paused
Close Grip High on Chest 185x2x5
Front Raise 25x10/35x10/45x10
Seated Side Raise 20x3x12
Cardio 20 mins on level 7 maintaining 80% max HR

No abs today, they need a bit of a rest too. On Wednesday will do Squat/Rack Deadlift/Heavy Abs. I will be training in 6 weeks cycles, similiar to what I was doing for BB. Hopefully I will be able to ad 20-30 pounds per cycle. The way I have this all set up, it should be a pretty fun cycle.

Next Meet

2007-04-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

Due to familiy events I cannot do the ADAU nationals but I have made up my mind to do the ADAU classic in Catty and the AAU worlds in Florida this year. I think I could come up with something respectable by June 30th. Maybe 630/450/675 at 280ish.

Quick Update

2007-03-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

Monday I did raw ATG squats 455x6 easy and 315x20 plus some hams, calves, bis/forearms. Wednesday I did some legs up 18 inch grip 325x11, clean and press 165x14, floor extensions 70x22 and some back work.

Suprising Workout 3/14/07

2007-03-14T17:59:00.001-07:00

Having not done a whole lot of heavy squatting recently and the the heaviest I have gone was with knee wraps, I was a bit suprised with todays workout. On the squats I had 20 maybe 30 more pounds in me for my top single.

Squat 135x5/225x5/315x5/405x1/505x1/545x1/405x5
Hyperextensions BWx1x20
Decline Sit Ups 40x1x30

Friday March 9th

2007-03-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

Squat 225x5/275x5/315x5/405x5/455x5
Stiff Leg Deadlift 135x5/185x5/225x5/275x5/315x5
Behind the Neck Press 95x5/135x5/165x5/185x2x5
Power Clean 135x5/165x5/185x5/205x5/225x5
Bench Press 135x5/185x5/225x5/275x5/315x5
Bent Over Row 135x5/185x5/205x5/225x5/235x5

Good workout today. I used an over under grip for my stiffs and it aggrivated my over hand shoulder a bit. I don't want to use straps but I just can't double overhand the weight that I need to be using right now. Maybe I can use the hook grip, we'll try it on Monday. I always do my bent over rows pendaly style and it is doing wonders for my back! I change the order everytime I workout and when I do an exercise fresh in the workout I usually go for a pr and when I do it later in my workout I try to replicate my best without going for a pr.

Training on March 7th

2007-03-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

Bent Over Rows 135x5/225x10
Power Cleans 135x5/165x5/185x5/205x5
Behind the Neck Press 135x5/165x5/185x5
Bench Press 135x5/185x5/225x5/275x5/315x5
Light Squats and Stiff Leg Deadlifts

Finished up with Weighted decline sit ups and hyperextensions. Friday will be heavier for lower body lifts. I was running out of time working out as I had to interview someone before my next appointment.

3/2/07 Upper Back/Lower Back/Delts

2007-03-02T15:19:00.000-08:00

Power Cleans 135x5/165x5/185x5/205x5
Pendlay Rows 135x15/165x12/185x10/205x8/225x6
Deadlifts 225x1/315x1/405x1/495x1/585x1
BNP 135x2x12
Front Raises 20x12/30x2x12
Bent Over Raises 30x2x12/25x12
Hyperextensions BWx1x20
Decline Sit Ups 30x1x30

I was suprised at this workout. it has been months since I did deadlifts off the floor but the 585 was very easy and I had no problems with grip. I stopped using straps 3 weeks ago after I dislocated my AC joint. I no longer use knee wraps or wrist wraps. If my body is not strong enough to lift it then I won't lift it. Hopefully this will prevent any more injuries. On Monday I wil do Legs/Chest/Arms. I only do weights twice a week and cardio on Wednesdays. I am slowly preparing for the ADAU nationals and hoping everything will hold up.

Good workout today

2007-01-31T19:15:00.000-08:00

Had a good workout today so I thought I would share:

Wide Grip Chins(hands at the end of handles) 15,12,10,8,6
Seated Row 180x15/225x12/270x10/325x8
Barbell Rows(strict) 225x8/275x8/315x8
Straight Arm Pulldowns 100x12/60x4x12
T-Bar Row 140x3x10

Preacher Curl 65x8/85x5/65x2x8 superset with:
Hammer Curls 30x4x10
Incline Curls 40x2x8/30x2x8
Concentration Curls 20x4x12

I saw some kid at the gym tonight squatting with 545 and it gave me chills. It wasn't the fact that he was like 4 inches high but rather the memories of doing squats with lot s of weight. Maybe....

Meet is a No Go

2007-01-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

I will not be doing any powerlifting meets in the near future. Squats leave my back and hips aching for days and I'd rather just worry about my bodybuilding show for now. Although I may compete in some deadlift meets b/c that does not give me any problems. Here is todays workout, back/hamstrings:

Wide Grip Chins - 12, 12, 7, 6
Close Grip Pulldowns - 340x8 /300x8
Bent Over Rows - 345x8/325x7
Hammer Unilateral Rows 110x10
Hammer Seated Leg Curl 150x10+2/135x 8+2
Stiff Leg Deadlift 365x11/325x10

All sets taken to failure. When I do a second set the only rest I take is to change the weight.

Brutal Leg Training

2007-01-15T18:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, this workout was pretty brutal. I used 10 seconds between sets of all exercises and the only warmups I did were for leg extensions and leg curls. Here it is:

Leg Extensions 250x17, 225x11 all reps with 3 sec. static hold
No rest right to Loaded squat bar:
Squats 315x15, 285x15
No rest right to loaded Hack Squat machine:
Hack Squat 270x15, 235x15(barely)
2 minute rest to warm up then:
Hammer Strength Seated Leg Curl 115x13+2, 105x11+2
No rest right to loaded bar:
Stiff leg deadlift 225x2x15 10 secs. between sets
Seated calf raise 100x2x30 each rep held at top and bottom for 5 secs

Finished off with 5 sets of abs and was out. Squats were done ATG style wearing a valeo belt.

Chest/Arm Day

2007-01-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Incline Press 285x9 / 255x7
Lying DB Flyes 60x6-50x5-40x8 followed right by Dips:
BW Dips x 6+3
Barbell Curls 125x10 / 105x6
Hammer Strength Machine Curl 75x8 / 65x6
V-Bar Pushdown 120x15, 100x8 followed right up with:
One Arm French Press 40x5-30x6-20x8

Did no benching today. If you have ever seen the Doug Young tribute video I did flyes the way he does them there. Felt really good but killed me when I went right to dips! Did legs on wednesday and back/shoulders on monday. I won't begin serious meet training until march/april.

Some Squat/Deadlift(Leg/Back)

2007-01-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

Squat 405x17
Deadlift 455x14
Leg Extension 240x15
Seated Leg Curl 150x11
Weighted Chins BW+55x9
Strict Barbell Rows 315x6/285x9
Hammer Strength One Arm Rows 135x9
Shrugs 655x11

Update from past week

2007-01-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my workouts from the past week:

Saturday 12/30
Weighted Chest dips 365(total weight)x11
Incline DB Press 130x15 no rest right to flyes:
Incline Flyes 65x13
Pause Bench 315x12
Seated Dumbell Press 90x14 no rest right to side raise:
Machine Side Raise 190x13
Tricep Pushdown 160x8 no rest right to cgbp:
Close Grip BP 255x17

Sunday 12/31
Pullovers 345x9 no rest right to pulldowns:
Close Grip Pulldowns 360x8
Strict Bent Over Rows 295x11
Hammer Shrugs 610x15
Incline DB Curls 60x10
Hammer Strength Preacher Curl 90x8

Thursday 1/4
Leg Extension 200x17, 230x7
Deep Leg Press 920x6 no rest right to Hacks:
Hack Squat 410x9
Hammer Seated Leg Curl 145x7 no rest right to SLDL:
Stiff Leg Deadlift 335x10
Seated Calf Raise 160x11, 9

Friday 1/5
Seated Dumbell Press 100x12, 80x9 right to side raise:
DB Standing Side Raise 50x11, 40x9
Standing DB Rear Delts 75x10, 50x15
Floor Extensions 165x8, 115x10

Abs are trained everyday. I use 60 seconds or less between sets unless I go right to an exercise then the rest is like 5-10 seconds and no warmups. This is working well for me as my weight is now 284 and bf%21. I did do some light squats on leg day up to 500x5 after my workout and had a little hip pain. Deadlift though shouldn't be a problem. I should Also mention I do 8 sets of abs everyday, usually weighted.

Motivation

2007-01-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

After reading the results from the ADAU coal country classic and seeing that the nationals are being held in Maryland, a certain someone's hometown, I may have found the motivation to do one powerlifting meet in 2007. I haven't done a regular squat, bench, or deadlift since I hurt my back. I have been doing inclines, SLDL, hack squats, and other things. Taking what I've learned from bodybuilders I will attempt to train for the ADAU nationals and total 1800-1850 in the 319 class. This will require some weight gain, 20+ pounds, but I will do it slowly. It would be easier to compete in the 275s and easier to win but my sole competition last year was in the 319s. 650/450/700 gives me 1800. The only thing that would stop me would be my hips and back. Check back later for some training. I will not post all my training days but a few every now and then. If I can hobble threw this cycle it will most likely be my last full powerlifting competition.

Bench Press 11/13/06

2006-11-13T16:10:00.000-08:00

Bench Press 135x10/225x3/315x1/325x13
Dumbell Extensions 30x10/35x10/40x10/45x10/50x10,8+2
V-Bar Pushdowns 100x4x12
Workout Time: 26 minutes:-(

Another good day for the narrow grip benching. Could've got 15 but once again had no spotters and I was taking no chances. Everything else after the benching was done with labored breathing and I didn't catch my breath till about 15 minutes after I got home.

11/09/06 OHP

2006-11-09T17:06:00.000-08:00

OHP 135x5/185x3x6
Dumbell Nosebreakers 30x12/35x8/40x6x8
Rope Pushdowns 4x15,12,10,10 using descending weight

Presses were suprisingly easy, will go for 185x3x7 next week. The Kennelly type extensions were getting to me as they really seemed to hit the upper part of the tricep hard with little work to the area around the elbow. Got the idea from Hoornstra to do nosebreakers with dumbells for a good stretch. Boy do these work nice, I recommend these to everyone.

Bench Press 11/06/06

2006-11-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

Bench Press 135x10/225x3/315x1/315x14
V-Bar Pushdowns 90x12/100x3x12
Dumbell Extensions 30x12/40x10/35x10/30x2x10

Didn't get last set of extensions in as I reached my 25 minute mark. Extensions were way hard after the pushdowns. This is a PR for bench using the thumbs length from the smooth grip.

11/02/06 OHP

2006-11-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

OHP 135x5/165x5/175x5/185x5
Dumbell Extensions 30x12/35x12/40x3x8/45x12/30x12(after pushdowns)
V-Bar Pushdowns 90x15/100x3x15

Got this one done in 23 minutes. OHP done standing and super strict. No legs and no back bending at all. I got the idea of doing these from Kara Bohigian. My form on these is real good as I did them a lot when boxing and studied Pavels' technique pointers for over a year. Did some triceps and that was it. No back this week as I was busy with the baby and not feeling 100%. Rest never hurts though!!

Recent Training

2006-10-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

I took 2 weeks off after the hack squats b/c they even hurt my back. My back is still not 100% so leg training is out of the question(I don't consider leg extensions, leg curls, and calf raises leg training). Nonetheless, I have ventured into a bench only routine. It was hard to get motivated at first but now things are going well. I will be training all bench press reps touch and go with a thumbs length from the smooth grip. I am coming up with an idea of what I want to do but still working with the program. Here is what I've done so far:

10/23/06
Bench Press 135x10/225x3,3/315x1/335x6/345x6/355x6
DB Triceps 30x4x10/45x2x10
DB Shrug-Row 45x3x20
Wide Grip Face Pulls 100x12/120x12/140x12/160x12

10/24/06
Close Grip Chins BWx3x5
Seated Rows 200x12/240x12/300x12/380x12
Wide Pulldowns to Chin 200x10/240x10/280x10/300x8
Chest Supported DB Rows 60x3x10
Seated Hammer Curl 50x3x12

10/26/06
Reverse Grip BP 135x5/225x3/315x2x5
Front Deltoid Raise 45x6/50x6
Pause Incline Press 135x6/275x2x6 w/ 5 sec. pauses

10/30/06
Bench Press 135x8/225x3/315x1/365x6
DB Triceps 35x10/45x10/55x12
V-Bar Pushdowns 60x12/80x12/100x12,15

All workouts are done in 25 minutes or less. I'm still trying to come up with an effective way to train the db triceps(these are Kennelly type extensions). 6x10 was a lot and 3x10-12 was ok but 55 was the the only very challenging set. Next time I will do 4x12 static weight. Tommorrow I'll do back and hammer curls and Thursday pause incline and shoulders. Once again everyone, feel free to post on here any comments or suggestions that you may have for me.

Leg Training

2006-10-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hack Squat 90x10/180x5/270x5/360x5/450x5/500x5
Seated Leg Curl 100x12/150x12/130x12/110x12
Hyperextensions BWx12
Leg Pull ins + Crunches x 15,10,5
Seated Calf Raise 115x3x12

Pause Bench

2006-10-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

Pause Bench 135x4/225x3/315x2
365x1/385x1/405x1
365x4x3
Shrugs 225x20/295x2x20/340x15
Seated Hammer Curls 40x12/50x2x12
Rear Delt Machine 135x3x8

Will concentrate on my benching for now. Doc says no squats or deadlifts for 3 months. Damage is pretty bad there was some bruising last week so I wen to the doc today and they have to do some test. Will keep everyone updated.

Higher Reps

2006-10-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

Pause Bench 135x5, 225x3, 315x9
Deep Pause DB Press 80x8
Standing Shoulder Press 135x10, 155x8
Rear Delt Machine 120x12, 135x12, 150x12
Seated Tricep Press 95x8,6,10

Did some higher reps today as I did not want to go heavy at all. Figured on doing some chest, shoulder and tri work. Since I have not done more then 5 reps in a looooooong time I took it easy and limited every exercise to 8-9 reps. The last 2 exercises were done with 60 seconds rest between sets. Also started my cardio today.

Update

2006-10-06T06:04:00.000-07:00

I will NOT be doing the AAU worlds on October 22. My back had gotten to the point where everyday was a challenge to get up, bend over, walk around, play with my daughter. I had to draw the line. I need to rest so that means no squatting or deadlifting for awhile. I haven't lifted in 8 days but will be going to the gym for some benching to begin preparations for my bench only meet in December. I will also begin some weight loss preparations. Nothing crazy this time but we will begin to go down. I will be happy with 255-265. I would like to hit 455@260ish for my next meet nonetheless, I will be in the 275s.

Week 4 Training Day 2

2006-09-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Sumo DL 225x1/315x1/405x1/495x1/495x5/545x3
Conv DL 495x1/585x1
Seated Grip Shrugs 4platesx25/6platesx2x25(barely)
Barbell Rows 225x8/275x8
Pull Ups BWx2x5

In actuality I did the conventional dl first but 585 was not pretty so I did dropped down to 225 and worked up sumo using the technique suggestions I recieved, espically focusing on keeping upper body as strainght up and down as possible and pushing the legs apart on the way up. I did the 495x1 as a feeler set then did it for 5. After that did some grip and upper back work. I will be doing only sumo from now to the meet and singles conventional style off plates b/c really, my peak for the DL has come and gone.

Overtrained

2006-09-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

I am in the gutter right now. My body is beat down and tired. I've lost a lot of training motivation some because of injuries but mostly b/c I'm always feeling tired and worn down. This may have to do with my shift change, working midnight-8 but I get more sleep now than I did before. I feel I peaked strongly with my 560x3, which on that day I could've done 5 reps. My deadlift is b/c I went too heavy this cycle. I peaked that with my 560x5 but was overtrained long before that. Bench felt real light today and I feel my lack of support work is what hurt this area the most. A 10 pound gain in each lift after a 14 week cycle is unacceptable at my level of strength. So here is my question to everyone, I only train twice a week with one top set so how is it possible I'm overtraining??

Week 4 Training Day 1

2006-09-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/495x1/595x2
Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/315x1/415x1 3/4

Squats where hard and I missed my bench b/c my left foot slid completely out from underneath me and the bar just came back down. Luckily, today I had a good powerlifter spotting me for my squats and deadlifts.

Week 5 Training Day 2

2006-09-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

Deadlift 225x1/315x1/405x1/495x1/585x1/635x1 3/4
Grip Shrugs 225x25/315x21,19

Ok, I missed a deadlift rep b/c of my stupid grip! I almost lost all my calluses on my left hand in the process. Grip has never been an issue until after my hand injury. Now I must see what I can do before my meet. I think I will pull just singles for the last 2 weeks unless I feel good. This should help with my confidence. Will continue with the grip shrugs ala Ed Coan with a double overhand thumbless grip.

Week 5 Training Day 1

2006-09-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/495x1/580x2
Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/315x1/405x2

Today was my first week of doubles. There were only 2 weeks of triples b/c of my extra week of 5s. The weight is now starting to get serious so I guess I should really start to buckle down as well. Neither of these top sets where easy but the rest of the cycle is doable. Next week is a very important week for my bench. No pull ups today, I'll do those Thursday instead of the rows to take a little stress off my aching lower back.

Week 6 Training Day 2

2006-09-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

Conventional DL 225x3/315x1/405x1/495x1/615x2(easy)
Rows off Plates 135x10/225x5/315x5
DL off Plates 455x5

Weight was very easy for me tonight, don't know why. Last week I had trouble with my grip this week none. Only did 1 set of rows as lower back was a little stiff.

Week 6 Training Day 1

2006-09-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/495x1/560x3(had 5 in me)
Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/315x1/395x3
Pull Ups BW(294)x5/BW+25x5/BW+15x5/BWx5

Squats where good and depth was very low. Tonight I noticed that I was sitting much taller for my squats than usual. I really had no slow points with my squats which is a plus. Bench was strong too. Last rep was paused for 5 seconds, I won't do that again as it is risky buisness!

Week 7 Training Day 2

2006-09-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

Conventional Deadlift 225x2/315x1/405x1/495x1/595x2
Deadlift off Plates 405x5
Bent Over Rows 315x2x5

Switched back to conventional this week. I've been doing a lot of reading on technique lately so I'm putting it to work. I missed the 3rd rep b/c of grip so I did some dl off plates to help the start, finish, and grip. Then switched to barbell rows for the chest supported rows. I did the plate dls and rows without chalk and of course no straps.

Week 7 Training Day 1

2006-09-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/495x1/540x3
Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/315x1/385x3
Barbell Ext. to Throat 135x4x8 60 sec. rest
Pull Ups BW(294)x5x5 60sec. rest

Tired. Went after work. Blah. Assistance work is overrated.

Week 8 Training Day 2

2006-08-31T16:41:00.000-07:00

Sumo Deadlift 225x2/315x1/405x1/495x1/575x4

Soooooo close but the good thing is I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could've done 5 reps. I got this on film and I'll post it soon. Those stupid plates rolled after my second and third rep at which point I had to reset and pull the 4th rep. For anybody who has ever done sumo will tell you that once the tension is lost, it is lost. The 4th reps form was not as good as I would've liked. We will just chalk this one up as a good day though and move on to triples. Here is the link to the vid: http://media.putfile.com/575x4-deadlift

Week 8 Training Day 1

2006-08-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/520x5(had 7 in me)
Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/315x1/375x5(had 6 in me)
Pull Ups BWx5/BW+25x2x5/BWx2x5

Wow, this is a really good squat and bench cycle. I broke out the deadlifts on their own day b/c it is my weakest lift right now and I would like to get the 575x5. That weight has been a goal of mine for 4 years since I saw Bob Lowery do it in an old PLUSA in 2002. I could probably do 540 and 380 for 5 but it's time to move on to triples.

Week 9 Training Day 2

2006-08-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/500x5
Sumo Deadlift 315x1/405x1/495x1/555x3(easy)
Chest Supported Rows 135x5/225x5/275x5

One more week of 5s for squats and it will be a good week. I feel if I actually cut back to just breaking parallel or 1 inch below I could probably go up to 545 or so for 5 reps easy. But I have no spotters to call my depth or tape it so I just go butt to the floor. Sumos went well and I will try 575x3-5 reps. I could've done 5 reps tonight but I'm still getting over being sick. I would really like to do 575x5 next week.

Interesting Idea

2006-08-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

Kris over at tsampa.org had an excellent idea about having a competition between bloggers for some fun. There will be a website and he appears to be putting in quite a bit of effort into making this work out well. Judging by his own website it should be awesome! Kris has the best blog I've come accross yet. Here is the link: http://www.tsampa.org/training/blog/

I won't peak fo the meet but will go for 650/455/700. If you have some time I think everyone should throw in for this.

Week 9 Training Day 1

2006-08-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/315x1/365x5
Decline Bench 225x1/315x1/385x5
Pull Ups BW(290)x5,5,5/BW+25x5/BWx5

Will do another week of 5s for bench as the 365 was easy. For decline will make 5lb jumps for a few more weeks before going down to 3 reps. Got the 25lb plate for pull ups today and it wasn't too bad. For my pauses on bench I take the bar down and do a one-two-press. It would pass in any federation. A tip I'll give is read the article on dragondoor.com about "pull ups for a bigger bench press". I feel these are really helping me. As a side note, my waist is down to 42 so I am losing fat and maintaining muscle.

Week 10 Training Day 2

2006-08-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/480x5(super easy)
Deadlift 315x1/455x1/560x5
Sumo Deadflift 500x1(easy)
Chest Supported Rows 90x5/135x5/180x5/225x5/270x5

OK, squats where super easy to say the least. This is going to be a good squat cycle. Since comencing my new cycle I've been doing all my warm ups sumo style, b/c it doesn't hurt my low back like conventionals do, then switching to conventional for my money set. The 560x5 was annoying b/c my stupid gym has those octagon type plates and every rep I have to completely reset so I lose tension in my pause on the floor. So after my 4th rep I stopped completely, put some more chalk on my hands, and pulled the last rep easy. It would've been very easy with normal plates. After that was done I dropped to 500 and went sumo. It was very easy. Perhaps b/c I'm short and my legs are very powerful. So, b/c I technically missed I'm dropping the weight to 510x5 and doing it sumo.

Week 10 Training Day 1

2006-08-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/315x1/355x5
Decline Bench 225x1/315x1/375x5
Pull Ups BW(289)x4x5/BW+25x4 3/4

Benching was easy, with the last rep having a 5 second pause. Decline bench was still easy. I think I could do 405 for 5 right now. On my last set of pull ups I did 4 reps then stopped and couldn't get my chin to clear the bar. I was about 2 inches away!! Last time I did 375x5 on decline I hit an easy 440 bench.

Week 11 Training Day 3

2006-08-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

Deadlift 225x1/315x1/405x1/540x5
Front Squat 235x1/325x5
Pull Ups BW(287)x4x5/BW+15x5

Good Day today. Deadlifts where nice and smooth but they could've been easier if I focused more on technique. All reps where deadstopped, no bounce. I will work on this next week by losing the headphones.

Week 11 Training Day 2

2006-08-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/460x5
Chest Supported Rows 90x5/135x5/180x5/225x5/260x5

Easy day for squats today. I think I'll push the 5's for 4 weeks versus 3 for squats. We'll see how deadlifts and bench continue to go. Rows where of medium difficulty but all done very strict.

Week 11 Training Day 1

2006-08-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/315x1/345x5
Decline Bench 225x1/315x1/365x5
Pull Ups BW(291)x5/BW+10x5/BWx5/BW+10x5/BWx5

All benching was very easy today. Got out of my groove on my 5th rep on decline when I hit the upright on the way up on my 4th rep. Bench was too close to the uprights. Pull Ups where also very easy. As a side note my flexibility has come a long way the last 3 months. I can almost do a side split and put my head on the ground during a front split. I also can do 50 front/backs with a towel for my shoulders with a 30 inch grip.

Week 12 Training Day3

2006-08-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

Deadlift 225x1/315x1/405x1/520x5
Front Squat 135x3/225x2/315x5
Pull Ups BWx6x4

My back and knees hurt so bad I had a hard time getting out of bed! I need to make some changes in my training. Right now I'm 10 weeks out for deadlifts and 11 for squat and bench. I'll just do progressive overload starting with 5s then 3s then 2s and only 1 top workset. I will however remember this current routine for when train with knee wraps b/c my squat and bench where doing ok.

Week 12 Training Day 2

2006-08-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/475x1
Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/315x1/380x1
Decline Bench 225x3/315x3/335x3/355x3
Chest Supported Row 90x5/135x5/180x5/225x5/255x5

Good day today despite some sore biceps. I had to tangle with a guy at work yesterday and throwing him around made my biceps and forearms sore. No deadlifts today so as to allow more recovery. I will try a Monday/Friday approach this week and next to see how that goes. My shoulders have been somewhat sore so I will be including decline benches from here out. Would like to hit 455+ on the decline by cycles' end. Rows where good and very strict.

Week 12 Training Day 1

2006-07-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/475x3/525x1
Deadlifts 315x1/405x1/525x3/575x1
Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/330x5x1 w/ 10 sec. pauses
Pull Ups BW(281)x6x4 easy

Squats felt great, deadlifts where fast but they felt heavy. Benching was again very easy. I think this is working well for my squat and bench but not so well for my deadlift. Pull ups where easy, all sets done with 1 mins. rest or less.

Week 13 Training Day 3

2006-07-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Brutal Day Today

Pause Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/465x2/555x1(no pause)
Deadlift off Block 315x1/405x1/505x2/595x1(off floor)
Pause Bench 225x1/325x5x1 w/ 10 sec. pauses
Pull Ups BWx6x4

Pause Squats where way easy as was the 555 single. I did the deadlifts off a 4 inch block which put the bar right against the middle of my foot. I don't think I'll do those again b/c it put be in a position that is too different from my regular deadlifts(I couldn't get the bar against my shin). Maybe I'll drop it down to 2.5 inches. Benching was super easy today. The biggest discovery of the day though was that it is the pause squats that are making my back get worse. I'll have to see what I can do about this. I may be investing in a cambered bar for benching.

Week 13 Training Day 2

2006-07-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/415x1/515x1
Deadlift 365x1/565x1
Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/315x1/375x1/285x3(close)/285x3(wide)
Chest Supported Row 90x5/135x5/180x5/225x5/250x5

Squats are getting very light. Deads where so so, I think I will do a 2nd warm up next week. Bench felt good but I may stay with the 375 next week and just go up 10 pounds every other week. I may expierment with that on all lifts when they get tougher. Went with 5x5 for rows today to cut back from 48 to 25 reps there. Will probably drop the 135 bench warm up.

Week 13 Training Day 1

2006-07-24T16:21:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x1/315x1/405x1/465x3(last rep 5 sec. pause)/515x1
Deadlift 315x1/515x3/565x1
Pause Bench 135x1/225x1/325x5x1 w/ 10 sec. pauses
Pull Ups BW(279)x6x4

Weights felt light today. 10 pound jumps won't be possible every week but for now it will do. Bodyweight is up but it won't go much higher then 280 for now. I wanted to strap on 20 pounds and see if I could do a 300 pound pull up but that will have to wait.

Week 14 Training Day 3

2006-07-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x2/315x1/405x1/455x3(last rep paused 3 secs.)/505x1
Deadlift 315x1/505x3/555x1
Pause Bench 135x2/225x1/315x5x1 with 10 second pauses on chest
Pull Ups BWx6,6,6,5

Bicep felt good so went ahead and did the same workout as Monday. Will change pull ups to sets of 4 as 6 would be too taxing to do. Will add 5 pounds to all lifts Monday.

Week 14 Training Day 2

2006-07-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x2/315x1/405x1/505x1
Deadlift 315x1/495x1(no chalk, double overhand)/555x1
Pause Bench 135x2/225x1/315x1/365x1/275x5(close), 275x5(wide)
Chest Supported Row 90x12/135x12/190x12

No back squats on friday as the bicep tendon was a little tender. Will probably do Front Squats, Rack pulls, and Pause Bench with some pull ups. I'm working on making my own system of low volume that will enable me to train the 3 lifts heavy 3x a week. So far I feel great with very little soreness except for the bicep tendon.

Week 14 Training Day 1

2006-07-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x2/315x1/405x1/455x3/505x1/455x1(5 second pause rep)
Deadlift 315x1/405x1/505x3/555x1
Pause Bench 135x2/225x1/315x5 singles with 10 second pauses
Pull Ups BW(273)x8,5,5,5

All weights were easy tonight, The 455 pause squat could have been tripled easily. Everything else was great.

Deadlifts

2006-07-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

Deadlift 225x8/405x1/465x2x10
Front Squat 275x5
Chest Supported Row 90x12/135x12/185x12
Pull Ups BW(271)x5,4,5

Good workout, weight was light. It was a nice 93 degrees in my gym today so I got a good sweat on. Pull Ups shocked the heck out of me.

Pause Bench

2006-07-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

Pause Bench 135x5/225x1/285x5x5
Feet Up Close Grip Bench(index on smooth) 225x5/245x5
DB Triceps 40x3x10/45x3x10
Standing Hammer Curls 60x4x8

Did close grips with feet up ala Stinn and it felt good.

Squats

2006-07-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

Squat 135x2/225x1/315x1/405x5x5
Leg Curl 90x3x12
Seated Calf Raise 110x3x12

Squats where easy pie. I like the 5x5 b/c every set gets easier and easier.

End of First Week back...

2006-07-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

As everyone can see I didn't quite stick to the plan I had laid out. I went by feel most of the week and don't quite know what to make of my assesment. I can either standing bnp or dips but not both. 3x a week may be better than 4x but I have to see if I can make it work. If you ask me, 2x a week is optimal. All that depends on how my body responds to the training loads. But the 5x5 is here to stay as well as the higher reps on the support work.

Deadlifts

2006-07-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

Deadlifts 225x2/405x1/445x5x5
Front Squat 225x2x10

Getting a feel for doing deadlifts again. Will start my new cycle soon.

Narrow Grip Bench

2006-07-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

Narrow Grip Bench 225x5x5
Chest Supported Rows 90x12/135x12/180x12
Seated Hammer Curls 50x3x12

Squats

2006-07-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Squat 135x5/225x5/315x5/405x5
Pause Squat 315x2x5
Lying Leg Curl 80x2x12/90x12
Seated Calf Raise 90x3x12

Good workout today, my legs where shaking by the end. Didn't wear belt or anything for all squat sets. Pause squats where done high bar, close stance with 3 second pause in the hole.

First Day Back

2006-07-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Bench Press 275x3x10
Incline Press 225x2x8 paused
Dips BWx20,10

Standing Behind the Neck Press 185x6

Dumbell Triceps 30x15/35x15/40x12/45x10/35x10

That was it for today. Will drop standing BNP and dips. I feel that doing these exercises now is fine but once the weight starts getting up there they will cause lots of problems.

What's Next

2006-06-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

I think I'll be doing the ADAU meet in Bigler, PA in October. I'm not sure of it but it could be a possibility. As far as training, I will starting up training on Monday. As of right now, I'm not sure what I'll be doing but I am working on it.

VIDEOS ARE UP!!!

2006-06-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

Here ya go:

http://www.putfile.com/mjc1021

ADAU National Championship Results

2006-06-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

I will be putting the vids up on putfile and will post the link when it's done. In the squat I went 550/600/610; good for 620. On the bench I hit 395/415/430; good for 435. In the deadlift I went 605/650/665; easily good for 680-690. Bodyweight was 266. I won the 275 national championships but just lost best lifter to a 319 lifter. He was the only other person in the meet that out totaled me and it was by 60 pounds. I'm tired so that's all for now.

I also met John McDonald at this meet and he did well. I'll let him post his take on the meet and results. John is a solid lifter and great all around guy. With his permission I'll post some vids of his squats and bench press.

Last Workout Before Competition

2006-06-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

Pause Bench 135x2/225x1/315/365x1/415x1 EASY!!
Tricep Drives 315x6,5
DONE

Decided against any squatting to let lower back heal(as per Marty Gallaghers' suggestion). Did an easy single with 415 and a 2-3 second pause. So I will go as planned with the benching by doing 395/415/430. Bodyweight was 267, 11.5 pounds dropped in 1 week. Finished off with some tricep work and then went in the steam room and sauna. So, for this comp I rested 13 days for squats, 10 days for deadlifts, and 7 days for benching.

One More session

2006-06-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday or Monday I'll head in to do some pause benching and last heavy triceps then I'll be done for the meet. Thanks for the input guys on the deadlift attempts, it was much needed. So we'll head to the gym and hit 405x2 squat and a 605 walkout then 415x1 paused on the bench press and then that's it! If all goes ae planned we'll be looking at 550/600/610 - 395/415/430 - 610/650/675.

Last Deadlift Session

2006-06-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

Deadlift 225x2/425x1/525x1/625x2(had 3 maybe 4 reps)
Chest Supported Rows 135x10/180x10/225x12
Seated Calf Raise 100x3x12

I think I can break the 1700 mark raw at this meet. Now I face one simple dillema, the 625x2 was very easy and I'm thinking I should open with it. 650 will go down at the meet no problem but I'm wondering if I should play it safe and open with 605-610 b/c of the squatting. Any input from you guys would be awesome. Thanks

Squatting and Benching

2006-06-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

Squat 225x2/315x1/405x1/495x1/565x2(had 3 in me)
Pause Bench 135x3/225x1/315x1/365x1/405x2
Barbell Throatcrusher 95x12/145x2x12
Seated Hammer Curl 60x3x12

A 600 squat and 430 bench will go down at the meet. This was a good day and I'm feeling very good about the meet. Next week I will do light squats and a 605 walkout and a 415x1 on the pause bench. The last 2 exercises are always supersetted.

Almost there...

2006-06-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

Deadlift 225x2/405x1/515x1/605x2(had 3-4 reps in me)
Chest Supported Row 135x10/180x10/225x10
Seated Calf Raise 100x3x12

Getting closer to a peak...

2006-06-05T08:44:00.001-07:00

Squat 135x2/225x1/315x1/405x1/495x1/545x2(had 3-4 in me)
Pause Bench 135x3/225x1/315x1/365x1/395x2(had 3 in me)
Barbell Throatcrusher 95x12/115x12/135x12(all very slow and controlled.)
Seated Hammer Curl 60x3x12

These will be my openers for the meet. The bench was done without a liftoff so I know a triple is possible. The squats were real strong and deep. On the first rep I was a good 2 inches below parallel so on the second rep I buried it and was about 3 inches off the floor! Wanted to do the triceps today to help recovery for the benchinf next week and also did hammers today b/c I was still a little sore last week in the brachialis when doing my deadlifts and back work. Will do calf raises on Thursday as this workout was pushing 90 minutes.

Deadlifts

2006-06-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Deadlift 225x3/405x1/495x1/585x2(easy, had 3-4 more in me)
Chest Supported Row 90x10/135x10/180x10/205x10/225x8
Wide Pulldowns 120x10/130x2x10

Good day today. The deadlifts were a joke, literally. They were so easy. I'm thinking I'll probably give 650 a go at the meet.

Some support work

2006-05-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

Seated Press 225x5/275x5
Close Grip Press to neck(elbows in) 185x10/225x10
Hammer Curls 70x8/75x2x8

Keeping volume low for now. This may be the last week for support work. Didn't want to do it but it felt good. The close grip press espically felt good. I still felt a little drained from yesterday which is why I should have probably scraped today altogether.