Jked's Journey: The Saga Continues

[jked4life]

So, after a brief stint over in the workout journal's section, I am back here where I believe I belong. I don't log on all that much or have time to participate in most of the threads over there. Many of the people that were such a great support system for me when I was prepping are over here, some of them prepping now. I only thought it would be fitting to stay over here and try to support those folks as well as keep my journal.

I am not in prep right now, so this will serve as an offseason journal. I had fallen away from logging what I'm doing and have become a little more disorganized with my approach this summer. I'm looking to rectify that right now and looking for a bit of accountability for myself. Although I've been training hard and eating relatively well, my focus has waned. It was a good time to recharge the batteries after a long prep but now it is time to get the ball rolling again and put on the game face.


Now it's getting serious!

[jked4life]

I am a firm believer in setting goals and time limits in which they are to be accomplished.

I have a very lofty goal for my next competition season. To earn a pro card in a natural organization. There, I've said it. :p

As far as a time limit, that's a little more difficult. My number 1 priority in life is my family. I have a beautiful wife and almost 3 year old son. This past season, when I prepped, so did they. They need a bit of a break and I need some serious time to grow. Jumping back into a prep in a few months will not yield the improvements that I need to achieve my goal. I need to keep a focused and systematic approach to my offseason and then let time be my friend.

I am very aware of the fact that I will need to make some serious improvements to achieve this goal. Although they could use a tad bit more mass, my legs are in pretty good shape. My main focus will need to be on my upper body. I am going to need a few more pounds of clean mass on my 6'2 frame. I've got narrow shoulders, small joints, and a metabolism that's been kicking into high gear lately. I've got two bad shoulders from years of competitive swimming and incorrect form on the bench press. At 31, I'm not a kid anymore and the gain train runs much slower than it once did. The odds are stacked against me but this neither scares, intimidates or deters me.

My entire life, I have been the underdog. Everything I have done has come more difficult to me than the people around me. I have been told by coaches and teammates that I have zero talent. When I was very young, teachers had even ridiculed me for being stupid, unfocused and constantly daydreaming. I've been told I was a loser and will never achieve anything in life.

There is one talent that I posses which is unique. I am willing to work harder than the others around me, I will put in longer hours, I will stay dilligent and work then others play, I will go without sleep while others are napping and I can be repeatedly beat down and I keep coming back for more.

When I was in second grade, I could not write at all , while the entire class was publishing paragraphs which were displayed on the wall. In the meantime I was tested multiple times for a variety of learning disabilities. In between bouts of tears for not being able to keep up, I spent hours each night practicing my writing. My parents begged me to put down the pen and go to sleep, but I didn't. I kept going and kept working. I learned how to write a paragraph and much more. By the end of my senior year of High School, I was accepted into SUNY Geneseo, the most selective state school in NY. I was told that one of the deciding factors was my application essay. I attended and graduated, making dean's list my last semester.

When I was young I wanted to play baseball. I was the worst on the team for 2 years straight. I batted dead last. Over the next year, I spent hours in the backyard practicing my batting. I exhausted every one of my friends in the neighborhood trying to get better. Two seasons later, I was tied for first in the league for home runs.

I first started competitive swimming my freshman year in high school. After a somewhat promising start, I hit a sophomore slump. My coach told me he'd never seen anyone start out so well but do so "sh*itty" after so much time. "Maybe I ought to consider another sport" is what I was told. That comment cut me like a knife and I did voluntary double sessions and made Sectional finals that season. By senior year, I was a serious contender for many Sectional titles. A year later, in college I earned a spot on the travel team on the most dominant team in the state of NY. That same coach that had hurt me so badly wrote me a college recommendation stating that I had very little talent but the most heart he had ever seen in his career.

When I was student teaching, I had a great first placement. My second cooperating teacher mentoring me told me that I would never make it as a teacher and should consider something else. Almost 10 years later, I have earned a master's degree, a tenured teacher and become the "go to" person of my department in a school that is high on the Newsweek "Top 1000" schools in the United States.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSDjV_kk0Gw

I saw this video about a year ago. When he says "I'm not afraid to die on a treadmill", I believe that describes how I have always lived my life to this point.

My general plan to earn a pro card will pretty much follow suit. Work harder than others, stay focused, and be consistent. In addition, I'll just kind of "hang in there" like I've always done. I'll just keep coming and keep working... and then... who knows?

[jked4life]

I'll be posting some data, in terms of macro's, weight, and training variables.

However, I'm hoping to keep it a little more raw and go a little deeper than that. I went that route at times in my prep journal and those are the things I felt were of the most benefit to others and to myself as I read through it months later.

[jked4life]

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee159/mspreter/IMG_3075.jpg

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee159/mspreter/IMG_2971-1.jpg

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee159/mspreter/LatSqueeze.jpg

[ehlisl]

Shredded Wheat!!

You know Im in Matt! :D

[jked4life]

Shredded Wheat!!

You know Im in Matt! :D

Thanks Big Luke!

Always great to have a fellow teammate on board ;)





Which reminds me.... I was able to achieve a very high level of conditioning for someone in their first season. I worked incredibly hard to earn it, but I would never have been able to get there without the plan and support from my coach, Alberto Nunez. I felt as though I thrived under his methods and the results were very pleasing. While it's a long way out, my intentions are to join up again with him and the 3DMJ team for round 2.

[DanTheManB]

in for star wars/star trek-like voyage

[Blazed]

YYou know you have my full support. Team Berto all the way baby.

[tsajdak]

I'm in and hope to see you down the road. Good luck with everything.

[jked4life]

in for star wars/star trek-like voyage

Lol. Welcome aboard.


YYou know you have my full support. Team Berto all the way baby.

You know it! Right back at cha. Prep wise, you're up first and I'm on deck.

Epic seasons coming up the next few years!


I'm in and hope to see you down the road. Good luck with everything.

Thanks buddy! I appreciate it.

I saw the pics in the new NB&F. Very cool. They looked like they were taken at Richs' gym? I grabbed a workout/posing session with him and a few others last March during the Arnold. As far as I know, I'll be back this year as well.

Have you decided on a show/show's in the near future? It's your season. "I got a feeling". If your travels lead you or Justin up here, you guys are always welcome at me casa.

[The Solution]

You know you have my full support, in for some NASTY conditioning.

[jked4life]

Cardio

Grouted the tile that I put in the other day in my front foyer. - 2 hours

Installed quarter round molding around my floors that I put in - 2 hours

Total Calories Burned: No freakin clue.


Weight

209.0


Nutrition

P- 233 C- 433 F- 85

Missed my targets a bit here. I was going for 450 CHO and 75 F. That's okay though. I need to be better about weighing myself consistently. I've not got good data lately and I've been fluctuating a lot. I've seen everything this week from 204 up to 211, lol. I gained pretty fast up to the 202-205 mark but since then I'd say I've been under .5 lb a week, closer to .25. I'm debating a carb bump to 475 or so. The game plan is to get the scale moving at .5 a week until I consistently hit 215. After that, I'll run a mini back down to about 203 or so. Then rinse and repeat.

The really good news is that the met rate is moving at about 150 - 300 cals faster than this time last year at the same bodyweight. Exact numbers are hard to determine since I didn't do as well at keeping track back then.

[jked4life]

You know you have my full support, in for some NASTY conditioning.

Thanks Bob!

I'll not be bringing that for a while. But it's coming ;)


I've been taking a hard look at my pics from last season. My legs/glutes were dry real dry. To be completely honest though, I could have gotten rid of more in the abs and low back. I was lean, perhaps somewhat of an anomaly for a rookie season but there was more there. I'm not sure exactly, but by my estimates I had at least 2 full pounds (probably more) to be on that whole other level that the great one's make it too.

To get there I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that I'm not ready to reveal just yet.

[jked4life]

So anywho... The lifting.

I ran westside for a bit. I was getting strong quick, maybe too quick. My shoulders and right knee said "no more" so instead of putting myself out of the gym completely, I stopped it. Did about 3-4 weeks of instinctive training, mostly hypertrophy based. The Knee is much better and shoulders got a bit better but I'm pretty sure they'll never be 100%.

I've been working on my bench press form lately to try to rectify the situation. According to my buddy/gym manager/powerlifter, I got sucky bench press form and long forearms. I guess with flaring my elbows too much and not having an arch in my back, I've been putting massive stress on them. Suckage. For a while, I'm strongly advised to limit my pressing to the HS machines but mostly just floor presses.

enough of that. here's some of the better lifts...

Rack Pulls (midshin)- All from one session
455 x 5, 5, 5, 505 x 2, 2

Dumbell Shoulder Press
85's x 10, 9, 8 - in one session.

Barbell Floor Press
250 x 5, 5, 5, 255 x 5- in one session

Hack Squats
4pps +25 x 5, 5, 4pps +35 x 5, 5, 5pps x 4 - in one session



Not where I want to be yet, but progress nonetheless.

[tsajdak]

Thanks buddy! I appreciate it.

I saw the pics in the new NB&F. Very cool. They looked like they were taken at Richs' gym? I grabbed a workout/posing session with him and a few others last March during the Arnold. As far as I know, I'll be back this year as well.

Have you decided on a show/show's in the near future? It's your season. "I got a feeling". If your travels lead you or Justin up here, you guys are always welcome at me casa.

Yes, the pictures were taken at Rich's "Old gym". He is in the process of opening a new, bigger place. They open Sep 1st actually. Its about 3 times the size of the gym you were at. Definitely let me know if you come back down for the Arnold next year, and you are welcome at my house as well, we have 2 free rooms.
As for future shows, right now the Buckeye Classic 2011 is my main goal. I may end up shooting for the NSSN in Buffalo, all depends on how my winter goes. Right now I'm feeling really good and putting on some nice size. Finally getting back to hitting my legs hard again whigh I've neglected for prolly 8 years. I'd really like to do a fall show this year but I have to hold off and take advantage of a productive off season for a change.
Keep hitting it hard!!!

[jked4life]

Cardio

AM- Didn't plan on any cardio but the team I coach needed a massive kick in the butt. Too much laziness, so I had to get down there in the trenches and show them how it's done.

30 minute jog/stairs with breaks for situps, pushups and medicine ball work. Hurt real bad too, but I think I proved my point.


Upper

DB Floor Press
90's x 13, 100's x 12, 10 - Big time PR's

Moto Rows
100 x 10/10, 11/11, 10/10 - PR's

Laterals
35's x 4 x 10

Incline Smith Press
185 x 12, 225 x 8, 8 - Took it easy on this. Coddling the shoulders a bit.

Preacher Curls
2 sets



Good session. Felt uber strong today on the floor presses and moto's. Nice.



Macro's

P- 247 C- 483 F- 75

[jked4life]

Yes, the pictures were taken at Rich's "Old gym". He is in the process of opening a new, bigger place. They open Sep 1st actually. Its about 3 times the size of the gym you were at. Definitely let me know if you come back down for the Arnold next year, and you are welcome at my house as well, we have 2 free rooms.
As for future shows, right now the Buckeye Classic 2011 is my main goal. I may end up shooting for the NSSN in Buffalo, all depends on how my winter goes. Right now I'm feeling really good and putting on some nice size. Finally getting back to hitting my legs hard again whigh I've neglected for prolly 8 years. I'd really like to do a fall show this year but I have to hold off and take advantage of a productive off season for a change.
Keep hitting it hard!!!

I saw something to that effect in his journal a while back. Good for him. He seemed like a real down to earth guy. I'm glad it's been going well for him.

Man, from the looks of it you are most definitely having a productive offseason. Neglected the wheels for 8 years? Wow. Looking back at the pics, while they weren't as strong as your upper body the legs still had some good size. I think hitting them hard over a good offseason is going to give you a real complete physique. One that will be hard to beat. Between that and how tight you're keeping it with the conditioning... big things!

Thanks for the offer too. I know a bunch of us (Rich included) had discussed having some type of get together and possibly training session as well. Prepping for those shows, you ought to be skinless by then :)

[wrkoutfrq]

man do i feel ya on the shoulder problems... swam in high school as well, and my rotator cuffs are rubbish. makes it hard to do shoulder presses by myself (which unfortunately i always am)

good luck with your goal... sounds like if anyone can do it, it'll be you

[jked4life]

man do i feel ya on the shoulder problems... swam in high school as well, and my rotator cuffs are rubbish. makes it hard to do shoulder presses by myself (which unfortunately i always am)

good luck with your goal... sounds like if anyone can do it, it'll be you


Yeah man, it sucks being all crippled in the shoulders at 31 years old. I've been vigilant with my athletes to hopefully save their shoulders. I've kind of invented some new drills to help them roll more and get those shoulders out of the water.

Shoulder presses have always been my nemesis. If I'm not careful, I get clicking and popping all through my shoulders. The new fun one is that my right shoulder has felt like it's popping in and out of joint if I hit a wrong angle on laterals. A buddy of mine who is a powerlifter was watching me bench and told me to lay off it immediately. I guess I've got no back arch and been flaring my elbows out way too much for years and putting a lot of stress on them. Not the cause of the problems but certainly not helping.

[jked4life]

Lower Hyper

1 Leg Press
5 sets- Worked up to 3 pps +10 x 9/9

1 leg Extension
3 sets- slow negatives/lots of TUT

Leg Curls
3 sets - Lots of TUT with slow negatives

Calves
3 sets



Nutrition

P-239 C- 471 F- 75



Went out to Oak's place and we hit up a lower hyper session. He's still nursing the lower back so our mission today was to get some serious trauma in the lower body muscles without putting a strain on his low back. I think it did the trick. Both of us seemed to be limping out of the gym when we left. Good times.

[Blazed]

Any kind of overhead pressing has been out of my repertoire for over two years now, best thing I could have done. They are finally growing and finally pain free.

[FATHER FLEX]

Dude your floor press blew up!

[thepacman]

In for this Matt. Tear it up! Can't wait to see that nasty lower back again.

[bucsfan]

Subbed for the journey man! Good luck!

[AustrianOakJr]

Lower Hyper

1 Leg Press
5 sets- Worked up to 3 pps +10 x 9/9

1 leg Extension
3 sets- slow negatives/lots of TUT

Leg Curls
3 sets - Lots of TUT with slow negatives

Calves
3 sets



Nutrition

P-239 C- 471 F- 75



Went out to Oak's place and we hit up a lower hyper session. He's still nursing the lower back so our mission today was to get some serious trauma in the lower body muscles without putting a strain on his low back. I think it did the trick. Both of us seemed to be limping out of the gym when we left. Good times.

Just spotted your new journal....you know ill be watching. Intereresting read in the beginning. Sounds like you're in for a pro crd in the future!

Ill say we did the legs just right. For not going very heavy at all, I am pretty sore. I think I strained something in my left glute.....feels pretty tight but nothing major. One leg presses ftw! Good stuff.

[jked4life]

Any kind of overhead pressing has been out of my repertoire for over two years now, best thing I could have done. They are finally growing and finally pain free.

Hmm. That might be a good idea. It's worked out well huh? Even though I've attempted to do heavy overhead stuff, I never felt like I got a ton out of it. Dunno. Something to seriously consider though.


Dude your floor press blew up!

Lol. I saw some crazy dude floor pressing 140's and 315 on the BB and I knew I had to step it up ;)


In for this Matt. Tear it up! Can't wait to see that nasty lower back again.

Nice! Glad to have you in here.

The lats got freaky striated but now I got to grow them to match the ridiculousness of the hammies.


Subbed for the journey man! Good luck!

Thanks for stopping by!


Just spotted your new journal....you know ill be watching. Intereresting read in the beginning. Sounds like you're in for a pro crd in the future!

Ill say we did the legs just right. For not going very heavy at all, I am pretty sore. I think I strained something in my left glute.....feels pretty tight but nothing major. One leg presses ftw! Good stuff.

Haha, I was reading through Layne's journal and he was talking about people who only talk about killing it in the gym and leave out everything else. Although I'm not prepping I looked back to my prep log. Although it was somewhat interesting to note what I was lifting, eating and cardio...the raw and real stuff was much more valuable to see months later. So I guess I just intend to keep it real. A little over the top on the intro...perhaps, lol :D... All true though :)


Pro Card! Is there any other reason to go out there again? What do I have to loose? If I don't say the words, I won't believe it. If I don't put it out there to the world to see, I might let myself down or let up a little bit. Besides, no matter what happens, it's just bodybuilding :)


The legs, mine are still a little toasty too. For a light workout, it was no joke. Sorry you strained your butt, lol. If this was the misc section I should have probably added a (no homo) in there or something. If you liked the one leg presses, you'd love the one leg hack squats! Let the low back recover a bit more though.

[jked4life]

Rack Deadlifts- 2/3 of the way up the shin.

465 x 5, 5, 475 x 5, 505 x 4


The following sets were all performed "HIT" style

HS Bench
2pps + 25 x 6, 6

Lat Pulldown
225 x 5, 195 x 8, 7

HS Incline
2pps x 6, 6

Laterals
2 sets

Rear Laterals
2 sets

Front Laterals
1 set

Cross Body Hammer Curls
2 sets

Decline Dumbell Extensions
2 sets



Misc

45 min- Foam Rolling and Stretching


Nutrition

Didn't count today. Lots of foodz. :D






Wow. So I stumbled upon two things today that may become staples of my workout program. Last night I was surfing the web and found the 3DMJ article from Jeff "Hit Me". I have to say it looked a little silly to me, and I have to admit bias against it. As I was reading, Jeff mentioned his shoulder problems and how this helped him a lot. Once I read that, my interest was piqued. I read a little more and watched his training vid. Afterwards, I was thinking "I have to try this". So anyways, I did and loved it. While I'm still going to work on increasing strength on big lifts, I can see this having a major part in my repetoire. I just need to do a little research to find out more.

Pros- I loved the way it really nailed the muscle and ripped them to shreds without putting any strain on the joints. Ridiculous upper body workout without a single twinge of pain during or after training. For a guy who is starting to get older and have the lifelong injuries to match, score 1 for HIT. I also like the possibility that this kind of training could mean less gym time if done correctly. For a 30 something with a family and lots of other stuff to do, score 2 for HIT.

Cons- Not sure how to measure progress. Not sure about the science behind it. I guess I'm just ignorant of it in general. Need to do some research.


I guess I just need to look into it, figure out how to apply at least certain parts of it, take what's valuable and give it some time. Anyways, some food for thought. Thanks Jeff!!!!!!!



Foam Rolling!!!!!! I finally got my hands on a foam roller here at home. Watched a couple youtube vids and went to work. Holy moley! Just like the song said "it hurts so good". With about 45 minutes of rolling and stretching, I alleviated some major soreness, tension and pain that's been accumulating for many years. I could notice a remarkable increase in flexibiliy and mobility in just one session. I'm sitting here all chill, relaxed and stress free. Amazing! My gym manager has been telling me to buy one for home for the last couple of months. Of course I had to be stubborn and hold out until now :cool: Since he helped me majorly overhaul my squat and bench press in the past year or so, I really ought to listen. I'm pretty sure his tutelage is one of the major reasons for the alien hamstrings last April. Maybe I ought to wise up a little. :)

[bucsfan]

I did HIT training for a while and had great results. As far as the science goes it pretty much is focused on having so much intensity in one set that is tears the fibers down so far that any further sets are not needed. Dorian Yates equated the muscles to a stick of dynamite. He said that if you tap a stick of dynamite all day with a pencil nothing will happen (AKA high volume low intensity training), but if you take a hammer and smash a stick of dynamite once it will blow up.

Theres all sorts of ways of doing HIT from slow negatives, forced reps, drop sets, rest pauses, etc etc. To measure progress you could focus on trying to increase by just a rep or hold a contraction for a longer period of time. Form is always important and deload weeks should be utilized when needed especially if you are going super heavy.

[jked4life]

I did HIT training for a while and had great results. As far as the science goes it pretty much is focused on having so much intensity in one set that is tears the fibers down so far that any further sets are not needed. Dorian Yates equated the muscles to a stick of dynamite. He said that if you tap a stick of dynamite all day with a pencil nothing will happen (AKA high volume low intensity training), but if you take a hammer and smash a stick of dynamite once it will blow up.

Theres all sorts of ways of doing HIT from slow negatives, forced reps, drop sets, rest pauses, etc etc. To measure progress you could focus on trying to increase by just a rep or hold a contraction for a longer period of time. Form is always important and deload weeks should be utilized when needed especially if you are going super heavy.

Thanks for posting that. I appreciate the insight and tips :)

Well, the intensity part makes a lot of sense to me. I think I may be more predisposed to a higher number of slow twitch muscles, or I just spent more time training those in my younger days. It seems like I have less explosive power than say Oak or my monster neighbor when I train with them, but if a set drags on with lots of TUT, I can more or less hang. Also, I have noticed that(compared to training partners), as I do more volume, I "hit the wall" faster than They do. Adding more volume seems to benefit me far less than it does them. For this reason I tend to prefer routines like Upper/Lower because I blast a bodypart with 4-7 sets or so and move on to another, then I hit that same bodypart again in a few days. If I train that way, my overall workload on an individual bodypart will be much higher. Contrast that with a guy like Oak, who I trained legs with the other day...at least from what I can gather I've recovered faster. Although not 100% recovered, I could have smashed them again effectively yesterday or certainly today, I'm not sure he could.

I guess because of that, I tend to prefer low volume with more frequency and anything that can help me build intensity. This is another reason I also like to really work those heavy compound power movements.

[bucsfan]

Thanks for posting that. I appreciate the insight and tips :)

Well, the intensity part makes a lot of sense to me. I think I may be more predisposed to a higher number of slow twitch muscles, or I just spent more time training those in my younger days. It seems like I have less explosive power than say Oak or my monster neighbor when I train with them, but if a set drags on with lots of TUT, I can more or less hang. Also, I have noticed that(compared to training partners), as I do more volume, I "hit the wall" faster than They do. Adding more volume seems to benefit me far less than it does them. For this reason I tend to prefer routines like Upper/Lower because I blast a bodypart with 4-7 sets or so and move on to another, then I hit that same bodypart again in a few days. If I train that way, my overall workload on an individual bodypart will be much higher. Contrast that with a guy like Oak, who I trained legs with the other day...at least from what I can gather I've recovered faster. Although not 100% recovered, I could have smashed them again effectively yesterday or certainly today, I'm not sure he could.

I guess because of that, I tend to prefer low volume with more frequency and anything that can help me build intensity. This is another reason I also like to really work those heavy compound power movements.

Yeah I def feel ya on this, I hit a wall pretty fast on high volume stuff but I tend to do really well with heavier weight, high frequency, and lower volume.

[jked4life]

Yeah I def feel ya on this, I hit a wall pretty fast on high volume stuff but I tend to do really well with heavier weight, high frequency, and lower volume.

Amazing how people can be so different when it comes to this stuff. It's annoying because most of the people I know are super attached to the 1 X a week per bodypart type training with high volume.

Typical Gym Convo:

"Hey Matt, you training legs? Again?"

"Yes"

"Didn't you already hit them this week?"

"Yep and I need to do it again"

"Why don't you hit some chest? You kinda need it"

"Already hit that twice this week. Gonna probably hit it once more"

"oh"

[bucsfan]

Amazing how people can be so different when it comes to this stuff. It's annoying because most of the people I know are super attached to the 1 X a week per bodypart type training with high volume.

Typical Gym Convo:

"Hey Matt, you training legs? Again?"

"Yes"

"Didn't you already hit them this week?"

"Yep and I need to do it again"

"Why don't you hit some chest? You kinda need it"

"Already hit that twice this week. Gonna probably hit it once more"

"oh"

Ha ha yeah I agree. Or there are the people that are just overkill on everything. a typical week for most members at my gym is this

Monday- 2 hours of chest, every exercise known to man
Tuesday-arms- 1 hour or bi's and a hour for tri's because they need that much work
Wednesday- Shoulders followed by more chest since it wasnt hit properly on Monday
Thursday- Arms once again
Friday- Chest again for the heck of it.

ZERO BACK OR LEG WORK

[jked4life]

Hack Squats
4pps +25 x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5pps x 5 -----> Monster Pr!!!!

RDL
365 x 5, 5, 375 x 5, 405 x 3 -----> PR!

Calves
2 sets of 8 Reps - HIT Style- VERY slow on the negative portion. These sets took had lots of TUT

Decline Situp
+ 45 x 8, 8 - HIT Style- VERY slow negatives




Great training today. I trained in the morning but got up early enough to get a good 125g of carbs in prior, with some digesting time. Had some oats, honey, whey and poptarts and went to work. Felt super strong and man handled the weights. Good deal.


May try to foam roll for a bit this evening. I'm super sore from massive workouts this week. I feel like I've been really hitting a grove lately. I've felt super full in the chest, shoulders, back and legs. My strength has been improving rapidly. I've been trying to take notes about how I feel at different weights.

195- Feel fine physically. Tend to be a bit hungry though. Not too bad

200- Hunger shuts off. Lifting is good

205-210- Been feeling massively strong and full. Feel like the potential for strength is higher than sub 205. Feel a bit flabby and not quite as "fit". I store most of my excess fat in my lower abs/love handles, so looking in the mirror is disappointing though. I feel like that fat storage pattern makes me appear at a higher bf than I really am. Why can't I store in the legs/glutes like most people :mad: I can still make out cross striations in the quads if I flex them just right though :D

[jked4life]

Ha ha yeah I agree. Or there are the people that are just overkill on everything. a typical week for most members at my gym is this

Monday- 2 hours of chest, every exercise known to man
Tuesday-arms- 1 hour or bi's and a hour for tri's because they need that much work
Wednesday- Shoulders followed by more chest since it wasnt hit properly on Monday
Thursday- Arms once again
Friday- Chest again for the heck of it.

ZERO BACK OR LEG WORK

I think that's everywhere!

[jked4life]

All Exercises Performed With Slow Negatives

CG Pulldowns
240 x 8, 8 + 165 x 4

HS Bench Press
2pps + 20 x 8, 8 + 1 pps x 5

Laterals
2 sets

Upright Rows
2 Sets

One Arm DB Rows
120 x 2 ----> Right shoulder started to slide out of joint!!! Oh crap :mad:

Chest Supported DB Rows
75's x 8, 8

HS Preacher Curls
90 x 6 + 3 + 2 - Rest Pause

Pressdowns
90 x 9, 95 x 6


Good workout today. Really pushed the intensity hard. Had lots of TUT with decently heavy weight. On the DB rows, I was doing just fine but the angle was bad and I felt my right shoulder sliding out of joint so I immediately dropped the DB. Not good. I've had that happen before so I wasn't super alarmed. Even with that little problem, my shoulders feel just dandy right now sitting here, no pain at all. Dunno how long I'm going to do this HIT stuff but for right now I'm liking being pain free in the shoulders. My muscles are in lots of pain though!!!!!!

Gotta rest up tonight because I'm back to work tomorrow. Staff report all day and kids come on Weds. Awesome :)

[tsajdak]

All Exercises Performed With Slow Negatives

CG Pulldowns
240 x 8, 8 + 165 x 4

HS Bench Press
2pps + 20 x 8, 8 + 1 pps x 5

Laterals
2 sets

Upright Rows
2 Sets

One Arm DB Rows
120 x 2 ----> Right shoulder started to slide out of joint!!! Oh crap :mad:

Chest Supported DB Rows
75's x 8, 8

HS Preacher Curls
90 x 6 + 3 + 2 - Rest Pause

Pressdowns
90 x 9, 95 x 6


Good workout today. Really pushed the intensity hard. Had lots of TUT with decently heavy weight. On the DB rows, I was doing just fine but the angle was bad and I felt my right shoulder sliding out of joint so I immediately dropped the DB. Not good. I've had that happen before so I wasn't super alarmed. Even with that little problem, my shoulders feel just dandy right now sitting here, no pain at all. Dunno how long I'm going to do this HIT stuff but for right now I'm liking being pain free in the shoulders. My muscles are in lots of pain though!!!!!!

Gotta rest up tonight because I'm back to work tomorrow. Staff report all day and kids come on Weds. Awesome :)

Take care of that shoulder bro. You can still hit it hard without damaging it, you know your body better than anyone obviously. Take care and push through it.

[jked4life]

Take care of that shoulder bro. You can still hit it hard without damaging it, you know your body better than anyone obviously. Take care and push through it.

Thanks man. It's definitely been getting better. This HIT type training is putting a ton more tension on my muscles and a lot less damaging to the shoulders especially. Plus, I've been doing only floor presses for my pressing movements, which helps keep everything in a healthy range. Not sure how long i'll be training like that, but I have to say I feel healthy(injury wise) and I've never felt fuller in the upper body. 500g of carbs a day helps too ;)

[jked4life]

DB Floor Presses

120's x 2, 2



The Rest of the Workout Performed HIT Style

Lat Pulldowns
2 sets - 230 lbs

Incline HS Press
2 Sets- 2pps

Rear Laterals
2 sets

DB Curls
2 Sets

[B]Rope Pressdowns[/B
2 Sets




Another good workout. I'm not sure exactly what the scoop is. I didn't feel as recovered for this workout as I should have. Almost like I needed another day. I guess that's a good thing though. Must mean I'm stretching myself a bit, which is a good thing.

First day of school today and I'm stoked. Had a great day with all of my new students and with the adults I share a room with. I'm teamed up with a great bunch of adults this year and the kids I work with were hand picked for me. I've got a lot of of "active" boys who are into sports and lifting. Perfect! It looks like it's going to be a good year.

[ehlisl]

Solid work and glad things are feeling better, especially with the shoulder.....and with the recovery, HIT does the same to me. Sometimes I have to take an extra day off between workouts.

[tsajdak]

Thanks man. It's definitely been getting better. This HIT type training is putting a ton more tension on my muscles and a lot less damaging to the shoulders especially. Plus, I've been doing only floor presses for my pressing movements, which helps keep everything in a healthy range. Not sure how long i'll be training like that, but I have to say I feel healthy(injury wise) and I've never felt fuller in the upper body. 500g of carbs a day helps too ;)

Dam, I wish I could eat 500g of carbs a day. My metabolism just won't handle it. Too darn old I guess. Oh well, its not like I'm not eating alot, lol. Keep up the work

[jked4life]

Solid work and glad things are feeling better, especially with the shoulder.....and with the recovery, HIT does the same to me. Sometimes I have to take an extra day off between workouts.

Thanks Luke. Yeah, it's really different than what I'm used to. That's probably a really good thing though :)


Dam, I wish I could eat 500g of carbs a day. My metabolism just won't handle it. Too darn old I guess. Oh well, its not like I'm not eating alot, lol. Keep up the work

Lol, I've never eaten nearly this much...ever. My goal is to get up to at least touch on 215 before I run a mini. At the rate I got to 205, I feared I'd be running that mini way sooner than I'd wanted. Since then, I've really had to work to gain weight. As a result, my metabolism has been revving. It also doesn't hurt that I'm basically on my feet walking around for about 14 hours a day. Between teaching, coaching, home maintenance, chasing a two year old and getting workouts in, I'm almost always going. I really only sit down for an hour or so before bed.

[jked4life]

DE Deadlifts
315 x 6 x 2

Leg Press
6 pps + 25 x 15, 7pps x 12, 7pps + 25 x 12

Leg Curls ss w Leg Extension
2 sets - HIT Style

Calves
3 sets

Smith Squat
225 x 25


Weight
210.0- Been loosing weight every day this week. I've been in such a time crunch that I've not been tracking macro's exactly. I've been making sure to get 5 meals with around 40-50g protein, 100g CHO and moderate fat. I got to get a little more organized with the nutrition for next week.



It's been a long week. First week of school went smoothly though. It's always a busy time of year for me but I enjoy keeping moving. I feel like I get stale whenever I get too much time to rest :)

I was really in a time crunch today. I couldn't get into the gym tonight (Friday) until 8pm and it closed at 9. I'd been working until late and then had to spent some time with the fam. before heading out. I've not done any dynamic work lately but I wanted to bring it back. I've almost devised what I want to do the next few months or so. I think I'm going to do some DE and ME work for the heavy compounds (Squat, Bench, Dead) and then use some HIT work for the accessory exercises to save the joints and stay healthy. It makes sense in my mind, anyways.

[ossizen]

Ah, still kicking it I see. :)

[AustrianOakJr]

Plan sounds good, Matt. Hope your first week back is going well. Its actually nice to get back into the groove of things for us OCD type bodybuilders! For some reason I have been feeling sick lately though....not down and out, but I have been carrying this monster head ache for 4 days. Might be stress or something.

[FATHER FLEX]

School opened for me the 30th! Loved being back as well, 4th and 5th graders this year. Class management has been a breeze with them.

[Quelly]

how am i not subbed to this log?

[AustrianOakJr]

School opened for me the 30th! Loved being back as well, 4th and 5th graders this year. Class management has been a breeze with them.

I didnt know you are a teacher.....elementary ed?


how am i not subbed to this log?

All the cool people are. Hello? :)

[Quelly]

I didnt know you are a teacher.....elementary ed?



All the cool people are. Hello? :)

Berto is a janitor, and he has to knock on doors in his neighborhood to let everyone know that he was a convicted sex offender....he changes schools a lot

and yeah....that's why I didn't sub for a while :(
<----not cool

[AustrianOakJr]

Berto is a janitor, and he has to knock on doors in his neighborhood to let everyone know that he was a convicted sex offender....he changes schools a lot

and yeah....that's why I didn't sub for a while :(
<----not cool

The proper tags are "custodian" and "adjudicated close-relationship delinquent". Lets not be so offensive to Berto.

And dont worry now that you are subbed.......cool again.

[Quelly]

The proper tags are "custodian" and "adjudicated close-relationship delinquent". Lets not be so offensive to Berto.

And dont worry now that you are subbed.......cool again.

yessss

[jked4life]

Ah, still kicking it I see. :)

No doubt!


Plan sounds good, Matt. Hope your first week back is going well. Its actually nice to get back into the groove of things for us OCD type bodybuilders! For some reason I have been feeling sick lately though....not down and out, but I have been carrying this monster head ache for 4 days. Might be stress or something.

First week back was good. I'm actually glad to be back. As much as I love the break, I honestly really do love my job. It's also very good to get back to a routine because, yes, I am very OCD at times, lol. Besides, with all the construction I've done on my house, I could use a break from my vacation :D

Hope you are feeling better. Suckage.


School opened for me the 30th! Loved being back as well, 4th and 5th graders this year. Class management has been a breeze with them.

Yeah, we start late round here. Didn't get out until June 30 though, so we end late too. Glad you've got a nice group. Mine are pretty darn good. A little hyperactive but not as much as me, so it's all good :)


how am i not subbed to this log?

Dunno. You'd better get on that.


Berto is a janitor, and he has to knock on doors in his neighborhood to let everyone know that he was a convicted sex offender....he changes schools a lot

and yeah....that's why I didn't sub for a while :(
<----not cool


This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


The first time I read this, I thought you meant you didn't subsitute teach b/c you were a sex offender, lol. Yay, reading comprehension skills.


The proper tags are "custodian" and "adjudicated close-relationship delinquent". Lets not be so offensive to Berto.

And dont worry now that you are subbed.......cool again.

Haha.


Eric's cool in my book, just so long as I don't have to dream tan him while he's only wearing a sock. I just don't know him that well yet :p

[Quelly]

Eric's cool in my book, just so long as I don't have to dream tan him while he's only wearing a sock. I just don't know him that well yet :p
what if i dream tan you while wearing only a sock?


no?

[FATHER FLEX]

The proper tags are "custodian" and "adjudicated close-relationship delinquent". Lets not be so offensive to Berto.

And dont worry now that you are subbed.......cool again.

ha ha ha!

[jked4life]

Sat 9/11/10

Cardio- 3 mile Jog- 25:22 - EEEw. Not good. I thinks I need to do cardio more than once every two weeks. :cool:

Sun 9/12

DE Lower

Speed Deads
315 x 2 (6 sets)

and some other stuff


Weds 9/15

De Load. Yay. Nothing worth reporting.




Sooo. I decided to make this week a deload week. I'm feeling pretty beat up and I haven't had a break/deload since mid July. I'm certainly feeling it. Combined with the fact I've been working my tail off with school I needed it bad. Meh, I hate deloads.






In other news, I went for a walk down the street a few minutes ago and met the "supernanny". She is filming at a house right down the street a couple hundred feet around the corner, lol. Shook her hand and my neighbor snapped a pic, lol. Don't have it or I'd post it, haha. Funny because I saw the Nanny mobile roll down the street a few minutes beforehand and I was like "WTF?"


http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk80/jorgearielgarcia/supernanny.jpg

[jked4life]

Floor Press

Warmups

275 x 3, 285 x 3 (PR)

Barbell Rows
245 x 8, 8, 8

HS Decline Press
3pps +35 x 8, 9, 6 with a long negative on last rep

Laterals
35's x 10, 10, 10 + 25 x 10 + 15 x 15 (triple drop-set)

Decline DB Tricep Extension
45's x 10, 10, 10


Morning Weight
210.0


Macro's
P- 236 C-383 F- 86




First day after a week of deloading. Hit up 3 workouts last week and went at everything with about 60% of the normal numbers. Things went well today on the floor presses.

[bucsfan]

Thats a solid looking workout there!

[AustrianOakJr]

Cardio- 3 mile Jog- 25:22 - EEEw. Not good. I thinks I need to do cardio more than once every two weeks. :cool:

Nonsense talk!!! He he!! :) Going on week two of my cut and havent hit the cardio yet. Im hoping I can go at least the first month.......I hate dat der cardio.



In other news, I went for a walk down the street a few minutes ago and met the "supernanny". She is filming at a house right down the street a couple hundred feet around the corner, lol. Shook her hand and my neighbor snapped a pic, lol. Don't have it or I'd post it, haha. Funny because I saw the Nanny mobile roll down the street a few minutes beforehand and I was like "WTF?"



SURE......the supernanny came to the house "down the street"....uh huh. Ive heard about that kid of yours terrorizing the town. ;) Cant wait to see you on TV......can I get your autograph?? HA! :D ;)

Seriously, that must have been kind of neat running into the show on your block. Thats funny that she was just hanging around the neighborhood shaking hands.....she probably wants all the locals to know where she is just in case she comes up missing in one of these crazy houses! :)

[coloBB]

late! I am still catching up in here man, things are looking good! How are you liking the westside setup?

[jked4life]

Nonsense talk!!! He he!! :) Going on week two of my cut and havent hit the cardio yet. Im hoping I can go at least the first month.......I hate dat der cardio.

SURE......the supernanny came to the house "down the street"....uh huh. Ive heard about that kid of yours terrorizing the town. ;) Cant wait to see you on TV......can I get your autograph?? HA! :D ;)

Seriously, that must have been kind of neat running into the show on your block. Thats funny that she was just hanging around the neighborhood shaking hands.....she probably wants all the locals to know where she is just in case she comes up missing in one of these crazy houses! :)

Props on the cardio piece. I actually really like doing cardio along with my lifting. I feel like it helps me even on a bulk. I have more stamina for tough lifts. Helps me keep a clear head too. It's more a problem of time. Having a full time job and a kid at home makes doing lots of cardio tough. I know you can relate ;)

Lol. I know. Apparently it's the second time she's done a show around here on the west side. How come she never came out to the east side??? Lol.


late! I am still catching up in here man, things are looking good! How are you liking the westside setup?

Hey man, thanks for checking in. I'm liking west side. The general template isn't too different from training I've done in the past. All my best gains have come from Upper/Lower type setups.

[jked4life]

Floor Press

295 x 2.75 - First two were clean and had a tiny bit of help on the third

Lat Pulldowns
225 x 8, 7, 7 - Slow neg's

Moto rows
3 sets

Incline Smith Press
225 x 12, 245 x 6, 6

Laterals- Seated
30's x 10, 10, 10

Decline Tricep Ext
50's x 10, 8, 8


Good workout today. Floor press numbers are getting there. Shoulder is still feeling pretty good. I've never pressed that heavy at any bodyweight below 235, so I was pretty pleased.

[AustrianOakJr]

Props on the cardio piece. I actually really like doing cardio along with my lifting. I feel like it helps me even on a bulk. I have more stamina for tough lifts. Helps me keep a clear head too. It's more a problem of time. Having a full time job and a kid at home makes doing lots of cardio tough. I know you can relate ;).

Im not a big cardio fan....I only do it because I have to.....and hopefully that isnt until January. The lack of time compounds my dislike for cardio......when i start doing cardio I have to get my butt out of bed at 5AM to hit the gym before work. Otherwise, I only see my kids for an hour or two before they go to bed.



Lol. I know. Apparently it's the second time she's done a show around here on the west side. How come she never came out to the east side??? Lol.
.

Cause ALL the kids out this way are sooo well behaved. Everyone I teach is just a pillar of society. ;)

[jked4life]

Im not a big cardio fan....I only do it because I have to.....and hopefully that isnt until January. The lack of time compounds my dislike for cardio......when i start doing cardio I have to get my butt out of bed at 5AM to hit the gym before work. Otherwise, I only see my kids for an hour or two before they go to bed.



Cause ALL the kids out this way are sooo well behaved. Everyone I teach is just a pillar of society. ;)

These days I'd kill for two hours with my boy. I got to see him for about 5 minutes last night before he went to bed :(. Coaching is killer. Glad it doesn't last long. It's really tough to be away that much.


You mean your students aren't? I'm actually lucky. I have a really nice group this year. Well, at least compared to what I'm used to, lol.

[jked4life]

Deads
Warmup

475 x 2!

Leg Press

8pps x 8, 8, 10

DB Curl
55 x 8/8, 7/7, 7/7

Hyperextension
+25 x 10, 10, 10

Decline Situps
+45 x 10, 10, 10

Calf Raises
3 sets

Leg Curls
2 sets

[jked4life]

DE Bench
185 x 3 (6 sets)

Incline Smith Press
245 x 6, 6, 255 x 6

Seated Laterals
35 x 8, 8, 8, 8

CG Pulldowns
245 x 8, 8

Moto Rows
80 x 8/8, 8/8

[AustrianOakJr]

These days I'd kill for two hours with my boy. I got to see him for about 5 minutes last night before he went to bed :(. Coaching is killer. Glad it doesn't last long. It's really tough to be away that much.


You mean your students aren't? I'm actually lucky. I have a really nice group this year. Well, at least compared to what I'm used to, lol.

Yes, coaching is rough on the family for sure. I was approached years ago to coach wrestling and I had to decline even though I would love to be a part of the sport again. Its like a second job with practice, meets, and then tournaments on the weekends.......several of them out of town. Fun and rewarding but just ridiculous amounts of time. Good to see youre still able to hit the gym though. Keep it up!!!

475 X 2 on the deads!! Yea man!!! :)

[tsajdak]

Hey Matt, where have you been? Hope everything is ok.

[AustrianOakJr]

Hey Matt, where have you been? Hope everything is ok.

Ive been trying to get this guy over for dinner for a couple weeks now......he's been a busy dude with school, coaching, family, etc. I hope he's gettin' to it in the gym like he should!

[jked4life]

Hey Matt, where have you been? Hope everything is ok.

Thanks for checking up on me Trevor. I'm doing really well, just very busy in the fall. I'm a teacher and coach a fall sport, so I tend to be extremely busy this time of year. I've also got a few added responsibilities this school year, which is a good thing.

Training has been going pretty well. The last week or two the frequency has been down a bit, but I should be doing better from here on out. Strength is still very good though.


Ive been trying to get this guy over for dinner for a couple weeks now......he's been a busy dude with school, coaching, family, etc. I hope he's gettin' to it in the gym like he should!

Yup. Don't feel bad though, I just had the first and only dinner with my own family for the week :cool:

I've been doing my best to get to the gym. I've missed a few workouts over the past couple of weeks, but I'm doing well. In fact, I DB Floor Pressed 100's x 13, 10, 10 this evening :D

[tsajdak]

Thanks for checking up on me Trevor. I'm doing really well, just very busy in the fall. I'm a teacher and coach a fall sport, so I tend to be extremely busy this time of year. I've also got a few added responsibilities this school year, which is a good thing.

Training has been going pretty well. The last week or two the frequency has been down a bit, but I should be doing better from here on out. Strength is still very good though.



Yup. Don't feel bad though, I just had the first and only dinner with my own family for the week :cool:

I've been doing my best to get to the gym. I've missed a few workouts over the past couple of weeks, but I'm doing well. In fact, I DB Floor Pressed 100's x 13, 10, 10 this evening :D

Awesome. Just glad to hear everything is alright.

[chickeneater]

subbed, nice work op

[Warrior9]

Yes, coaching is rough on the family for sure. I was approached years ago to coach wrestling and I had to decline even though I would love to be a part of the sport again. Its like a second job with practice, meets, and then tournaments on the weekends.......several of them out of town. Fun and rewarding but just ridiculous amounts of time. Good to see youre still able to hit the gym though. Keep it up!!!

475 X 2 on the deads!! Yea man!!! :)

yeah coaching wrestling is tough, I coach at cheektowaga central, i also do the JV football staff.. i dont have kids or anything and its pretty strenuous and time consuming..
and also oak, i cant remember if you are also in rochester like matt, but best wrestling is in rochester and we at cheektowaga travel there for most of our tournaments,

[chickeneater]

jked, do you eat all clean food, or just eat whatever you like as long as you hit your macro's? thanx

[AustrianOakJr]

yeah coaching wrestling is tough, I coach at cheektowaga central, i also do the JV football staff.. i dont have kids or anything and its pretty strenuous and time consuming..
and also oak, i cant remember if you are also in rochester like matt, but best wrestling is in rochester and we at cheektowaga travel there for most of our tournaments,

I am in Webster (east side of rochester). I know all the wrestling coaches over here in the district so we probably have some friends in common. Great sport.....I wrestled for YEARS as as kid.

[jked4life]

Hmm. So I've definitely been lazy and neglectful when it comes to this journal. It's been a busy time for me at home. A 3 year old, wife, and a job where I have been kicking it in to high gear lately. I've got a group of students I'm teaching this year that are super nice kids but mega high maintenance, so I've been clocking lots of extra hours. I guess that's what happens when I am allowed to basically hand pick who I work with. :cool:


On the training side of the coin, I have to admit that it's been a frustrating road. I felt like I was doing well for a while but not making the progress I wanted. The other big problem I've been plagued with for a long time is injuries. The biggest injury being constant and chronic problems with the shoulders. They've limited my upper body work for years. I was blessed to make it through prep while keeping them healthy.

The shoulders got so bad this fall that I was completely frustrated and really having a tough time maintaining motivation to get to the gym. I spoke with my gym's general manager, who happens to also be a 1600+ lb powerlifter. He worked with me for a while and basically told me I was a total mess. My shoulders were pretty much trashed from years of poor posture (really poor), hard training on them in an unnatural plane of motion, and pretty significant muscular imbalances. To make a long story shorter, he put me on a corrective action plan and I did a ton of research. Basically what I've been doing is similar to what is outlined here...

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=477103601&postcount=1

The prognosis: Anterior Pelvic Tilt, Kyphosis, Lordosis.... I fail every dysfunction test outlined on one of the links except for Psoas. Even that one wasn't great.

I've been foam rolling, med ball rolling, and using tennis and lacrosse balls to loosen up and improve tissue quality across the entire body. I've been stretching with a special emphasis on Chest/shoulders and hip flexors. I've been doing thoracic mobility work daily and activation work. My workouts have featured lots and lots of upper back work (traps, rear delts and mid/upper back stuff). I have completely overhauled how I do every exercise, focusing on keeping a big time arch. On off days, I work out at home hitting rear delts, doing planks, bridges, scapular pushups, band stretches, ect. I've been following the direction I was given "everyday should be upper back day for you. Your upper back, traps, glutes and hamstrings can never be too strong."

Now I am relatively healthy and my posture and mobility is on the road to improvement. Not perfect, but certainly a lot better and a work in progress. I also have to believe that all this work has improved stress levels and overall quality of life. However, after about two months of this, it was starting to get stale.

I've been getting the direction about this stuff and invitations to come lift with the group that does some powerlifting at our gym. I'd wanted to join them for a while but never seemed to be there at the right time. I was able to get in touch with the group and joined them this week and loved it. They run a version of westside using bands, chains and gear to assist in training.

Rundown in the following posts...

[jked4life]

Week 2 of Cycle (apparently)

Speed Squats- To low Box (to low for me in fact, below paralell)

245 x 2 (6 sets)- With Orange Bands- Hooked to floor
255 x 2 (6 sets)- With Orange Bands- Hooked to floor

As I was warming up for this, I was offered to take a squat suit for basically close to no money. The reason being, they told me dyanamic day should always be using gear. I was told that most people don't squat properly and don't sit back into it enough. Apparently using this gear allows you to learn proper form. Even if you plan to compete raw, I was advised to at least begin to learn using a suit, so I instantly picked up that piece of gear.

Good Mornings
135 x 10 (4 sets) - A tad on the easy side, but I was told to take it easy because it gets tougher next week.

Weighted Leg Raises
+ 15 x 10, 10, 10

[jked4life]

Band Bench Press- Red Bands hooked to floor
Hopped in at the end of this so it served just as a warmup

135 x 10, 185 x 5

Band Bench Press- Red Bands (hooked to floor) and 4 boards
I forgot the progression but it was something like this
135 x 5, 185 x 5, 195 x 5, 205 x 5, 215 x 5 (was supposed to be 225 but the one kid forgot to put the correct weight on one side. Still got 5 reps with the lopsided weight), 225 x 5

Chest Supported Barbell Rows
185 x 10, 10, 10, 10

Shrugs
225 x 10, 10, 10, 10 - This was super light compared to what I'm used to. Apparently such a simple movement as shrugs, I do completely incorrectly. Awesome.





Awesome 2 sessions. Had a blast and learned a ton. Working with a group of 3 and then 4 guys yesterday was really cool. I'm used to training alone frequently, so this is so much better. I was able to really crank it out. I think people were pretty surprised about how well I did, just jumping in. I think they weren't expecting any strength from a bodybuilder. I tried to tell them I'm all about lifting heavy :).

Really cool stuff and a good group of guys to lift with. An email/text is sent out daily with info about when and what is going to be done that day. If there are different groups of people or too many, they break off into smaller groups. Some might go early, some might go a little later than the specified time.

Monday is Max effort pulling from a 1 inch box I think.

[tsajdak]

Good to see you back. I actually picked up a foam roller also. I was having alot of back pain lately and that thing really helped.
When being used to lifting alone, having a few motivated guys there must be awesome. I work out with a couple guys but I'm the one always cracking the whip getting them going. Look forward to following along again.
Welcome back

[ossizen]

Hey there. Glad to see you still at it.

I can relate to the back pain. For me, it's due to my scoliosis. My chiropractor showed me two stretches to help with that.

One is standing with the back to the wall and feet out about a foot from the wall and at shoulder width. Then, you try reaching for the feet or as far as you can bend and hold that for 20-30 seconds.

Then, the 2nd one is standing a foot from the wall and bending backwards toward the wall. Your head or shoulders will be against the wall with the feet still away from it. Hold that for 20-30 seconds.

I alternate between those two stretches for 4-5 times in a row. Sure helps me with my back pain and I've actually gotten stronger in my squats and deadlifts from stretching.

[AustrianOakJr]

Hey Matt.....I remember you from when you used to post on BB.com! ;)

Good to have you back, man. Sounds like you are hitting your stride with the rehab. Thats really good to hear. When does that group meet? Maybe ill meet you out there some time if it works out? How did those weighted leg raises work out with your hip flexor issues? Ive been trying to avoid any movments that emphasis my hip flexors and TFL's. Im doing a lot better. Pain wise, I feel 100% in my hips, but my tendinitis is still a bother. That foam rolling and stretching is really key. Ive been pounding my glutes as well and my strength is on the rise. So, anyways....one of these days we'll get together.....life is just insane.

[Warrior9]

Hey Matt.....I remember you from when you used to post on BB.com! ;)

Good to have you back, man. Sounds like you are hitting your stride with the rehab. Thats really good to hear. When does that group meet? Maybe ill meet you out there some time if it works out? How did those weighted leg raises work out with your hip flexor issues? Ive been trying to avoid any movments that emphasis my hip flexors and TFL's. Im doing a lot better. Pain wise, I feel 100% in my hips, but my tendinitis is still a bother. That foam rolling and stretching is really key. Ive been pounding my glutes as well and my strength is on the rise. So, anyways....one of these days we'll get together.....life is just insane.

Oak, a little off topic and sorry to take matts thread up, but we wrestled Victor and Webster Thomas this past weekend.. we beat victor and it came down to the last match against thomas.. was a greeeat dual with a ton of matches ending in the last 10 seconds/ OT

[jked4life]

Hey there. Glad to see you still at it.

I can relate to the back pain. For me, it's due to my scoliosis. My chiropractor showed me two stretches to help with that.

One is standing with the back to the wall and feet out about a foot from the wall and at shoulder width. Then, you try reaching for the feet or as far as you can bend and hold that for 20-30 seconds.

Then, the 2nd one is standing a foot from the wall and bending backwards toward the wall. Your head or shoulders will be against the wall with the feet still away from it. Hold that for 20-30 seconds.

I alternate between those two stretches for 4-5 times in a row. Sure helps me with my back pain and I've actually gotten stronger in my squats and deadlifts from stretching.

Yeah, my back is kind of out of position and shoulders rounded forward. I think part of the issue is the fact that I grew too fast, too young. I was 6'2 by the time I was 12 or 13. I guess posture problems are really common under circumstances like that. It created a ton of awkwardness around the time I first started messing around with weights.


Hey Matt.....I remember you from when you used to post on BB.com! ;)

Good to have you back, man. Sounds like you are hitting your stride with the rehab. Thats really good to hear. When does that group meet? Maybe ill meet you out there some time if it works out? How did those weighted leg raises work out with your hip flexor issues? Ive been trying to avoid any movments that emphasis my hip flexors and TFL's. Im doing a lot better. Pain wise, I feel 100% in my hips, but my tendinitis is still a bother. That foam rolling and stretching is really key. Ive been pounding my glutes as well and my strength is on the rise. So, anyways....one of these days we'll get together.....life is just insane.

Lol, yeah I'm back. I've really not been gone. I check in on this forum kind of often, but don't always post. The weighted leg raises went better than I thought they would. We were using the Upright Chair looking thing. At the bottom of the movement I arched my back and threw my head back and at the top, I rounded my back and pulled my head forward a bit. I was also told to really focus on my abs lifting my legs up. I'm sure my hip flexors did some extra work, but I gotta say I felt a good burn right in the abs.

I'm really glad you're rehabbing well. I was pretty sure something like that was a problem. The post that Eric made in your journal about small muscular imbalances making huge problems is pretty much what I was told. I think foam rolling, med ball rolling, and all kind of myofascial work is the ticket for sure. Along with good old fashioned stretching and hitting up weak points.

I'm also very glad to hear that everything is okay with your daughter. CO is no joke, that's for sure. I don't know if you remember my post last Christmas about my uncle and his family. They all were hospitalized over night for CO poising because of a hole in their furnace. Scary stuff. The dead squirrel in the pipe is definitely a much better story though, ha!

I know what you mean about getting together. For some reason, it seems like this year has been even crazier than this time last year. That would definitely be cool though.


Oak, a little off topic and sorry to take matts thread up, but we wrestled Victor and Webster Thomas this past weekend.. we beat victor and it came down to the last match against thomas.. was a greeeat dual with a ton of matches ending in the last 10 seconds/ OT

Dude. No worries.

[jked4life]

Speed Squats

Warmup- Foam roll and some band work to loosen up the shoulders. Then went in to a bunch of warmup sets. Worked up to 275 then was ready to roll.

Squats to Paralell box with Orange Bands Hooked at the bottom

275 x 2, 2, 2, 2--that was too easy-- 295 x 2, 2, 2-- Still too easy-- 315 x 2, 2, 2 (that was perfect)


Dynamic Deadlizzifts- Sumo Stance

Warmed up to 455 range, then.......

455 x 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 --- Worked on trying to move the bar faster each time. The popped up pretty easy on all sets.

Apparently I am doing them kinda wrong. Going to be working on form and killin some real deadlift numbers.


Bodyweight- 211.0


Fun lifting session today. Lots of volume on the squats and deads. It felt pretty easy but everyone else was looking kinda sweaty... hmm. We've been pretty much guessing on my percentages since I've not been part of the training loop. I guess each week the volume is decreasing and the weight is increasing on dynamic days. Just kinda going with the flow.

Today there was four of us. The first guy was about 5'4 and working with 255 on the squats. The head honcho of the group who basically knows the drill with all of this stuff was working with 305 most of the time and went up to 325. Overall my poundage was less, but by the end, I was on his heels. Then, there was this guy I just met named Reggie. I think he played college ball somewhere and possibly semi-pro. He was about 6'5 and prolly around 300lbs. It was his first day back in the gym in four years, so he took it easy. He ONLY kept it constant at 365 the whole time... yeah. Oh yeah, and he didn't have a belt at all. He was my spotter and near the end he'd let me know that I had to "get that big bitch up off you".

Overall, cool session and had a good time.

[AustrianOakJr]

Speed Squats

"get that big bitch up off you".



Oh yea.....this is TOTALLY key. If that bitch is on you.....you're in trouble. ;)

[jked4life]

Oh yea.....this is TOTALLY key. If that bitch is on you.....you're in trouble. ;)

Nah. The key is being able to get that bitch up off you ;)


Lol. He took a call in the middle of speed deads. He put it down for about 3 seconds to do his set of speed squats with 365 and continued the conversation like nothing had happened. I don't think he was going to bother to put the phone down for the set, but he was advised otherwise. It probably would have been fine though,haha. I heard he had a 700 + pound squat a couple years ago.

I gotta say I love lifting with this kind of thing going on. In the past, I've trained alone or been one of the stronger guys. I really like having to chase people, just to not look bad. So much more motivating for me :)

[jked4life]

3 Board Press- With Red Bands

135x 5, 185 x 5, 225 x 4, 245 x Fail, 235 x 1

Incline Dumbell Press

50's x 10, 55 x 10, 60 x 10, 65 x 10, 65x 10

So, I got yelled at a week ago and told I needed to completely switch around my form on these. Totally revamped it and am doing the whole ROM with the dumbells touching my delts at the bottom with zero pain. Worked the upper chest better than I'm used to but made me feel like a weakling :(

But then again, I was told "nobody cares what you incline dumbell press, just do it right". Sure thing.


Shrugs

225 x 10, 275 x 10, 295 x 10, 315 x 10, 315 x 10

Chest Supported Barbell Rows- This was cool. Flat bench stood up at about a 35 degree angle onto the Spotter's platform of a Incline Bench. Bar went from floor to it clinked on the metal of the bench supporting the chest. No cheating possible with this.

185 x 10, 10, 10


Weight - 211.5



Notes

Not to bad of a session overall. I was very disappointed with my board presses though. I tweaked my forearm friday night on the squats due to my lack of shoulder mobility and external rotation. Because of that, they felt like jello when trying to press. I also came a bit late because I had to run some errands, and I don't think my warmup was adequate. Plus, I was struggling to get focused because I came and basically had to go from a walk to a sprint in a flat second.

The advice I was given was that I need to do a ton of work on shoulder mobility, especially before squats, or things like that are going to happen.

Other random musings; I feel like I got hit by a bus. It's different than I'm used to. My upper back is a bit tender the day after, but it's mostly that it's CNS fatigue, not so much specific bodyparts that are sore.

On a good note, the guy who basically orchestrates this is impressed with my progress, especially potential for deadlift and squat. He thinks I'll be able to pull in a 1500 lb total in a year or so if I keep training like this. He's talking equipped, not raw, but still pretty cool. Eh, either way, it's been a fun training protocol so far, which is what really matters to me.

[FATHER FLEX]

Dude that sounds like a gym environment!

[jked4life]

Dude that sounds like a gym environment!

Yeah, it is definitely cool :)

Funny thing is, that it's a cheesy corporate gym too. The General Manager came in from out of town and really shook the place up. He's got a degree in the field and is a powerlifter by hobby. Over the past year or so, he's looked to get the guys in the gym that are dedicated and want to lift heavy to train together. He's doing a great job at running the place too. Since he's been there, it's become a great environment for the soccer moms as well as the dedicated heavy lifters.

He's kind of creating a bit of a club I guess. I think if he gets enough dedicated guys, we might look at paying dues and buying some equipment that would be locked away in a separate room, unavailable to the general public. We were discussing a sumo rack, safety squat bar and possibly some other stuff.

Either way, it's a fun way to stay dedicated to training, lift heavy, socialize and meet some people I probably wouldn't get to meet otherwise.

[jked4life]

Suspended Good Mornings

We did a butt load of "warmup" sets, but the last 3 sets were as follows

405 x 2, 425 x 1, 445 x 1

Leg Press

5 pps x 10, 6pps x 10, 7pps x 10, 8pps x 10, 9pps x 10 - (this was a lifetime PR)

Cable Ab Crunches- On Lat Pulldown Machine

4 Sets


Calves

4 Sets


210.0 lbs


Good workout tonight. Suspended Good Mornings were the first time I'd ever done them. We had them hung suspended from heavy duty straps rated for 3500 lbs in the rack, with the pins just below for extra safety. I guess the idea was to use momentum on the way back. These were supposedly done from a "High" suspension. I guess they get lower during a different cycle. However, high for me was much more challenging for me than it was for one of the other guys who is about 5'4. I probably had 455 in me, but wanted to be a little conservative, being that it was my first time doing these.

Leg press was dandy. Lifetime PR, I'll take it.

[AustrianOakJr]

Nice, man! Sounds like it going well....its definitely cool to train with other serious guys to keep you in line. And im jealous of your potential safety squat bar purchase! That would probably work well for your shoulder issue b/c you wouldnt have to reach back.

Nice lifetime PR on the leg press, BTW! I just set one myself in right around the same neighborhood. Thats a buttload of weight!

[tsajdak]

Suspended Good Mornings

We did a butt load of "warmup" sets, but the last 3 sets were as follows

405 x 2, 425 x 1, 445 x 1

Leg Press

5 pps x 10, 6pps x 10, 7pps x 10, 8pps x 10, 9pps x 10 - (this was a lifetime PR)

Cable Ab Crunches- On Lat Pulldown Machine

4 Sets


Calves

4 Sets


210.0 lbs


Good workout tonight. Suspended Good Mornings were the first time I'd ever done them. We had them hung suspended from heavy duty straps rated for 3500 lbs in the rack, with the pins just below for extra safety. I guess the idea was to use momentum on the way back. These were supposedly done from a "High" suspension. I guess they get lower during a different cycle. However, high for me was much more challenging for me than it was for one of the other guys who is about 5'4. I probably had 455 in me, but wanted to be a little conservative, being that it was my first time doing these.

Leg press was dandy. Lifetime PR, I'll take it.

The good mornings sound interesting. Good job on the leg press. Our leg press machine at our gym is not a straight sled, it pivots as you come down so its impossible to do weight like a regular leg press. I really wish we had a regular leg press for the straight push.

[kennny d]

bro I saw your updated pic and I was like is that the same guy from the rant hahaha, wow great job bro

- d_k

[jked4life]

The good mornings sound interesting. Good job on the leg press. Our leg press machine at our gym is not a straight sled, it pivots as you come down so its impossible to do weight like a regular leg press. I really wish we had a regular leg press for the straight push.

They were interesting to say the least. Painful the day after. Every bit as wrecking as heavy squats or deads. The way we were doing them, they resembled something between a partial squat and the upper portion of a deadlift. Weight wise, I have no idea if what I did was any good or not. I'll just work on improving on that for next time.

I was pretty happy with the leg press too. Not only was it an all time PR, but it came after a ton of brutality prior. The PR before that had come basically with a short warmup and then that as the main heavy set.

Not having a good leg press would definitely be a bummer.



bro I saw your updated pic and I was like is that the same guy from the rant hahaha, wow great job bro

- d_k

Haha, thanks bro. Yeah, it's me. Last year I had a long and challenging prep, but was happy with the results at the end. I'll be even happier to improve on that in the future :D

[jked4life]

3 Board Press

135 x 10, 185 x 9, 225 x 6, 245 x 4, 275 x 3, 295 x 3, 315 x 3, 320 x 3- 320 went up easier than 315


Flat Dumbell Press
65 x 10, 75 x 10, 10, 10, 10

Chest Supported Dumbell Rows
50's x 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Tricep Deadlifts
95 x 10, 10, 10, 11, 105 x 9


Good workout today. We moved a little faster because it was just two of us. The majority of the guys did this workout yesterday, but I couldn't make it because of work. One of the other guys had to come tonight as well, so we hit up this workout. I hadn't worked out with this guy before, but I'd met him briefly. Good guy, strong dude too. Another guy just getting back into it after a lay off for a while. He outlifted me on the 3 Board press and I basically hung with him on everything else, and I might have been a tad stronger on the tricep deads. Talking to him, he'd played ball when he lived in Nebraska...er...yeah, played on the Huskers, back in the day when they really were no joke. Also set a World Record in his age class/weight class in total poundage at a powerlifting meet a few years back. Despite being not very tall, ridiculously big dude for someone not in the gym for a while.

[Quelly]

just caught up on the last couple pages, awesome workouts in here, and I'm really glad to see you so aggressively approaching correcting your muscular/postural imbalances, I think that will not only add a lot of longevity but it will also show up in your physique in the form of symmetry and balance. Good stuff.

[jked4life]

just caught up on the last couple pages, awesome workouts in here, and I'm really glad to see you so aggressively approaching correcting your muscular/postural imbalances, I think that will not only add a lot of longevity but it will also show up in your physique in the form of symmetry and balance. Good stuff.

Hey, thanks E. Workouts have been really good, especially the last month or so. Most of all, I'm healthy.

I've always had a ton of posture and muscle imbalance issues. The majority from growing too fast, too young and then training specific muscle groups exclusively (sport specific). A shaky foundation with ridiculously heavy training on top of it.

Now, I'm working to try to rehab a lifetime of aches and pains from that. Good news is that it's working. More effort than most would want to do, but it's amazing how quickly that stuff can be reversed.

[tsajdak]

Hey, thanks E. Workouts have been really good, especially the last month or so. Most of all, I'm healthy.

I've always had a ton of posture and muscle imbalance issues. The majority from growing too fast, too young and then training specific muscle groups exclusively (sport specific). A shaky foundation with ridiculously heavy training on top of it.

Now, I'm working to try to rehab a lifetime of aches and pains from that. Good news is that it's working. More effort than most would want to do, but it's amazing how quickly that stuff can be reversed.

Good to hear everything is coming around. Ur too young to be having the aches and pains that you had. Keep it up and I'll be looking forward to seeing you on stage again in the future.

[jked4life]

Barbell Floor Press

Lots of warmup sets but the main event was---

305 x 1, 315 x 1, 325 x 1

Overhead Tricep Extensions

95 x 10, 10, 105 x 10

Dumbell Rows

95 x 10/10 (3 sets)

Seated Dumbell Laterals

3 sets

Barbell Curls

105 x 6, 95 x 10, 10



Smoked.


Big time PR on the Floor Press. Was very happy to hit 325 on that. Strength is definitely improving.

[AustrianOakJr]

Big time PR on the Floor Press. Was very happy to hit 325 on that. Strength is definitely improving.

:eek: Wow. Thats a crap load of weight to floor press. Keep it up, homie.

[bbqwizard]

Lovin the "new" WO style! great to see you back at it too:)

[jked4life]

Speed Bench

135 x 3 + Red Mini-Bands (8 sets)

CGBP (Pinky on the Ring) - 3 Board

185 x 5, 225 x 5, 275 x 5, 285 x 5

DB Shoulder Press

65 x 10, 10, 75 x 10

Seated Bent Over Dumbell Rows

65's x 10, 10, 10

Lat Pulldowns

135 x 10, 10, 10 - These were done with big time arch and pulling the bar down to the belly, not the chest or chin like normal



Good workout today. Strength felt pretty good. I am by far the tallest of the group and was told that I would have a big disadvantage on the CGBP- 3 board, but I rocked it out. Hit some pretty good numbers on that I think. Got a little more advice on tucking the toes under the bench to help the arch, just like I've seen my man Berto do in his training vids. Definitely helped a lot.

[jked4life]

Lovin the "new" WO style! great to see you back at it too:)

Thanks man! Good to hear from you.

[jked4life]

Box Squats- Raw, unequipped with just a belt

Many warmup sets, 365 x 1, 385 x 1 - Big time PR.

Bulgarian Split Squats

3 sets


Leg Raises- With Bands

3 sets

[AustrianOakJr]

Box Squats- Raw, unequipped with just a belt

Many warmup sets, 365 x 1, 385 x 1 - Big time PR.

Bulgarian Split Squats

3 sets


Leg Raises- With Bands

3 sets


Holey shiiiiieeet!! 385?!? :eek: Nice going, man....this power lifting is really taking off for you.

[jked4life]

Holey shiiiiieeet!! 385?!? :eek: Nice going, man....this power lifting is really taking off for you.

Thanks Sean! Believe it or not, it was a relatively easy attempt as well. Shot right off the box, hit a slight sticking point and then powered right through it. I wanted to save some for the next two weeks because I've got to break that PR. I thought 395 or 405 would have been a 50/50 shot. I'd love to hit 425 off the box. From what I understand, 2x bw off the box is a real respectable feat.


I'm definitely seeing some progress. Lifts are benefiting from the Westside training with a group. I'm familiar with and attempted to run the template before but doing it like this is a totally different dynamic.

[AustrianOakJr]

Thanks Sean! Believe it or not, it was a relatively easy attempt as well. Shot right off the box, hit a slight sticking point and then powered right through it. I wanted to save some for the next two weeks because I've got to break that PR. I thought 395 or 405 would have been a 50/50 shot. I'd love to hit 425 off the box. From what I understand, 2x bw off the box is a real respectable feat.


I'm definitely seeing some progress. Lifts are benefiting from the Westside training with a group. I'm familiar with and attempted to run the template before but doing it like this is a totally different dynamic.

Nice man.....im glad its working out for you. 425 is some serious weight. Ive done 405 off of a high box before for several reps......my quads are pretty strong, but never anything below parallel. Thats some serious glute and hammie work. That will require a vid when you attempt that.

[FATHER FLEX]

Thanks Sean! Believe it or not, it was a relatively easy attempt as well. Shot right off the box, hit a slight sticking point and then powered right through it. I wanted to save some for the next two weeks because I've got to break that PR. I thought 395 or 405 would have been a 50/50 shot. I'd love to hit 425 off the box. From what I understand, 2x bw off the box is a real respectable feat.


I'm definitely seeing some progress. Lifts are benefiting from the Westside training with a group. I'm familiar with and attempted to run the template before but doing it like this is a totally different dynamic.

Again nothing like having a sick group with you. If my schedule allowed I would be heading out with the WildIron dogs a few miles from here. Its going to really pay off, all ready has!

[jked4life]

Nice man.....im glad its working out for you. 425 is some serious weight. Ive done 405 off of a high box before for several reps......my quads are pretty strong, but never anything below parallel. Thats some serious glute and hammie work. That will require a vid when you attempt that.

Yeah man, the box was definetly safely paralell and probably a tad below. Problem is, I'm the tallest guy by a few inches, so I have to add a few extra mats on top of the box. I think that little extra brings it up to about paralell. A few inches makes a huge difference though. A bigger rack allowing my feet out farther would help a lot too. My legs are so ridiculously long. No way to avoid complete glute/ham destruction squatting that way :D


Again nothing like having a sick group with you. If my schedule allowed I would be heading out with the WildIron dogs a few miles from here. Its going to really pay off, all ready has!

WildIron Dogs? Sounds sick!

[jaredmus]

In on this just saw it

keep at it MAtt, i think whenever you step on stage pro card is yours, your condition is great.. and wish you the best of luck and will def be following this

[jked4life]

In on this just saw it

keep at it MAtt, i think whenever you step on stage pro card is yours, your condition is great.. and wish you the best of luck and will def be following this


Thanks man. I truly appreciate the kind words. Been really getting after it.


From the sounds of it, you guys are really getting after it out there too. You're taking a year off, right? Ran into your boy Lester a few weeks ago. He's looking big. Real big. Keep up the good work out there.

[jked4life]

CGBP

135 x 10, 185 x 6, 225 x 4, 275 x 1, 285 x 1, 295 x 1, 305 X Fail - Was hoping to crack the 300 mark, but 295 is a big time PR.


Barbell Skull Crushers

95 x 10, 10, 105 x 10, 10

Dumbell Rows

95 x 10/10 (4 sets)

Seated Laterals

30 x 10 (4 sets)

EZ Bar Curls

105 x 10 (4 sets)




Good workout today. I was hoping for that 300+ on the close grippers but was happy with 295. Good deal. The lift was performed with Pinky just inside the ring on the bar. Considering this was the rule for everyone, a much more challenging lift for me than for the guys with us that were under 5'7. I guess that's cool since they didn't get as much love from floor presses.

All the accessory exercises were strong. Same as last week with an additional set of volume.


In other news, I finally hit the 215lb mark. Officially 30lbs over contest weight. As the plan goes, it's mini cut time.


Been hitting the following this week

P- 230-250
C- 250
F- 50


Found it easier to cut it down to 4 meals a day and up the protein dosage in each meal a bit. I've never really used 4 meals before, so I'm going to see how it works. I don't mind getting a little bit hungry between meals if I get to have a little bit more satisfying a meal. Seems logical now for this mini. Not sure how it would go at sub-set point levels though.

[ehlisl]

Great work Matt! How long is the mini going to go? You have a time or weight goal?

[jked4life]

Great work Matt! How long is the mini going to go? You have a time or weight goal?

Thanks Big Luke!


Probably more of a weight thing. I'd like to touch on something under 205 then kick it back up. About 10 pounds, so probably like 5 weeks or so.

[jaredmus]

Thanks man. I truly appreciate the kind words. Been really getting after it.


From the sounds of it, you guys are really getting after it out there too. You're taking a year off, right? Ran into your boy Lester a few weeks ago. He's looking big. Real big. Keep up the good work out there.

yep all of us are doing work for sure
looking to compete end of summer early fall possibly the 2 oct shows but well see
want a pro card b4 i graduate so gotta keep putting in work,
want your condition haha

[jked4life]

yep all of us are doing work for sure
looking to compete end of summer early fall possibly the 2 oct shows but well see
want a pro card b4 i graduate so gotta keep putting in work,
want your condition haha

You're certainly on the right track. Much better shape than I was when I was your age ;)

My only suggestion is to make the most of your age and raging hormones as it is prime time for growth. Don't spend too much of it dieting down for shows. You've got a long and excellent career ahead of you if you keep your head on straight.

As far as my condition, I'm sure you'll get there next time or better. Just get someone with some experience to help you out and start EARLY. As for me, don't expect to see that kind of condition ever again.... Next time, truly shrink wrapped ;)

[jked4life]

Box Squats- Speed Squats With Grey Bands- Using Squat Briefs

235 x 2, 2, 2, 255 x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 285 x 2, 2, 2

Wider than Normal Sumo Stance SLDL's

195 x 10, 10, 10, 10 - Not bad at all. I was upset to learn that we were supposed to have another plate on each side. Oops.

Dumbell Side Bends

10 reps each side (4 sets)


Foam Rolling, Med Ball Rolling, Stretching





Good workout today. The Speed Squats were a different animal for sure. Last time I did them, I worked up to 305 but I was using bands with significantly less band tension. These bands added a decent amount more at the top of the lift. Had no trouble moving any of the sets at the appropriate speed though.

[jked4life]

DE Upper

Narrow Grip Bench Press (pinky on rings) on 3 Boards

Warmup, 245 x 5, 275 x 5, 295 x 3.5 - crap! , 225 x 15 - I was pissed and repped those out!

DB Seated Upright Rows
70 x 10 (4 Sets)

Dumbell Shoulder Press

4 sets - Meh

Lat Pulldowns to Belly

140 x 10 (4 sets)


Weight

210.5 - Weight -5 lbs for the week (#1)

Refeed

P-240 C-504 F-50



1/10/11 - ME Lower


Sumo Deadlifts off a 6 inch Box (bar just below mid-shin)- NO STRAPS, ONLY CHALK

Warmups, 455 x 1, 505 x 1, 555 x 1, 585 x Fail :( , 585 x 1


Split Squats

+ 70 x 10/10 (4 sets)


Leg Raises w/bands

10 reps (4 sets)



Wasn't happy with Sunday's performance on Narrow grip bench with 3 boards. Hit 285 x 5 last week on those. This week I did 275 relatively easy and the jump to 295 wasn't so good. Upper body's been kinda trashed. For some reason, forearms are hurting bad.

Tonight's workout went much better. Those 500g CHO yesterday really helped out, just not soon enough for yesterday's workout. Down 5 lbs on week 1, so not too bad. Did no cardio and still hit that, so I'm pretty happy. Not sure how much I'm going to have time for, but I'll plan on at least 1-2 sessions this week. 585 on mid shin deadlifts were a pleasant surprise. The first time I stepped up, I lost my form and dumped a lift I knew I had. Second time around, I stayed tight and locked it out without a ton of difficulty.

[jked4life]

Treadmill

28 minutes, Light Jog, 3.1 miles, 511 cals.

Felt the need to open the deficit a little wider this week by adding a little cardio, so I hit the mill after dinner and kid bedtime. Decided to rep my hood and do the thing Iroquois style... barefoot :) Best run ever. Love the lack of foot apparel. Body felt great running without shoes. Take that Nike!

In all seriousness, I read an article about this not too long ago. The premise was that many lower body problems can arise from shoes and especially wearing them for running and such. They asserted that the healthiest way for the body was to run barefoot, assuming it is performed in a controlled environment. Would never do this at the gym, but on the home mill, I decided to give it a shot.



Weight

Monday 1/10 - 212.5
Tuesday 1/11 - 211.5


Looking to shoot for a quick and dirty mini here. I've had visions of touching on sub 200, 198 or so but I'm not sure if I want to go quite that far.

[stayfit2008]

Hey! looks good in here! nice to be grounded in a journal it seems. Also cant complain about the support! :)

[jked4life]

Close Grip Bench Press (Pinky on the Rings)

245 x 1, 265 x 1, 285 x 1, 305 x 1 - PR!

Tricep Extensions- Straight Bar

4 sets

Barbell Rows

4 sets

DB Laterals

3 sets

DB Curls

3 sets



Weight

210.5



Last two days were super busy. School functions both nights. Tonight I came home, took care of business there and went back to school for some coaching, then back home to give my son a bath, read a story and put him to bed. Then finally, at 8, off to the gym which closed at 9 tonight. I was in a hurry to get as much done as I could in that time.

Warmed up and took on Close Grip Bench Press, right down to the chest. This lift had given me trouble last week when I failed at 305. Tonight it went right up! Super stoked to hit 300 + on close grips, which at my height is a very challenging lift. After I finished that I flew through as much of the accessory work as I could, trying to keep the weights at what I've been at. Volume on those was supposed to be up at 5 sets this week, but I got as much in as I could before the doors closed.

Nutrition

P- 230 C- 253 F- 50

[jked4life]

Hey! looks good in here! nice to be grounded in a journal it seems. Also cant complain about the support! :)

Thanks Chris! Always good to have the support.

[tsajdak]

Close Grip Bench Press (Pinky on the Rings)

245 x 1, 265 x 1, 285 x 1, 305 x 1 - PR!

Tricep Extensions- Straight Bar

4 sets

Barbell Rows

4 sets

DB Laterals

3 sets

DB Curls

3 sets



Weight

210.5



Last two days were super busy. School functions both nights. Tonight I came home, took care of business there and went back to school for some coaching, then back home to give my son a bath, read a story and put him to bed. Then finally, at 8, off to the gym which closed at 9 tonight. I was in a hurry to get as much done as I could in that time.

Warmed up and took on Close Grip Bench Press, right down to the chest. This lift had given me trouble last week when I failed at 305. Tonight it went right up! Super stoked to hit 300 + on close grips, which at my height is a very challenging lift. After I finished that I flew through as much of the accessory work as I could, trying to keep the weights at what I've been at. Volume on those was supposed to be up at 5 sets this week, but I got as much in as I could before the doors closed.

Nutrition

P- 230 C- 253 F- 50

That is some serious CGBP's. And awesome job balancing life, work and lifting.

[jked4life]

That is some serious CGBP's. And awesome job balancing life, work and lifting.

Thanks Trevor! It's certainly not easy, that's for sure. Sometimes I feel like none of it goes quite right because I do too much, but I've learned that I tend to under perform and get down when I don't have enough things going on.

#1 goal, add some mass to this frame! Got a lot to fill out.

[stayfit2008]

Building lean mass,..enjoy it! looking forward to the next prep

[jked4life]

Speed Box Squats- With HEAVY dark Grey Bands wearing squat briefs

245 x 2 (3 sets) , 275 x 2 (4 sets), 295 x 2 (3 sets)

Sumo Stance SLDL

265 x 10, 10, 325 x 8, 8



Shot. Absolutely smoked.


We were setting up the bands at the beginning of the workout and we had the heavy and thick gray bands that we used from the time before. As we were setting them up, one tore right apart. Brand new band that had no damage done to it just split. The band must have been defective. We were left with the option of going back to the orange light bands we had used on our last training cycle or go to the Dark Grey HEAVY bands. We went with the really heavy bands. Just warming up, the bar alone felt really heavy with those and locking out at the top felt almost like 225 with just the bar. I knew it was going to be a tough session. To make matters worse, I'm about 4 inches taller than anyone I was training with, which meant at the top of the lift, I was getting the brunt of the punishment.

By the end of the 10 sets, I seriously thought I was going to die. Sweat pouring off of my forehead like a faucet and using the power rack to hold me up from falling over during rest between sets. Somehow I made it through 4 sets of Sumo SLDL's. Don't think I've ever been so smoked at the end of a session.

[jked4life]

Speed Bench- With Red Mini Bands

160 x 3 (8 sets)

Close Grip 3 Board Press

Warmed up for a few sets and went on to the first working set with 275. Should have been easy but I flopped on the first rep. That was enough of that.

Lat Pulldowns- Close Grip- To Sternum with Big Arch

160 x 10 (5 sets)



Ugh. This was the second to last workout of this 3 week cycle. I was told that you haven't done a Westside 3 week cycle properly unless you sit on the couch on week 3with drool hanging out of your mouth and your wife asking you constantly "what is wrong with you?" Well, apparently I did this cycle properly. Friday night after Speed Squats and Accessory work, I went home and sat on the couch and stared at the TV for like 2 hours straight. I normally can't even sit still to watch TV, so this was unusual. What was even more unusual was that I wasn't really even watching what was on, I was just staring at the box and the pretty colors. Holy crap. Complete CNS burnout on Friday. Saturday and Sunday were better but I still felt like I got run over by a bus. Sunday's workout was just crap. A bunch of the guys just didn't even come to the workout. I went with one of the other guys and we both limped through.

[jked4life]

Suspended - Low Bar Good Mornings

Warmup, 225 x 5, 275 x 3, 315 x 3, 365 x 3, 405 x 1 --- Cut it at 1 because I was no longer able to do them right. This turned into more of a squat-ish move with more leg than low back/glute/ham.

DB Split Squats

35's x 10/10 (5 sets)

Leg Raises- With Bands

10 reps (5 sets)



Workout was better Monday. I felt a little bit more recovered but still not recovered enough. This workout was the last of a 3 week cycle. That means we are deloading until the weekend. A few extra days of recovery. We are supposed to do a couple days of cardio, mobility work, and possibly some accessory work but nothing nervous system oriented. My plan is to hit up some of that later in the week. Foam Rolling, Lax ball work, and Mobility every day though.

This was the first complete Westside cycle for me, at least done properly. Had to say it was an experience. My body definitely felt over-reached, big time, which I think is a good thing. It's a sign of progress. My body hasn't been so beat up in a long time.

The only downside was that between Friday night and Monday, I completely blew the mini I was doing. I think there was too much disparity between the training volume and caloric intake. Last two days, I've been on maintenance cals. Not really sure what I want to do at this point. The one thing I learned during prep and post contest was to "stick to the plan". Unfortunately, I have two plans and they are not coinciding too well... ugh.

[jked4life]

Box Squat

Lots of Warmups, 275 x 2, 315 x 1, 365 x 1 (Raw- Like nothing was even on my back), Put on Briefs and then- 405 x 1 (easy), 455 x 1 PRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

Lost my form a bit on 455 and it was a bit of a grinder. If my setup had been better, I'd have nailed it very easily. Strength was not an issue.

Zercher Squats

225 x 5, 245 x 5, 245 x 5 - These were hard to get used to, but once I got the hang of it, they hurt so good :)

Cable Ab Crunches - Standing - Done on Lat Pulldown Machine

105 x 10 (3 sets)






Had a couple of light deload workouts last week that I did not record. We were supposed to be back yesterday with DE Bench, but we got de-railed due to a couple of us having some personal issues. I've been battling a cold for about a week and thought I had defied it but Saturday evening until today felt miserable. I honestly felt unsure whether or not to just bag it today and not go but had the incredible urge to train after a week of deload. After the big time PR on Box Squats, I was happy I did. I couldn't believe how well I powered up those squats. Weights that used to crush me felt like nothing on my back. This Westside routine has been really amazing in terms of strength gains. Even without the briefs, today's max would have been 405 for sure, if not more. I'm actually still learning to sit into them and I'm not really sure how much they're even helping.

BTW, I think my legs have honestly grown .25 - .5 inch in the last 6 weeks or so. Now if I could only get my upper body to follow suit!

[tsajdak]

Box Squat

Lots of Warmups, 275 x 2, 315 x 1, 365 x 1 (Raw- Like nothing was even on my back), Put on Briefs and then- 405 x 1 (easy), 455 x 1 PRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

Lost my form a bit on 455 and it was a bit of a grinder. If my setup had been better, I'd have nailed it very easily. Strength was not an issue.

Zercher Squats

225 x 5, 245 x 5, 245 x 5 - These were hard to get used to, but once I got the hang of it, they hurt so good :)

Cable Ab Crunches - Standing - Done on Lat Pulldown Machine

105 x 10 (3 sets)






Had a couple of light deload workouts last week that I did not record. We were supposed to be back yesterday with DE Bench, but we got de-railed due to a couple of us having some personal issues. I've been battling a cold for about a week and thought I had defied it but Saturday evening until today felt miserable. I honestly felt unsure whether or not to just bag it today and not go but had the incredible urge to train after a week of deload. After the big time PR on Box Squats, I was happy I did. I couldn't believe how well I powered up those squats. Weights that used to crush me felt like nothing on my back. This Westside routine has been really amazing in terms of strength gains. Even without the briefs, today's max would have been 405 for sure, if not more. I'm actually still learning to sit into them and I'm not really sure how much they're even helping.

BTW, I think my legs have honestly grown .25 - .5 inch in the last 6 weeks or so. Now if I could only get my upper body to follow suit!

Awesome job on the PR Matt. Keep killin it. Can't wait to see how these big weights make a difference when it comes to showtime again.

[jked4life]

Awesome job on the PR Matt. Keep killin it. Can't wait to see how these big weights make a difference when it comes to showtime again.

Thanks Trevor.

I'm thinking I'm starting to get my grow on. It's been painfully slow but lately I feel like I've put some serious size on the lower body for sure but the upper body is coming I guess. Patience!

[jked4life]

CGBP - 1 Board

Warmups, 255 x 1, 275 x 1, 285 x 1, 300 x 1, 315 x .85 ----CRAP! Close doesn't count. Meh. 300 was easy, 310 most likely would have gone up. I was a little two overzealous because I was chasing the big guy ahead of me. He barely locked it out on 315 and I was chasing. I think I had the weight but the setup wasn't great. Probably will go up soon.

265 x 4 - Back off set.

JM Press

135 x 10, 10, 95 x 10

Had to back off on these on the last set because I wasn't really doing them properly. By that time I think my tri's were just straight shot.

Lat Pulldowns(to Sternum) supersetted with Seated Face Pulls

150 x 10, 10, 10 ---- 70 x 10, 10, 10






Decent workout today. I was kinda bummed about not getting 315 on the 1 board close grip. I think I'll get it next time, in fact a slightly different set up might have done it today. Meh, anyways, most of the guys had some big PR's today. We had a guy who is only 135 lbs hit 190 on the 1 Board close grip. Pretty amazing. Two of the guys have shirts and put on the shirts for their max attempts. The one guy who is our "Team Leader" so to speak, hit 405 for a pretty easy single with the shirt. Pretty cool stuff.

[AustrianOakJr]

455???? What the?? I think my legs would snap off at the knees. That is a crap load of weight, man. Nice going on the PR. Keep going!!! Cant wait to see you compete!

[FATHER FLEX]

That illusive 315 CG! :D Have really progressed nicely on all lifts dude

[jked4life]

455???? What the?? I think my legs would snap off at the knees. That is a crap load of weight, man. Nice going on the PR. Keep going!!! Cant wait to see you compete!

Lol, I would have thought that too. The Walkout and setup for the lift is one of the biggest portions of the lift. I'm told you can almost always tell if a guy is going to make a lift by how they walk it out and setup. Using the bands on DE Days REALLY help with that and the lockout portion of the squat. On the walkout, 455 was the first weight that even felt remotely heavy on my back. It was truly amazing because a few months ago, 335 would have felt that heavy on a walkout/setup. I was kind of speechless and in awe of that.

We also did these outside of the power rack. This allowed me to widen my stance more. It wouldn't matter to someone your height, but with my ridiculous leg length, being able to open up just a little more made a big difference. The box was behind the rack and we had a spotter behind the lifter and a spotter on each side of the bar.


That illusive 315 CG! :D Have really progressed nicely on all lifts dude

Thanks Berto. I'm happy with the progress I've been making. I was SO close on that 315 close grip. Because of my arm length, it's quite a grind. I'll get there soon though!

Loving Westside with a group of strong guys to push me.

[jked4life]

Looks like I forgot to log a couple of workouts. Been busy around here. Highlights were

315 x 2.5 on 4 board narrow grip press


ME Upper- 2/2/11

Moderate grip Bench Press (Middle finger on the Rings) - 2 Board Press

Workup to 275 x 1, 295 x 1, 310 x 1- PR, 315 x 1 (forced a tad so it doesn't really count), Down set- 255 x 8

JM Press

115 x 10, 10, 10, 10

Lat Pulldowns to Sternum

150 x 10 (4 sets)

Face Pulls- Seated on Row Machine

4 sets

Drag Curls

105 x 10 (4 sets)



Well, had a PR on the 2 Board but not that exciting since it was only 5 lbs that I SHOULD have attempted last week and gotten, but a PR is a PR. 315 was SOOO close, but not quite. Needed two fingers on it to help at the very end. Will get it next time.

Had a great day today though because it was a snow day. Got to stay home with my wife and son and hang out, so what could be better :).

[jked4life]

Missed logging a few workouts:

Friday 2/5/11- DE Lower

Box Squat with Orange Mini Bands

275 x 2 (6 sets), 295 x 2 (3 sets), 315 x 2 (3 sets)

Good Mornings- Narrow Stance

135 x 10 (4 sets)

Sumo Situps- Weighted

10 reps (4 sets)

Saturday 2/6/11- DE Upper

Speed Bench-

150 x 3 ( red bands) x (8 sets) - Yuck. These weren't speedy enough.

Narrow Grip Bench Press (pinky on rings)- 4 board

275 x 5, 295 x 3, 295 x 3, 255 x 10

Incline Dumbell Press- All the way down with Elbows tucked

4 sets

DB Shrugs

100 x 10 (4 sets)

Lat Pulldowns

150 x 10 (4 Sets)



Tuesday 2/8/11

Low Bar Suspended Good Mornings (Just above belly Button :eek:)

275 x 5, 315 x 3, 365 x 3, 401 x 1, 455 x Fail...

Zercher Squats

245 x 5, 5, 255 x 5, 275 x 5, 285 x 5

Ab Cable Crunches

105 x 10 (4 sets)






Alright, so last couple workouts were decent. Pressing has been ok I guess. It's hard to know what the progress is because I haven't done comeptition grip in a while. I've been doing a lot of narrower grip presses, which are pretty tough for me. I've also been having a lot of forearm pain on pressing days, especially right after squat days. I think I'm placing the bar low on my back for squats and my forearms are doing a lot of work to keep that low bar up. I'm not real sure what to do about that. Low bar placement helps me so much with leverage, being so tall.

Some great PR's on Speed Squats the other day. 315 moved like it was 135! Crazy. Today's Suspended Good mornings were pretty cool. 405 doesn't seem like a lot, but with the bar so low (just above the belly button, lol), I was pretty happy with the attempt. 455 would have gone up with another attempt, but it would have been ugly, using more leg drive than good morning which defeats the point.

[AustrianOakJr]

Ill have to pick your brain sometime on the walkout and set up......and the whole squat technique thing. I just struggle like crazy with squats and feel like an injury is just waiting to happen.

And what is a suspended good morning?

Looking good in here, BTW. Im glad youre making such progress in the strength and technique depts.

[gymratluke]

Long time brotha! Just found ya, subbing to this bitch!

[jked4life]

Long time brotha! Just found ya, subbing to this bitch!

Whoa, hey Luke. Long time no see. Glad to have you in here.

[jked4life]

2/23/11 ME Lower

4 Inch Box Deadlift (looked like even lower than that)

worked up to 535 x 1


Olympic Squats - High Bar - (Narrow Stance, ATG with bar on the traps)
135 x 5, 185 x 5, 225 x 5, 275 x 5, 315 x 5

Abs- Staggered foot Crunch with Straps (on lat pulldown machine)
3 sets- First time with these. Wow they smoked the abs.

Great workout. The pull was pretty strong. Every inch counts, but that box looked lower than four inches to me. I was happy with that pull. The squats were a surprise. Way past paralell and with the bar much higher on my traps than I'm used to. Wasn't expecting to get that much at that point in the workout with that style of squat. I caught lots of jealousy flack on that b/c of being a bodybuilder :)


2/25/11 ME Upper

2 Board Press with MiniBands - Competition Grip
Warmups, 225 x 1, 245 x 1, 255 x 1

Various assistance exercises


2/28/11 DE Upper

Bench Press (Speed) with Bands

160 x 3 (8 sets)

2 Board Press - Pinky on the Rings
225 x 5, 255 x 5, 265 x 5- Meh.


I have actually gotten a few comments about the fact that I am growing in the upper body, which is good because the bench press is still a frustrating movement for me. It's the only movement I feel I am not progressing quickly on. I think mobility is a major problem for me, so that could be hampering progress. Keep working on it. Thoracic extension is my nemeisis, which is a problem when trying to maximize the arch. Watch any bench press vid of my man Alberto and you'll see some thoracic extension I'm envious of! That kind of mobility on the press would up my numbers BIG time without even getting stronger (which I plan on as well).

[Warrior9]

good stuff matt..
how long of an off season isnt it looking like?

[jked4life]

So.....er... uh. Guess I haven't updated my journal in about a year and a half. Well, a lot of things have changed in my life since I last posted.

First and most important, I had a baby girl born on September 14th, 2011... the same birthday as her beautiful mom. She's now over a year old and is in the top percentile for height, near the top for weight. My son is now 4 years old and in Pre-K. He's doing great there and loving school. The other major development is that we sold our house and moved. We bought a house right near the high school that we work at, near the sitters, and within walking distance of my gym. All in all, things have been going amazingly well the past few years.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee159/mspreter/IMG_1284_zps3cb1f920.jpg


I haven't quit training or preparing for my next foray into bodybuilding or powerlifting. I had a few stretches where training was scaled back a lot, however I was always able to maintain 2 gym sessions or so a week. I've had a lot of problems with injuries over the past two years. I've had a number done on my shoulders, as well as a recent low back injury. Unfortunately, with so much going on, the mobility and pre-hab work is often the first to go. At my age, that doesn't go well!!! In a lot of ways I am the strongest I've ever been, but I also feel the most volatile and susceptible to injury. Unfortunately this has set me back a lot.

Diet has been sketchy at best for a lot of the time. Counting macro's has been inconsistent, but I'm making a concerted effort to change that. I've also been playing with my macro ratio's a bit. I dabbled in a bit of CKD, carb-backloading, higher fat/moderate carb, and a few other things. I'm still fooling with a few things and getting data. The main reason for doing all of that was a period last spring of not feeling good at all. I had a strong suspicion that I was having trouble with blood sugar management. I was feeling lethargic, in a brain fog, and grouchy all the time. I tried a low carb intervention to see what would happen, and I noticed a huge improvement. It didn't seem to hurt performance at all, assuming I carbed up every 4th day or so.

Currently, I am on a more moderate diet protocol. Right now my current macro's for maintenance have been about: p- 235 c- 300 f- 105-110. I'm feeling pretty good at these macro's. I worry a bit about the metabolic effects of lower carb levels, but the body seems to like this range better. Hormonally, it's superior for me too. I seem to respond best to meals with about 30-40g carbs combined with a good 20g of fat. Something like that has me literally ready to break stuff and rage inside a power rack.

Weight is currently at an obese 218-220 lbs. :D In all honesty, as much as I'm a bit on the heavy side, my lifts have been great recently, so I'm hesitant to cut right now. I spent the whole summer, devoting a minimum of 8-9 hours of sleep a night (something I've never done). Once I started doing that, I noticed a huge spike in strength and hopefully some size gains too. I also experimented with 3 days a week training, which helped, at least when done for a few weeks on end to recover a bit. Lots of rest, recovery, and some 5/3/1 allowed me to see some of the best lifts I've ever performed.

Program- Been running 5/3/1 and loving it. I started with a very conservative max total, considering I was coming off an injury. I kept progressing and following the book. I started hitting my all out sets in the higher rep ranges, usually over 10 reps. I think that's a bit high, but Wendler says not to increase each cycle more than 5-10 lbs under any circumstances. I also have been hitting big numbers in the high rep ranges, which I figure has to be good for some hypertrophy.

Some recent lifts:

Deads- 390 x 13, 405 x 11, 425 x 11

Squats- 320 x 10, 305 x 12, 340 x 8

Military- 140 x 9

Incline bench- 185 x 13 ----> Pressing has been meh..

[jked4life]

Warmup - Foam roll, dynamic stretching, band pull aparts, rear delt work, ect.

Incline Bench

Warmup, 145 x 5, 165 x 5, 185 x 13 (266 calculated max) ---- > First day of cycle with inclines. Didn't know where to start, but I guess this was okay.

DB Rows

70 x 10/10 ( 4 sets)

Lat Pulldowns

145 x 10 (4 sets) Full second or more squeeze at the bottom.

Delts

3 sets

Dips

bodyweight x 10 (3 sets)

[AustrianOakJr]

Hey MATT! Good to have you back, man. Keep going with your log, id like to see how you set up your workout routine bc im looking for something new.....just new exercises, structure, etc.

Hitting 425 for 11 on deads?? WTF? You are getting strong. I think it was my 425 X 7 (which i was pretty proud of until now) that wreaked the havoc I am now experiencing with my back. So you and I are in similar boats in many ways.....old, fat, and aching all over....but at our strongest yet. I guess if we can keep from falling apart we'll be doing pretty well.

[jked4life]

Thanks for following along. I'll do my best to get workouts up there, but it's pretty standard 5/3/1. My accessory's have been pretty bread and butter too.

I've been following 5/3/1 to a T, minus the HIIT cardio. I honestly don't think my body can recover from 3-4 heavy training sessions, along with some HIIT cardio. That's too much for me to reasonably handle. Reflecting back to my days in the pool, I realized that I have a pretty poor recovery ability. Back in the day, I used to be the taper king. I'd always have my performance lag the most of all my teammates when training got most intense and we were all beat up. I would also need a lot more time to taper down the yardage/recover to hit my PR's. In fact, I used to hit PR's a month or two after the big meet of the season, at goof off club (post season) meets with minimal training. I'm sure this translates over to lifting as well.

Old, fat and broken.... but still getting dem PR's! Haha, some days I feel like it's all I can do to keep the wheels from falling off the bus. My back feels a lot better this week, but after one week of heavy training, I'm getting sick. Felt exhausted all day and got the sore throat going. Eh..

[ossizen]

Still going strong there!

I've ran 5/3/1 a few times. It's a bear for sure.

Probably time for a deload or time off perhaps?

[jked4life]

Still going strong there!

I've ran 5/3/1 a few times. It's a bear for sure.

Probably time for a deload or time off perhaps?

Thanks for checking in.

I like 5/3/1 a lot so far. Been good to me. There are regular deloads incorporated every 4th week, which I've been taking advantage of. I actually did a deload ending a week ago. I should be in good shape.

Back's been feeling much better. Squatted and did deadlifts this week with no problems.

[jked4life]

Squat

Warmup

235 x 5, 275 x 5, 310 x 12


Abs

3 Sets

Pull Through's

4 sets



Good workout today. I was happy with how it went. I was a bit nervous to get back to squatting, since the last time I did, it ended badly. Fortunately I was able to pull it off without a hitch. I did a lot of foam rolling, some lax ball to the hips, and some serious dynamic stretching. That did the trick and I'm pain free.

[Warrior9]

in!
looking forward to following along brotha.

[AustrianOakJr]

Pretty low volume, eh? Funny how less can be more. So what's the deal with 5,5, and 12 reps on the squat? You just lowering intensity bc u were easing the back into it?

[jked4life]

Pretty low volume, eh? Funny how less can be more. So what's the deal with 5,5, and 12 reps on the squat? You just lowering intensity bc u were easing the back into it?

Yeah, I like lowering the volume a bit. I don't think it's a bad idea, especially for my lower body. I usually do a bit more volume for accessory lifts, but considering how jacked up I've been, I wanted to be conservative and ease back into things.

As far as the intensity, meh. I started out 5/3/1 conservative on the numbers and I'm moving them up considerably each cycle, yet my strength seems to keep up with the speed I'm increasing my max numbers. Wendler specifically says not to go over 10 lb increases in calculated max's between cycles. If I keep getting 10+ reps on things, I'll probably get more aggressive next cycle. I'm kind of liking getting some big numbers for 8-12 reps though. I feel like I've gotten some good hypertrophy from one all out set in that range. The one thing I wasn't liking about westside was that I could push a heavy weight for a single or double, but my 4-12 rep maxes weren't really improving (or getting worse).

[jked4life]

in!
looking forward to following along brotha.

Hey Adam! Thanks for following along.

[jked4life]

Military Press

Warmup sets, 105 x 3, 120 x 3, 140 x 8


Chins

BW x 8 (3 sets)


DB Rows

70 x 10/10 (4 sets)


Rear delt work, Shoulder pre-hab

couple of sets with a few different exercises



Treadmill

400 cals.

[jked4life]

Warmup- Foam Roll, Lax ball to the hips, glutes and IT band, dynamic stretching, band pull aparts

Sumo Deadlift

Working Sets- 330 x 3, 370 x 3, 415 x 13 (623 calculated max)

Accessory - Wider stance (put some 10's on the inside so I could widen my stance without crushing my toes) - 265 x 10 (3 sets)


Abs

4 sets



So... I got more aggressive with my deadlifts and upped my max that I work off of to 515 for this cycle. I thought that would be sufficient since it's the most I've ever really pulled with any consistency. Apparently it wasn't enough, because I destroyed my target numbers again. I like figuring out calculated max lifts because it gives me some semblance of what's a good goal number to hit for the workout and helps me with progressive overload. I had to lol at the 623 calculated max for today. Only about 98 pounds over what I've actually deadlifted in real life, haha.

Oh... and did it on dieting numbers. Been running a mini to strip some slop before the holidays come.


P- 250 C- 260 F- 60

[jked4life]

Warmup- Lax ball roll on the pecs, traps, delts. Did some rear delts and band pull aparts

Incline Bench

155 x 3, 185 x 3, 200 x 11 (277 calculated max)

135 X 10 (2 Sets)

DB Rows

70 x 10 (4 sets)

Pulldowns

140 x 10 (4 sets)

Dips

BW x 10 (2 sets)

Straight bar curls

75 x 10 (2 sets)



Not much to say about today's workout. Had a pretty decent pressing showing, but still below what I want. Progress is progress though.

[jked4life]

Warmup - Foam Roll, Stretch

Squat

260 x 3, 295 x 3, 330 x 10

225 x 10 (3)

Abs

3 sets



Never handled that much weight for a 10 rep squat set. I was pretty happy with that. Unfortunately I didn't set the safety bars low enough and I bounced off them a couple of times. That totally messed up my game. They were fine during the warmup sets, but when I got to the heavy set, I don't think my chest was up enough. I think I could have gotten one or two more had I not had that problem.

[jked4life]

OHP

115 x 5, 130 x 3, 145 x 8

BB Rows

155 x 10 (4 sets)

Pulldowns- Suppinated grip

150 x 10 (4 sets)

Face Pulls

4 sets

Curls

2 sets

[jked4life]

Sumo Deads

Working- 350 x 5, 405 x 3, 445 x 11 (616 calculated 1 rm)


Extra wide Sumo's for accessory. Put 2 25's on each side of the barbell and a plate outside of them. This allowed a wider stance and more glute/ham activation.

235 x 10 ( 3 sets)


Weighted Abs

3 sets

[jked4life]

Squat

275 x 5, 315 x 3, 350 x 9


Super Wide Stance Squats

225 x 10 (3)

SLDL

135 x 10 ( 3)

Abs

3 sets

[AustrianOakJr]

HEY!!!!!! WTF is up with this thread??? ;) @!#()*_!!!!!!

[jked4life]

HEY!!!!!! WTF is up with this thread??? ;) @!#()*_!!!!!!

Oh yeah... needs some updates :D


Oops.

[jked4life]

So... I decided to run the Max Effort Method again. My training partner picked up some nice orange bands from Elite and I have the red minibands for speed bench.

Just a little bit of update on how it's going:

Squat:
405 In the raw (belt)
425 easy (in briefs)

Deadlift
500 raw with belt
505 with briefs
530 in briefs (had it of the ground but couldn't lock it out).

Bench--- meh.



Been more or less happy with the deadlifting numbers. Squats I haven't been too thrilled with. I think I'd have better numbers if I could get outside the rack like I've done in the past. For a true max effort attempt, my gangly legs need to spread a little wider than the rack allows. Unfortunately, with 2 guys, that's not the least bit safe... and our rack won't allow to set the pins on the outside. Nonetheless I'm plugging away.

It's been a little bit of an ajustment going from doing higher reps back down to doing 1rep max attempts. I feel like my body hasn't quite adjusted to those motor pathways yet. I'm hoping that the numbers build in the coming weeks.

In addition, I've had the calories on the conservative to cutting end of the spectrum. I'm trying not to get any fatter during the holidays :D

[jked4life]

Deadlifts- Using briefs

Warmup sets, 325 x 3, 375 x 2, 415 x 1, 465 x 1, 485 x 1, 505 x 1, 530 x 0 (Had it broken off of the ground but couldn't lock it out)

415 x 8 - Burnout set. Definitely had a few left in the tank, but didn't want to go overboard.


Meh. I was happy with my 505 pull. Went up like a speed pull. I wanted to go for an all time PR, but it was too big of a jump. I'm sure I would have made a lift somewhere in the middle.


High Bar Olympic Squats

225- 3 x 10

Abs

3 sets




Note: If anybody reading this is curious about some of the odd sounding poundage, there's a reason. We open up the bar with a pair of 25's on each side (Making 50 lbs, instead of a 45 pound plate). This allows me to open my stance a little wider without fear of clipping a toe under a plate.

[AustrianOakJr]

Nice deadlift numbers, Matt! You are definitely moving some weight. If you ever want to do some squats outside the rack, let me know.....the rack at Golds can be set up with the pins on the outside. And I could probably even spot ya. ;)



In addition, I've had the calories on the conservative to cutting end of the spectrum. I'm trying not to get any fatter during the holidays :D

I hear that. I was down to 184.5 after a short mini and now im back up to 186.5 after t-giving and our NYC trip. Uuugh. Trying to keep the calories at or just below maintenance on a daily basis so that I can keep under 188/189 for the holidays. freakin fat guy genetics....lol

[jked4life]

Nice deadlift numbers, Matt! You are definitely moving some weight. If you ever want to do some squats outside the rack, let me know.....the rack at Golds can be set up with the pins on the outside. And I could probably even spot ya. ;)



I hear that. I was down to 184.5 after a short mini and now im back up to 186.5 after t-giving and our NYC trip. Uuugh. Trying to keep the calories at or just below maintenance on a daily basis so that I can keep under 188/189 for the holidays. freakin fat guy genetics....lol

Nice. That could be fun, but probably would be a bad idea. I think 3 spotters would probably be in order for a lift like that. Can be a little bit dangerous if you tip or whatever :)


I hear you. I've been fighting the fat guy genetics hardcore too. It's tough to keep the calories down on Westside because it just totally shreds your CNS. By week 3, I'm always feeling on the brink of getting a cold/flu, lethargic, restless leg syndrome after max lifts, ect. Trying to do it on reduced calories is something that doesn't feel like the most intelligent thing to do, especially when you're really pushing the envelope with max #'s. I know I'm a bit "fragile" when it comes to CNS, recovery and overreaching/over-training type stuff too.

[jked4life]

Deadlifts (with briefs)

Warmups, 325 x 3, 375 x 1, 415 x 1, 465 x 1, 485 x 1, 505 x 1, 520 x 1 !!!!! (PR land Baby!!) :D


Squats- Narrow Stance/High Bar

225 x 10, 10, 10

[The Solution]

520? Serious business in here my man! Still lurking away and watching the progress

[jked4life]

520? Serious business in here my man! Still lurking away and watching the progress

Thanks man!! I'm progressing slowly but surely.

[jked4life]

Box Squats (briefs)

135 x 10, 185 x 5, 225 x 5, 275 x 3, 315 x 2, 365 x 1, 385 x 1, 405 x 1, 430 x 1, 440 x 0 - Failed on 440. I think I would have had it with a better setup. Oh well, PR for that type of squat setup.

365 x 6 - Had 1-2 left in the tank

RDL

185 x 10 - 3 sets

[jked4life]

Well, its been a while since I posted a workout. Had the week of Christmas on a deload, so nothing special there. That week and last week I was ridiculously sick. I had the Flu and a sinus infection. Trying to come back last week, I almost lost it when I did a set of deadlifts (400 x 8). My head was throbbing and I almost passed out. This week I'm doing better.

Now I'm back to a 5/3/1 template, which is exciting. I really have enjoyed it, so I'm back on it. I want to consider my next routine, and possibly try something new after a few more cycles of this.

In addition, I'm running a mini for January and maybe the first part of February. Going pretty gung ho, using a 10 cal/ lb. level. I've been playing with a template where I've backloaded most of my carbs to the last two meals of the day. On such a low calorie level, it's been really good for me. Makes it pretty easy to be honest. I'm not nearly as hungry with close to zero carb during the day. Plenty of energy too. Probably even more than with a 35g drip feed of carbs each meal starting in the morning. I'll just hit up my carbs between dinner and pre-bed. My training lies right in that window too, so I feel like a decent carb feeding pre workout and a huge whack of carbs post workout has been good for training.

[jked4life]

Deadlift (Sumo)- Each rep was 100% deloaded on the floor and re-set.

Warmup, 330 x 3, 375 x 3, 420 x 8

Deadlifts (Sumo)- Touch and go

255 x 10, 10, 10

Rope Ab Crunches - On Lat pulldown machine

110 x 10, 10, 10



Good workout today. Felt pretty strong on deadlifts. 420 x 8 is not exactly a PR, however I often did not deload the weight 100 % in the past. I've been making an attempt to do that this cycle in an attempt to build more explosive power off the floor. With that considered, I was pleased.

[The Solution]

Good to see you back and updating brother. 420 x 8 is no walk in the park. Outstanding work.

[sculpt07]

Late but in on this. Workouts look good! your one strong mofo

[jked4life]

Good to see you back and updating brother. 420 x 8 is no walk in the park. Outstanding work.

Thanks Bob! No, it wasn't at all! It hurt pretty bad, lol.


Late but in on this. Workouts look good! your one strong mofo

Thanks for stopping in. Getting stronger!!!

[jked4life]

Warmup

Foam rolling, softball on the hips with A.R.T, dynamic stretching

Squat- Working Sets

265 x 3, 295 x 3, 330 x 12 (PR by 2 reps)...

Squats, Squats, and more Squats (accessory work)

255 x 10, 10, 10

Leg Press

4.5 pps x 10, 10, 10


Cardio

300 cals.


Morning weight

212.0 - Doing a fairly aggressive mini. This was not a low, but the scale's moving pretty quickly downward.



Great workout today. I got to the gym and met up with my training partner Brian. He had talked with one of my old students and he decided to join us tonight. Having 3 lifters always ups the game a little bit. Besides, I had to show the whipper snappers what's what. We got going through the progression and we had a PR from one lifter. Then my lifting partner Brian loaded up his final weight (315) and banged out 12 good reps with it. I was spotting him and that got me really excited to see him shatter his previous PR of 8 with that weight. Last was my turn with 330. I had lots of adrenaline going from the PR's from the other 2 lifters. I wasn't feeling great tonight, but I got to 6 and was pretty gassed, but managed to get to 8, then took a few extra breaths and busted out 4 more. The last two or three were pretty ugly, lol. I was happy though.

On a side note, I was looking around the gym the other night and counted at least 5 or 6 college kids home from break (guys and girls) that I had either taught or coached. In my job, I tend to work with a lot of kids in smaller groups, so I really get to know them well. They really do become like MY kids. All of them were doing well in school, looked great, and were working their tail's off in the gym. It was really awesome. I felt like such a proud dad, lol.