Antaeus' Training Journal

[Antaeus]

An Overview:

Sunday
Dynamic effort bench press
1. Speed Bench, 9 fast triples, 55% of 1RM, with bands or chains
2. Heavy Tricepts work - 2 exercises (close-grip bench, board presses, rack lockouts, JM presses, various extensions)
3. Lats (bar rows, pulldowns, chins)
4. Abs (weighted crunches, side bends, standing cable abs)

Monday
Max effort squat, dead lift
1. Rotating variations of good mornings, deadlift or box squat for max single or triple.
2. Medium Glutes/Hamstrings work (speed deads, stiff-legged deads, glute/ham raises, etc.)
3. Lower back (good mornings, reverse hyper, weighted hyperextensions)
4. Shoulders/Traps (upper back work - shrugs, various shoulder raises)

Wednesday
Max effort bench press
1. Rotating max bench variations (close grip, incline, decline, board press, floor press, JM press, etc.)
2. Medium Tricepts work - 2 exercises
3. Lats
4. Abs

Friday
Dynamic effort squat, dead lift
1. Box squats, 8 fast doubles with 55-75% of 1RM, with bands or chains
2. Heavy Glutes/Hamstrings work
3. Lower back
4. Shoulders/Traps, upper back work

[Antaeus]

Benched off of 2 telephone books duck taped together. Basically a four-board.

Me @ 180: (raw)
135x10x2
225x3x2
275x1 <--Ok I still couldn't do this last month!
295x0x2 Just wasn't feeling it today. Should've gone down to 285.

Hayward @ 175:
warmups
315x2
365 Old PR New double denim - took like a second to put on.
390 PR Ditched the press, did full bench.
405 PR!!! Yessiree he put up 4 wheels. It was a grind, but very impressive. 45 lb PR on full flat bench.

Garrett @275: (raw)
warmups
315x2
365x2
405
430
455
465 miss
425x3

Frank @ 300: (RAW!!!)
warmups
405x2
455
500
550
585 6 plates!! No shirt!!
600 miss!!! Stalled an inch up.

Then we did CG rack lockouts, about 8". (Frank did some other stuff).

Me 275x5x3
Garrett 405x3
430x3
455 miss
435

Then some incline bar extensions for reps - very difficult movement. Kinda like a seated JM press.

Me 95
Hayward 135
Garrett 160

Chest supported rows - everyone did 3 plates.

Well my tricept strength lags far behind everyone else. It's ok, it'll come. These guys have all been training for years. Good workout nonetheless. Frank is a monster.

[Antaeus]

High box max squats. 2" above parallel. This is roughly where my legs would be in the deadlift.

bar x10
135x10x2
185x3
225
275
315
365
385
405 PR

Definately getting stronger. Oh yeah NO suit either. Next time I'm wearing one. Felt great. It's a real bitch pausing at the bottom, but I had a good explosion off the box. Slowed down halfway up but had a little adrenaline kick and powered through. I didn't "bounce" off the box, paused for a good second, but my spine feels a little sore today. It's hard to stay tight in the torso with these. Next I'll probably try a parallel box, and then a low box. These feel really comfortable b/c you always know how low you're going.

GHRs 10x4
Bent-over raises 4x10
Weighted machine crunches +170 lbs.

[Antaeus]

115 + 50 lbs of chains, 9 triples. Weight felt drastically different, I'm used to 135 + 20 lbs of chain. The 3 sets of heavy chains really slow you down at the top. Then I did some 4 boards with 285. Tried rolling extensions but my elbow's flaring up again (most likely from the heavy chains).
Lat rows.

Workout didn't really feel that great. It was hard to adjust to the chains, and my arms seem longer than everyone else's. CG triples felt slow, as there's an added 4-5 in. to the ROM. They all commented on what a great deadlift I could build (some consolation!).

[Antaeus]

185 low box 8x2, no chains.

Deadlifts 315 3x3
SLDLs 225 10x4
Shrugs 245 8x3
Side bends, 10 reps of 55, 60, 65, 70 lb dumbells.

The DE feels soooo fast w/o chains. I really need to get bands or start increasing the raw weight. It's too fast at the top totally raw, the bar has a tendancy to catch a little air. Heavy deads afterwards feel great, I can do 315 fairly fast. Haven't done the side bends in a while, had to feel 'em out.

[Deciever]

nice man.. i think you had a good idea with starting a thread like this..

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
nice man.. i think you had a good idea with starting a thread like this..

thx bro. I think it's great to look at everyone's workouts, make comments etc. It's also fun to see where you've been. I remember when 225 deads felt heavy 3 months ago, and 315 was a struggle!! :D

[Deejay_Spike]

Originally posted by Antaeus
thx bro. I think it's great to look at everyone's workouts, make comments etc. It's also fun to see where you've been. I remember when 225 deads felt heavy 3 months ago, and 315 was a struggle!! :D

nice bro' !

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Deejay_Spike
nice bro' !

I second that! :)

[Antaeus]

Decline comp grip. 280 old PR
bar x10
95x10
135x10
185x5
225x1
255x1
275x0 Terrible zercher hand off.
285x1 PR Felt easy.
295x1 PR!!
300x0 Really wanted 300, but just got stapled.

CG flat bench 135x10x4

CG 6" Rack lockouts 225x3x5

Side Raises w/ 25 lb dumbells, 3x8.

[Antaeus]

Wide-stance pin GMs from parallel. Old PR for narrow stance is 335.

bar x 10
95x10
135x10
185x5
225x3
255x1 started feeling heavy, more so than narrow-stance.
275x1
295x1
315x1 kept grinding them out.
325x1
335x1
345x1 PR
365x0 For a lark, didn't happen. :)

Weighted hypers, 10x4 +25 lbs.

V-bar pulldowns, 100x10, 120x8x3.

So many heavy singles! This workout felt like it took forever. I wanted 3 plates and a quarter but just couldn't get it after feeling out so many by 10 lbs. Great workout, though. :)

[Deciever]

nice try... way to many warm ups though.... thats like 50 sets

take biger jumps next time, but congrats on the 10lb PR

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
nice try... way to many warm ups though.... thats like 50 sets

take biger jumps next time, but congrats on the 10lb PR

Thx bro.

Thing is they started feeling heavy early, so I didn't want to miss early with too big a jump. All those singles took their toll, for sure, but they all felt about the same: heavy!! Wide stance is a biatch. :)

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Thx bro.

Thing is they started feeling heavy early, so I didn't want to miss early with too big a jump. All those singles took their toll, for sure, but they all felt about the same: heavy!! Wide stance is a biatch. :)

Good job Antaeus! I do think thought that you did a bit too many singles! :D How long did GM's take you? 45 minutes? :D I did close stance good mornings today for assistance. I love them! :D

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Good job Antaeus! I do think thought that you did a bit too many singles! :D How long did GM's take you? 45 minutes? :D I did close stance good mornings today for assistance. I love them! :D

Thx man. Yeah I've never done wide-stance so it took forever. About 45 min, yeah. I feel them much more in the hams. I do about 225 for assistance, narrow, so I don't have much experience with the wide. Makes sense to do them wide though b/c I both squat and dead wide! :D

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Thx man. Yeah I've never done wide-stance so it took forever. About 45 min, yeah. I feel them much more in the hams. I do about 225 for assistance, narrow, so I don't have much experience with the wide. Makes sense to do them wide though b/c I both squat and dead wide! :D

Yes it DOES make sense to do them wide if you squat and dead wide! :D You do 225 for assistance? I'm working up! I'm at 120 for 8 for assistance NARROW stance. I'm better at narrow I think for lower body! :D :confused:


Keep it up buddy! lol... :p

[Antaeus]

Swapped my schedule around.

CG 2-Board press max. Right at my sticking point!

bar x 12
95x8x2 cold morning
135x8
185x5 2-boards
225x3
230x1 up an inch, then recovered
235x1
240x1
245x1
250x1 PR
260x0 miss, went up 1/2 in. then died.

These are tough - 2 boards are just below my mini-max. I'm working on staying tight, and planting my traps into the bench to maintain/build an arch.

CG Rack lockouts.
225x5
255x3
275x3 felt good.

CG Palms-in Dumbell flat bench.
55x10
60x8x3 started feeling heavy! Got tired.

Did everything with a close-grip today. Tris are fried!! Wanted to do some trap work but got tired/ran out of time.

Garrett shirted up in an open DD, since he didn't get to bench at the meet. Benching off the collar:

405 6" from chest
415 not even close to touching - this would be his opener!!
435 nope
455 nada - was going to be his 3rd PR attempt at meet.
475 still an inch from touching!! Nice strong, even lockout. Garrett has 500 in him, he'll shoot for it at the APF Ironman in Dec.

A good day all around. :)

[Deciever]

nice but i must ask again.. what is with the 5 lb increments? your tiring yourself out!

[Deejay_Spike]

Originally posted by Deciever
nice but i must ask again.. what is with the 5 lb increments? your tiring yourself out!

indeed....

when i competed i only warmed up with 155 for 5, 220 for 3 and 265 for 2....

then i hit 330, 385, and 440...

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
nice but i must ask again.. what is with the 5 lb increments? your tiring yourself out!

heehee I know it looks funny but I'm feeling out my strength. Never done 2-board maxes before. I didn't want to miss early. 230 felt heavy, then 235 felt better, then 240 felt really good, but I didn't want to jump up and miss except near the end - hence I missed with 260. This was a real biatch too - benching from the sticky part...

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deejay_Spike
indeed....

when i competed i only warmed up with 155 for 5, 220 for 3 and 265 for 2....

then i hit 330, 385, and 440...

Wait the 1st for bench, second numbers for squat right?

See you already knew your opener, and a rough max. When you don't have a previous PR on an exercise it takes longer to feel it out. Make sense kinda? :)

[Deejay_Spike]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Wait the 1st for bench, second numbers for squat right?

See you already knew your opener, and a rough max. When you don't have a previous PR on an exercise it takes longer to feel it out. Make sense kinda? :)


no these were my squat attempts :p


well kinda, but i think you'd be better with 10lbs increements the 5lbs...

over here we even always do it with 20lbs increements. isn't that much of a difference i think.

[Deciever]

Originally posted by Antaeus
heehee I know it looks funny but I'm feeling out my strength. Never done 2-board maxes before. I didn't want to miss early. 230 felt heavy, then 235 felt better, then 240 felt really good, but I didn't want to jump up and miss except near the end - hence I missed with 260. This was a real biatch too - benching from the sticky part...

you gotta be ballsy.. if you miss an attempt, drop it down

when i did 4 board my attempts went like this..

135 x 6 warmup, 185 x 6, 215 x 6,. 235 x 3...i just sacked up and went for it.. and you should too!

[Antaeus]

I hear you guys! But the important thing is to strain, and strain I did!

[healthy n_fit]

You did good Antaeus! Keep it up! Are you trying 2 board presses again next week? And is DD Double Denim? Keep us posted. :)

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
You did good Antaeus! Keep it up! Are you trying 2 board presses again next week? And is DD Double Denim? Keep us posted. :)

Yeah DD is dub den. Actually I switch up my MEs every week. That's just how the guys train.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Yeah DD is dub den. Actually I switch up my MEs every week. That's just how the guys train.

I see. So, just in curiosity, when you return to the same ME exercise for bench again, what kind of PR do you usually get? 5lbs? 10lbS? 15lbS??? More???? :D

Okay... :p

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
I see. So, just in curiosity, when you return to the same ME exercise for bench again, what kind of PR do you usually get? 5lbs? 10lbS? 15lbS??? More???? :D

Okay... :p

On average it's 15-20 lbs gain. But I've really just started setting PRs. Decline bench went from 245-280-295 over 3 months. GMs went 225ish-315-345 over same period. 20 lbs on rack pulls in 2 months. DE squats went from 135 to 185 at same speed for fast doubles. That's just for starters. If I can consistently close-grip lockout 275 then I think I can bench that with a reg. poly and a comp grip. So yeah I'm definately getting stronger. :)

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
On average it's 15-20 lbs gain. But I've really just started setting PRs. Decline bench went from 245-280-295 over 3 months. GMs went 225ish-315-345 over same period. 20 lbs on rack pulls in 2 months. DE squats went from 135 to 185 at same speed for fast doubles. That's just for starters. If I can consistently close-grip lockout 275 then I think I can bench that with a reg. poly and a comp grip. So yeah I'm definately getting stronger. :)

15-20lbs sure is a lot! Holy crap! How'd your GM go up so fast!!?!? You sure ARE getting stronger. Buddy, by the time you're 35, you'll be totalling 2000 or more. Do you think so? Let's put it this way. You're like 26 right? So let's do some math.

1035lb total now. 2000 is my estimate.

2000-1035=965lbs needed

You have 9 years, or ABOUT 108 months until you're 35.

965/108 = 8.935lbs added to total MONTHLY

This equates to roughly 3 lbs added to each lift(Bench/Squat/Deadlift) per month.

Do you think you can add 3lbs to your bench, 3 lbs to your squat, and 3 lbs to your deadlift each month for the next 108 months? If you can, You'll have an appreciable 2000lb total! :D

See? Simple math. In fact, I'm going to do that to me now! :D

[Antaeus]

heehee well I don't think it's that simple, bro. But interesting, thx. Yes, I would love to total 2000, and it's not happening anytime soon. Right now Class 2 1190 would be great. I think I'll be able to squat and dead 500 within a year with regular training and attention to form and gear. Bench seems to always be a crapshoot but again if I can get the arch thing down and bump up my tricept strength 300 is likely, for 1300. If I would guess, I'm around 1100 right now.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
heehee well I don't think it's that simple, bro. But interesting, thx. Yes, I would love to total 2000, and it's not happening anytime soon. Right now Class 2 1190 would be great. I think I'll be able to squat and dead 500 within a year with regular training and attention to form and gear. Bench seems to always be a crapshoot but again if I can get the arch thing down and bump up my tricept strength 300 is likely, for 1300. If I would guess, I'm around 1100 right now.

Well duh, 9 years is NOT soon. LOL!!! :D :D That squat and deadlift does seem reasonable within a year indeed. Can you guess my total by next September. This should be interesting! :D

[Antaeus]

I'm saying a 700 total for you next year would be good.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
I'm saying a 700 total for you next year would be good.

Then I'd better get that at least! :D

What ratio though?

220/170/310

??????????????????????????

Lol. My next max out in 5 weeks will give me a good estimate as I do NOT plan on injuring myself and messing up again. :D

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Then I'd better get that at least! :D

What ratio though?

220/170/310

??????????????????????????

Lol. My next max out in 5 weeks will give me a good estimate as I do NOT plan on injuring myself and messing up again. :D

Well you can bring your squat up a lot, and you're bench looks great for only 111. Yeah 225/170/310 looks good, but you'll be able to squat 315 before you know it. Have you thought about any competitions??

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Well you can bring your squat up a lot, and you're bench looks great for only 111. Yeah 225/170/310 looks good, but you'll be able to squat 315 before you know it. Have you thought about any competitions??

Naw, no competition though yet. I hope to get a 750 total first, maybe at 130-140 if I'm lucky. I'd like to do a meet when I have reasonable gym numbers, so if I do a meet, I may not mess up too much. Actually, now I weigh 118lbs. :eek: I'm gaining weight fast. I think about a little over a pound a week. Should I slow this down? I don't know what to do.... I was planning on only going to like 130 for a while, and staying there, and hopefully, with all I'm eating now, that would be maintennance. God I hope so. I'm at my heaviest weight ever. In school, I weighed in at like 121 with clothes and a previous 600 calorie meal. Hmm.... When you get weighed in at a meet, how do they do that? Please describe! :)

Right now, I'm at 165/140/245 I WILL get a 185 squat. I'm aiming for a 200 squat though, but its not likely. In 5 weeks, I would like a reasonable

Squat- 185lbs Bench-155lbs. Deadlift- 260lbs.

Total: 610lbs. That would be AWESOME!! A 60lb total increase is a lot though to expect............

[Deciever]

if your gaining weight normally.. keep on gaining.. once i let my body just grow my lifts skyrocketed..
figure this..

before my june contest i was like 139, lifted in 132 and totalled 805 (which iwas happy with)...

now, im 143 and the lifts i did at that contest would be openers for me now.


just gainwieght and enjoy it

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Deciever
if your gaining weight normally.. keep on gaining.. once i let my body just grow my lifts skyrocketed..
figure this..

before my june contest i was like 139, lifted in 132 and totalled 805 (which iwas happy with)...

now, im 143 and the lifts i did at that contest would be openers for me now.


just gainwieght and enjoy it

Holy guacamole! :D Keep at it dude! :) What are you going for? A 900lb total? How's the cold coming along?

[Antaeus]

Yeah healthy just gain as much weight as possible, I'd say. Figure out your weight class(es) later. On weigh-in, you just stand on a scale in your boxers around 10 am or the night before if you can.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Yeah healthy just gain as much weight as possible, I'd say. Figure out your weight class(es) later. On weigh-in, you just stand on a scale in your boxers around 10 am or the night before if you can.

Ok, I got it. Do you want a mod to delete all of these OT posts? These posts are not exactly about YOUR training right? Or is it fine?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Ok, I got it. Do you want a mod to delete all of these OT posts? These posts are not exactly about YOUR training right? Or is it fine?

Nah this stuff isn't OT! I like it!! :D

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Nah this stuff isn't OT! I like it!! :D

LOL!!!!!! :D

[Antaeus]

Low box 8 doubles 175 + 20 lbs of chain.
6" Rack pulls 405 + 20 lbs of chain 3x3.
Shrugs 225 8x3
Lat rows 135x10, 185 8x2.

I love heavy rack pulls! Definately a PR, 425 at the top. :)

[Antaeus]

9 fast triples with 115 + 30 lbs of chain.
Singles
135
185
205
225 felt easy, fast. Took less than a second.
JM Press 95 8x3. Ouch.
6" rack lockouts. 225x5, 275x4x3
Barbell front raises 65x8x3.

Bought another set of chain. Definately slows you down at the top. I considered going higher on the singles, as 225 felt really easy, but didn't want to miss. I have renewed my hatred of JM presses. Hard on wrists, murder on elbows. Rack lockouts felt good, I'm focusing on holding the bar low on the palm so it's centered over the bone for more stability. Makes a huge difference. I feel like I need more weight for front delts so I've started doing barbell raises instead of plate raises.

[Deciever]

Originally posted by Antaeus
9 fast triples with 115 + 30 lbs of chain.
Singles
135
185
205
225 felt easy, fast. Took less than a second.
JM Press 95 8x3. Ouch.
6" rack lockouts. 225x5, 275x4x3
Barbell front raises 65x8x3.

Bought another set of chain. Definately slows you down at the top. I considered going higher on the singles, as 225 felt really easy, but didn't want to miss. I have renewed my hatred of JM presses. Hard on wrists, murder on elbows. Rack lockouts felt good, I'm focusing on holding the bar low on the palm so it's centered over the bone for more stability. Makes a huge difference. I feel like I need more weight for front delts so I've started doing barbell raises instead of plate raises. ]

nice... its odd about the JM Presses.. i get no pain from them, and i've done them with like 85lbs and a mini band (choked) ......... and i go deep with them too, like all the way down.

maybe its one of those exercises where only some people can do it?

[Antaeus]

I stop about 4" from my chest/neck. Yeah they work for some sure, but I also have tendonitis and I really feel it with JMs. Basically any type of heavy extension. So I stick with presses.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
I stop about 4" from my chest/neck. Yeah they work for some sure, but I also have tendonitis and I really feel it with JMs. Basically any type of heavy extension. So I stick with presses.

Antaeus, I'm like you. JMs hurt me like a mother****er! I thought I would try them again and I just hurt my elbows again. Thank god my elbows are like fully better now.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
9 fast triples with 115 + 30 lbs of chain.
Singles
135
185
205
225 felt easy, fast. Took less than a second.
JM Press 95 8x3. Ouch.
6" rack lockouts. 225x5, 275x4x3
Barbell front raises 65x8x3.

Bought another set of chain. Definately slows you down at the top. I considered going higher on the singles, as 225 felt really easy, but didn't want to miss. I have renewed my hatred of JM presses. Hard on wrists, murder on elbows. Rack lockouts felt good, I'm focusing on holding the bar low on the palm so it's centered over the bone for more stability. Makes a huge difference. I feel like I need more weight for front delts so I've started doing barbell raises instead of plate raises.

Nice workout I see! Yes, doing them barbell raises really lets you hit the front delts better because you can use more weight. These rack lockouts were close grip right? I suck at close grip lockouts( 7 inches) ! :p

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Low box 8 doubles 175 + 20 lbs of chain.
6" Rack pulls 405 + 20 lbs of chain 3x3.
Shrugs 225 8x3
Lat rows 135x10, 185 8x2.

I love heavy rack pulls! Definately a PR, 425 at the top. :)

Nice job! How much of a rack pull PR? You beat me so bad! :p

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Antaeus, I'm like you. JMs hurt me like a mother****er! I thought I would try them again and I just hurt my elbows again. Thank god my elbows are like fully better now.

yeah I'm not going to do them anymore. too hard on the elbows. also if you stick to pressing movements it better simulates the actual competition exercise (not that you should discard extensions altogether.

I did the rack lockouts with a medium grip, hands between ring and smooth, as I did them with hands at smooth last time.

My best low rack pull is 425 straight weight.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
yeah I'm not going to do them anymore. too hard on the elbows. also if you stick to pressing movements it better simulates the actual competition exercise (not that you should discard extensions altogether.

I did the rack lockouts with a medium grip, hands between ring and smooth, as I did them with hands at smooth last time.

My best low rack pull is 425 straight weight.

I see. I agree with your decision on JMs. Medium grip is something I've never rack lockouted before. Have you ever done FULL reverse grip bench press? They are real bitches! :D
You've got a huge rack pull. I envy you! :cool: :D

[Antaeus]

Max sumo deadlifts + 30 lbs of chain

115x10
135x8x2
185x5
225x3 added chains, super fast
275
315 good
365 really feel it at the top
385 match straight weight PR, felt great
405!! PR That's 435 at the top!!

What an awesome day. After the 385, I could either go with 395 or take a big jump to 4 wheels. Yes, I listen to my friends at the PL forum and went with the bigger weight!! It broke off the floor fairly easily, but right about the knees I could feel the chain weight almost dragging me down as it got heavier. The lockout was a biatch, but I had smooth bar movement throughout. Took about 5 secs, compared to ~3 secs at 385. I had a few ppl cheering me on, which was great. Things started going a little fuzzy at the top lol; I started seeing white lights flashing from the exertion! Those chains make locking it out unbelievably hard. But all was fine, and I got a 20 lb raw weight PR, plus a 30 lb chain weight PR, which means I held 50 more lbs at the top than I ever have from a pull off the floor!

GHRs 3x8 only need a tiny push now
Weighted ab crunches
One-arm rows
65x12
80x10
95x8

:)

[healthy n_fit]

Damn awesome job! That's a BIG PR! I think I gave you my 20lb PR flu! :D So, when do you think you'll be able to do one Glute/Ham raise unassisted? :D I'm still far away!

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Damn awesome job! That's a BIG PR! I think I gave you my 20lb PR flu! :D So, when do you think you'll be able to do one Glute/Ham raise unassisted? :D I'm still far away!

yeah the cool thing is it was a 20 lb PR on a big 3 lift. :)
I only need a *lil* push for the GHRs, they're coming along just great.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
yeah the cool thing is it was a 20 lb PR on a big 3 lift. :)
I only need a *lil* push for the GHRs, they're coming along just great.

That is cool. I hope my deadlift does the same too! :D Good to hear the GHRs are almost unassisted. :)

[Antaeus]

Floor press + 60 lbs of chain (3 pairs of doubled 1/2 in. chain).

bar x10
bar + chain x8
95x6
135x3
185
205
225 PR
-235
185x3

It is incredibly difficult to stay tight in the bottom with so much chain weight. Your body just wants to relax as the chain unloads. Very difficult exercise form wise. But I locked out 285, and did a triple with 245, my prior max, at the top. Garrett just missed 335 + chains.

CG Rack lockouts.
225x5 easy
275x3
285x3
295x3 PR Most I've ever locked out prior is 295 comp grip for a single. Garrett did 455 and held it for 10 secs.

Side raises.
25x10
30x8
35x8

Chest-supported rows.
90x10
135x8x3

Great workout. Garrett is really helping me out. He knows just what weight to use and how many sets/reps I should do. I think with more shirt training a big jump is possible.

:)

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Floor press + 60 lbs of chain (3 pairs of doubled 1/2 in. chain).

bar x10
bar + chain x8
95x6
135x3
185
205
225 PR
-235
185x3

It is incredibly difficult to stay tight in the bottom with so much chain weight. Your body just wants to relax as the chain unloads. Very difficult exercise form wise. But I locked out 285, and did a triple with 245, my prior max, at the top. Garrett just missed 335 + chains.

CG Rack lockouts.
225x5 easy
275x3
285x3
295x3 PR Most I've ever locked out prior is 295 comp grip for a single. Garrett did 455 and held it for 10 secs.

Side raises.
25x10
30x8
35x8

Chest-supported rows.
90x10
135x8x3

Great workout. Garrett is really helping me out. He knows just what weight to use and how many sets/reps I should do. I think with more shirt training a big jump is possible.

:)

Holy ****!! You beat me up in Floor Presses! :D J/K nice job! You must be happy! But can you explain the body wanting to relax thing? This sounds weird.. :p

That Garret guy is STRONG!!! What's his full bench? Thanks
An-tay-us! Antaeus..... :D Is that from a myth or story?

~~~HF~~~

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Holy ****!! You beat me up in Floor Presses! :D J/K nice job! You must be happy! But can you explain the body wanting to relax thing? This sounds weird.. :p

That Garret guy is STRONG!!! What's his full bench? Thanks
An-tay-us! Antaeus..... :D Is that from a myth or story?

~~~HF~~~

Yeah that felt really good. Floor presses are tough b/c on the one hand the shorter ROM makes them easier, but you have no momentum and it's roughly at a 3 board which is around my sticky point.

Well there's so much chain weight that it feels real heavy at the top -285, then as you decend your body goes "gee it's getting lighter, I don't have to be as rigid anymore." At the bottom 225 felt like it was nothing, so I couldn't stay tight and as a result I missed 235. It's a mental thing. You have to train your body to stay as tight and rigid as possible throughout the lift.

Garrett missed 413 raw at the APF, but last week for ME he benched 475 in an open DD, and it came 2" from touching.

In greek mythology, Antaeus is a massive wrestler who could not be beaten if his feet stayed on the ground. He never lost a match until Hercules lifted him up and thereby defeated him. :)

[Deejay_Spike]

besides muscles, hercules also had brains :D

love the story tho'.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Yeah that felt really good. Floor presses are tough b/c on the one hand the shorter ROM makes them easier, but you have no momentum and it's roughly at a 3 board which is around my sticky point.

Well there's so much chain weight that it feels real heavy at the top -285, then as you decend your body goes "gee it's getting lighter, I don't have to be as rigid anymore." At the bottom 225 felt like it was nothing, so I couldn't stay tight and as a result I missed 235. It's a mental thing. You have to train your body to stay as tight and rigid as possible throughout the lift.

Garrett missed 413 raw at the APF, but last week for ME he benched 475 in an open DD, and it came 2" from touching.

In greek mythology, Antaeus is a massive wrestler who could not be beaten if his feet stayed on the ground. He never lost a match until Hercules lifted him up and thereby defeated him. :)

well good job! Practice the rigidness! :D I KNEW I heard Antaeus before! LOL!! If I ever read the myths in school, and Antaeus suddenly comes up, I'm gonna be thinking "HEY! That's my PL buddy Antaeus!! :D"

LOL!!! :D Sorry this message is a bit late.

[Antaeus]

High box squat with chains.
8x2 225 + 30 lbs of chain. Felt great, weight really moved.

Wide GMs
135x10 warmup. Slight tightness in hips.
225x4 Ouch serious pain in hips. Moved legs in to shoulder width. 2 more reps unbearable pain right in the crease of the hip. Couldn't get halfway to parallel.

Weighted hypers. 4x10 + 25 lbs.

Dumbell shrugs.
65x12
85x10
95x8
100x8

Big pain-in-the-ass workout. box squats felt great, followed by searing pain in the hips. Shrugs were easy, but overall workout felt like it sucked.

[Antaeus]

9x3 fast triples 115 + 30 lbs of chain. Starting with a CG makes the comp grip feel really fast at the end as the ROM shortens up.

Incline barbell extensions.
barx10
95x10
105x2x8 The only exercise that doesn't aggravate my elbow. Kind of like an upright JM press. It's easy to turn this into a press, so you really have to focus on the eccentric to keep it an extension.

Lat rows.
135x10
185x3x8

CG Bench
135x8x4. I needed a little more tricept volume. Nice and fast. I concentrated on keeping nice and tight, and holding my breath from liftoff throughout the set. Toby showed up to use the safety squat bar, he did 5 plates for 5 doubles.

[Deciever]

looks good.. when is your next meet?

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
9x3 fast triples 115 + 30 lbs of chain. Starting with a CG makes the comp grip feel really fast at the end as the ROM shortens up.

Incline barbell extensions.
barx10
95x10
105x2x8 The only exercise that doesn't aggravate my elbow. Kind of like an upright JM press. It's easy to turn this into a press, so you really have to focus on the eccentric to keep it an extension.

Lat rows.
135x10
185x3x8

CG Bench
135x8x4. I needed a little more tricept volume. Nice and fast. I concentrated on keeping nice and tight, and holding my breath from liftoff throughout the set. Toby showed up to use the safety squat bar, he did 5 plates for 5 doubles.

Nice weights! That's a good speed bench plan you got there! :) the incline barbell extensions are intriguing. I may try them. looks good! and was Toby doing speed sets?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
looks good.. when is your next meet?

Well I'd like to do the APA one Jan 11, but Hayward and Frank are lifting in the USAPL on Dec 28th so I'll probably stick to that. $40 vs. $100, I could buy a new squat suit with that. :(

I'll probably skip the APF Ironman Dec 7th.

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Nice weights! That's a good speed bench plan you got there! :) the incline barbell extensions are intriguing. I may try them. looks good! and was Toby doing speed sets?

I really want to up the speed bench weight with bands, gotta order them. Toby was actually doing ME double sets. Have you seen an SS bar?? It's really funky looking. Basically it rides really high from the padding and puts a lot more weight forward so you have to use your quads more.

[Antaeus]

I'm actually feeling a little beat up these days. Too many heavy singles on ME days. I want to start doing a wave of 5,4,3RMs. Yeah I've hit 20 lb PRs almost every ME day for the past month, but it's starting to take a toll on my body. Time to switch up for rep PRs. Then I can come back and keep nailing those max PRs ;)

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
I'm actually feeling a little beat up these days. Too many heavy singles on ME days. I want to start doing a wave of 5,4,3RMs. Yeah I've hit 20 lb PRs almost every ME day for the past month, but it's starting to take a toll on my body. Time to switch up for rep PRs. Then I can come back and keep nailing those max PRs ;)

The reason you're getting the 20lb PRs is because of ME of course! :D :p

You know, you may want to try 20 rep dumbell presses. That's what the westside guys do once in a while. AND you could do your plan too. ;)

KEEP IT UP!!!!! :)

[Antaeus]

Day off. Feeling beat up, "hip pointer" is frustrating. Thought I'd stay away from the weights alltogether. Don't want to aggravate my hip flexor strain doing farmer's walk or anything. :( Training ME bench tomorrow morning, maybe do another floor press.

[Deciever]

good idea taking off.. next week i cant do anything heavy :( talk about sucky.

how bad is the strain in yopur hip flexor?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
good idea taking off.. next week i cant do anything heavy :( talk about sucky.

how bad is the strain in yopur hip flexor?

yeah it sux missing a workout but I feel kinda run down so I think it's for the better.

strain isn't too bad, but it hurts to bend over (GM) or walk with a long stride. it's kinda like a pinch in the hip crease. I really waxed it with sumos and I'm not that flexible. :rolleyes:
hopefully it'll be ok by Fri - next DE squat day.

Interestingly, Toby says he gets the same strain from benching. Leg drive + arch can strain the flexors too, so I need to be careful about that as well.

[healthy n_fit]

Ok, that's it. Someone has to come out and say this. WHY THE FUK HAVE ALL THREE OF US(who happen to have ME Squat on Monday) GOT INJURED AND SICK RECENTLY!?!?!?!?!? Especially Antaeus, since he's got a leg area problem like me.

I just want to know WHY!!?!?

And BTW, that sucks. Get better soon! I can already walk without pain, but JOGGING I can do for a short distance with some pain.

[Antaeus]

6RM Ultra-Wides - hands outside of rings.

warmups
185x6
195x6
200x6 PR Felt great

CG Rack Lockouts 275x3x2

Rolling Dumbell Extensions x1 Elbow screamed

Bent-over Raises 25x10x3

Standing abs 100x10x3

Dips 10x3

Decline crunches 8x2

Ultra-wides are real tough, as my comp grip is usually pinky on rings. They make it super hard to get off the chest, as lats are only minimally recruited and bar position is much higher on the chest. Interestingly, my bench seems to have reversed its motion. Previously I would stall 4-5" up, whereas now if I can get the bar up that far the lockout is no problem. The bar actually accelerates AFTER the sticky point. It's the first few inches off the chest that are a real biatch. So it looks like I'm in line with shirt training, and tricept strength is progressing nicely. Garrett just missed a 320 6RM PR. Still can't do any extensions. Might leave off the lockouts for a month or two, as I think my body is adapting to the movement. :)

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
6RM Ultra-Wides - hands outside of rings.

warmups
185x6
195x6
200x6 PR Felt great

CG Rack Lockouts 275x3x2

Rolling Dumbell Extensions x1 Elbow screamed

Bent-over Raises 25x10x3

Standing abs 100x10x3

Dips 10x3

Decline crunches 8x2

Ultra-wides are real tough, as my comp grip is usually pinky on rings. They make it super hard to get off the chest, as lats are only minimally recruited and bar position is much higher on the chest. Interestingly, my bench seems to have reversed its motion. Previously I would stall 4-5" up, whereas now if I can get the bar up that far the lockout is no problem. The bar actually accelerates AFTER the sticky point. It's the first few inches off the chest that are a real biatch. So it looks like I'm in line with shirt training, and tricept strength is progressing nicely. Garrett just missed a 320 6RM PR. Still can't do any extensions. Might leave off the lockouts for a month or two, as I think my body is adapting to the movement. :)

That's the way you do it! uh huh uh huh! :D
Nice PR on Ultra Wides! That's a weird mechanical change that occured! BTW, why'd you do 6 exercises(assuming extensions didn't count)? Isn't six okay only for DE? I thought ME was preferably 4-5 exercises? Was this your first time with ultra wides? If not, then how much of a PR did you make? Did you struggle the last rep?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
That's the way you do it! uh huh uh huh! :D
Nice PR on Ultra Wides! That's a weird mechanical change that occured! BTW, why'd you do 6 exercises(assuming extensions didn't count)? Isn't six okay only for DE? I thought ME was preferably 4-5 exercises? Was this your first time with ultra wides? If not, then how much of a PR did you make? Did you struggle the last rep?

btw - to save space, just quote my workout if you have a specific question. I felt like I needed a little extra ab work, so I threw in some crunches, and I'm still training the crap out of my tris so I thought the dips would be good, especially after ultra-wides. No previous PR on these, and it was a little struggle the whole way, what with the unfamiliar movement (very awkward). But no, not close to failing really on the last rep (s). Garrett said I had 210x6 in me.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
btw - to save space, just quote my workout if you have a specific question. I felt like I needed a little extra ab work, so I threw in some crunches, and I'm still training the crap out of my tris so I thought the dips would be good, especially after ultra-wides. No previous PR on these, and it was a little struggle the whole way, what with the unfamiliar movement (very awkward). But no, not close to failing really on the last rep (s). Garrett said I had 210x6 in me.

ok, I understand. I bet you did have that 210 x6 in you. Attempting that next time you go for it?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
ok, I understand. I bet you did have that 210 x6 in you. Attempting that next time you go for it?

yup. :)

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
yup. :)

Good luck! :)

[Antaeus]

Set up the squat racks for Garrett's Circa-Max week 2. 335 plus choked blues and greens. 695 at the top. He did 5 sets of two, very tough. Bar speed was medium.

First time using bands for me!
Choked light bands (pinks) +40 bottom +90 top, off an exactly parallel box.

bar x8
95 x5
135x3
155x2
175x2
185x2x8

This box felt great, I think it's overkill to use the 2-3" below // box I've previously been using. Band are awesome!! Feels much more natural, as they mimic a true muscular movement. All that stretch energy gets stored in your legs, so you really explode off the box. I ended up doing a lot of sets to get the feel of the bands but it was worth it. Focused on sitting back easy, as the bands have a tendancy to accelerate you downwards so you "plop" on the box, which is bad for the spine of course. My bar speed was super fast!! I'll do a wave over the next few weeks, 195, 205, then a slight deload.

GHRs on a glute/ham bench!! 8x3 unassisted!!! Yep I knew my hams were coming along. Still hurt, but the slight dip at the knee afforded by the bench makes it so much easier than fixed-knee to floor.

Standing abs 10x4 40 lbs. Focused on pushing out my abs.

Band GMs. Step on one end, other around neck, stand up.
Strong band for me, 12 and then 20 reps (wasn't sure how many to do the first set). Garrett used the monster band! ouch.

Great workout. I want to switch over to bands, gotta order a set of minis and lights.

Oh btw I found 1/2" chain for $3/ft, and 5/8ths for $5 a foot so we're probably going to buy a few sets soon! This is like half price. :)

Heh don't want to get my hopes up but Garrett thinks 500/300/500 is just around the corner for me. He says to set my sights higher on a 600 squat! Cool stuff.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Set up the squat racks for Garrett's Circa-Max week 2. 335 plus choked blues and greens. 695 at the top. He did 5 sets of two, very tough. Bar speed was medium.

First time using bands for me!
Choked light bands (pinks) +40 bottom +90 top, off an exactly parallel box.

bar x8
95 x5
135x3
155x2
175x2
185x2x8

This box felt great, I think it's overkill to use the 2-3" below // box I've previously been using. Band are awesome!! Feels much more natural, as they mimic a true muscular movement. All that stretch energy gets stored in your legs, so you really explode off the box. I ended up doing a lot of sets to get the feel of the bands but it was worth it. Focused on sitting back easy, as the bands have a tendancy to accelerate you downwards so you "plop" on the box, which is bad for the spine of course. My bar speed was super fast!! I'll do a wave over the next few weeks, 195, 205, then a slight deload.

GHRs on a glute/ham bench!! 8x3 unassisted!!! Yep I knew my hams were coming along. Still hurt, but the slight dip at the knee afforded by the bench makes it so much easier than fixed-knee to floor.

Standing abs 10x4 40 lbs. Focused on pushing out my abs.

Band GMs. Step on one end, other around neck, stand up.
Strong band for me, 12 and then 20 reps (wasn't sure how many to do the first set). Garrett used the monster band! ouch.

Great workout. I want to switch over to bands, gotta order a set of minis and lights.

Oh btw I found 1/2" chain for $3/ft, and 5/8ths for $5 a foot so we're probably going to buy a few sets soon! This is like half price. :)

Heh don't want to get my hopes up but Garrett thinks 500/300/500 is just around the corner for me. He says to set my sights higher on a 600 squat! Cool stuff.

Nice workout! You rep my max box squat for DE. :(
My squat is pathetically weak. That 500/300/500 is very reasonable. how long do you think it'll take you? How big was this "monster band' and how much force was at the bottom and top? How much easier was it on the GHR bench? And another thing. What is Circa-Max? Good job buddy. :)

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Nice workout! You rep my max box squat for DE. :(
My squat is pathetically weak. That 500/300/500 is very reasonable. how long do you think it'll take you? How big was this "monster band' and how much force was at the bottom and top? How much easier was it on the GHR bench? And another thing. What is Circa-Max? Good job buddy. :)

hee hee the DE was actually 275 at the top. Don't worry, your squat will come up. I'm looking at 415/275/415 late Dec., so around March I want to be close to 500/300/500 with the band training. The monster band is just that: huge! It's black, and has the same strength as a blue (heavy) and green (average) combined: about 360 lbs top and 200 lbs bottom per pair.

The GHR bench wasn't easy, but far easier than fixed knee!

Circa-max is a pre-contest training wave, in which you increase band tension so that it's near your max at the top while waving something like 50, 55, 60, 45% raw weight, the last one being a deload. Garrett's doing 315, 335, 355, 295 with the bands, ~700 at the top.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
hee hee the DE was actually 275 at the top. Don't worry, your squat will come up. I'm looking at 415/275/415 late Dec., so around March I want to be close to 500/300/500 with the band training. The monster band is just that: huge! It's black, and has the same strength as a blue (heavy) and green (average) combined: about 360 lbs top and 200 lbs bottom per pair.

The GHR bench wasn't easy, but far easier than fixed knee!

Circa-max is a pre-contest training wave, in which you increase band tension so that it's near your max at the top while waving something like 50, 55, 60, 45% raw weight, the last one being a deload. Garrett's doing 315, 335, 355, 295 with the bands, ~700 at the top.

Oh, ok. I understand all of that now! Yeah, I forgot the weight at the top. That monster band must be a sight! You will get that 415/275/415. In fact, you'll get even more than that by late December. I got a feeling you will. Thanks for the info! :)

[Antaeus]

Extra Workout.

Farmer's walk. 55 lb dumbells, 2x around gym (1 time = 100 ft). Then one time around, rest 2 min, another trip.

First time I've tried these. Trains stamina, static contractile strength. I thought I had picked a *moderate* weight, but man it felt like my arms were going to fall off! Didn't feel that tough on the legs, but traps, shoulders and arms were screaming. I guess carrying around 110 lbs total is a lot, but I thought I could do more. Stamina lacking.

Plyometrics. Box Jumps to a medium box, didn't measure but about 2.5 feet tall. 4x10 jumps. Really concentrated on pulling my knees up and exploding off the floor. Jumped fairly high off the box, too. Felt great, quads sore all Sunday. Brent Mikesell uses these; thought I'd give it a shot. Idea is to reach maximal force production in the shortest amount of time.

Rotator cuff work - preventative exercises.
Standing bent-arm rotator raise. 3x8 each arm, 5-10 lbs.
Standing thumbs-down straight-arm raise. 3x8, 5-10 lbs.
Lying bent-arm rotator raise. 3x8 5 lbs.

I'd like to have a long and productive benching career, so healthy rotators is an intrical part of that. Many rotator injuries are a result of muscular imbalance - ie your delts are too strong for the internal support musculature. Actually felt a little sore afterwards, waking up muscles I've never specifically worked before.

[Antaeus]

2nd week of DE wave.
125 + 30 lbs of chain, 9 fast triples. Wide-grip really flew.

4 boards + chain.
185x3
225x3x3 Last set was a biatch, failed on 2nd rep. My previous rack lockouts were done at about a 5 board 275-295 raw weight, so it's good I'm going a little lower in the ROM; I hope to pick up a lot of weight here.

Incline dumbell extensions.
15x10
20x10
25x10
30x10

First time I've done these. Paused the dumbell for a split second on the front delt, and then exploded up. 30s felt really fast, I'll go up for sure next week. Yay another exercise that doesn't hurt my elbow!

Lat bar rows.
95x10
185x8x3 Getting stronger at these. I want 2 plates!

Standing abs. 65x10x4. Ouch. Pushing out your stomach makes a huge difference.

Good workout, everything felt really fast. Trained 2 friends of mine from the gym who are used to BBing. They found out what strength training is all about!! Toby showed up too, had a good talk with him. After some safety squat bar box work he rack pulled 495 for 6 or 7 singles, resting 1.5 min. Then yanked a huge 675 like it was nothing. He's got the WABDL Worlds in 2 wks.

[Deciever]

good workout.... whats the rest of your de wave look like?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
good workout.... whats the rest of your de wave look like?

115 + chains
125 + chains <-- Yesterday
135 + chains
125 + chains, slight deload, heavy singles

start circa-max for Dec. meet., then week off/light wk, then compete!

What do you think of the plyometric exercises??

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
2nd week of DE wave.
125 + 30 lbs of chain, 9 fast triples. Wide-grip really flew.

4 boards + chain.
185x3
225x3x3 Last set was a biatch, failed on 2nd rep. My previous rack lockouts were done at about a 5 board 275-295 raw weight, so it's good I'm going a little lower in the ROM; I hope to pick up a lot of weight here.

Incline dumbell extensions.
15x10
20x10
25x10
30x10

First time I've done these. Paused the dumbell for a split second on the front delt, and then exploded up. 30s felt really fast, I'll go up for sure next week. Yay another exercise that doesn't hurt my elbow!

Lat bar rows.
95x10
185x8x3 Getting stronger at these. I want 2 plates!

Standing abs. 65x10x4. Ouch. Pushing out your stomach makes a huge difference.

Good workout, everything felt really fast. Trained 2 friends of mine from the gym who are used to BBing. They found out what strength training is all about!! Toby showed up too, had a good talk with him. After some safety squat bar box work he rack pulled 495 for 6 or 7 singles, resting 1.5 min. Then yanked a huge 675 like it was nothing. He's got the WABDL Worlds in 2 wks.

Nice job dude!!! The lat rows will be 2 plates soon. Only 40 pounds to go! Are incline dumbell extensions harder, easier, or W/E compared to flat dumbell extensions? Variation is always good. I'm gonna try them too sometime! That Toby Guy is really strong! What's he going for in the WABDL? Is it a bench/deadlift only meet? Nice job!

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Nice job dude!!! The lat rows will be 2 plates soon. Only 40 pounds to go! Are incline dumbell extensions harder, easier, or W/E compared to flat dumbell extensions? Variation is always good. I'm gonna try them too sometime! That Toby Guy is really strong! What's he going for in the WABDL? Is it a bench/deadlift only meet? Nice job!

Thx bro.
They're less stress on my elbow. So easier in that respect.
Toby will go for 550/775 at the push pull meet.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Thx bro.
They're less stress on my elbow. So easier in that respect.
Toby will go for 550/775 at the push pull meet.

WOW!!! Does this guy have a 2000 total in full power? That guy is STRONG!!!!! I'm gonna try those incline extensions. Thanks for the idea! :)

[Deciever]

PLYOS are always a good idea.. just dont over do them.

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
WOW!!! Does this guy have a 2000 total in full power? That guy is STRONG!!!!! I'm gonna try those incline extensions. Thanks for the idea! :)

yup he shot for 2000 at APF but got screwed by the judge and bombed. turns out open backed DD's are ok. 750/550/750

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
PLYOS are always a good idea.. just dont over do them.

do you think box jumping once a week is ok? I want to have some extra workouts for GPP, plyo, preventative maintenance (rotators) and active recovery (AR).

edit - basically I'm feeling stronger but still out of shape. I need to improve my stamina.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
yup he shot for 2000 at APF but got screwed by the judge and bombed. turns out open backed DD's are ok. 750/550/750

Awesome!!! Is your friend in any magazines?

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
do you think box jumping once a week is ok? I want to have some extra workouts for GPP, plyo, preventative maintenance (rotators) and active recovery (AR).

edit - basically I'm feeling stronger but still out of shape. I need to improve my stamina.

Yeah me too. I've got to find something to do! :D

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Awesome!!! Is your friend in any magazines?

Not yet, but he's only a Junior. :)

[Antaeus]

Box squat max, 1" below parallel.

bar x10
95x10
135x8
185x3
225 then put on suit bottoms.
275 couldn't get on box! felt lighter than 225
315 easy
365 PR fairly tough, had problems sitting back
-385 terrible set-up, leaned forward and didn't sit back enough
315 tried a double, but again leaned forward and the pins took it on the second rep.

Well that kinda sucked. I was hoping for at least 385. The suit gave me some support in the hams, but I could feel it slipping without the straps up. So no ass support, basically, which made me lean forward. With straps up I'm nailing 405 on the low box. In hindsight I probably should've gone full equipment, as my next meet isn't for 8 weeks. I need to train more in the suit, Garrett says it's a good idea even for DE.

SLDLs
135x8
225x8
275x8x3 A good hamstring thrashing.

Front dumbell raises. 25x10x4

Pull-Throughs.
40x10
80x8
100x8
120x8

First time I've tried these. Interesting. I don't know how heavy you can go on these b/c I feel like I'm going to fall backwards! Overall, not a bad day, definately strained (my back hurts like @#$!) and I killed my ham/glutes. :) Now for a much-needed day off following 4 straight days of training!

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Box squat max, 1" below parallel.

bar x10
95x10
135x8
185x3
225 then put on suit bottoms.
275 couldn't get on box! felt lighter than 225
315 easy
365 PR fairly tough, had problems sitting back
-385 terrible set-up, leaned forward and didn't sit back enough
315 tried a double, but again leaned forward and the pins took it on the second rep.

Well that kinda sucked. I was hoping for at least 385. The suit gave me some support in the hams, but I could feel it slipping without the straps up. So no ass support, basically, which made me lean forward. With straps up I'm nailing 405 on the low box. In hindsight I probably should've gone full equipment, as my next meet isn't for 8 weeks. I need to train more in the suit, Garrett says it's a good idea even for DE.

SLDLs
135x8
225x8
275x8x3 A good hamstring thrashing.

Front dumbell raises. 25x10x4

Pull-Throughs.
40x10
80x8
100x8
120x8

First time I've tried these. Interesting. I don't know how heavy you can go on these b/c I feel like I'm going to fall backwards! Overall, not a bad day, definately strained (my back hurts like @#$!) and I killed my ham/glutes. :) Now for a much-needed day off following 4 straight days of training!

Nice job dude! Is 1" below parallel your weak point? Don't worry about not getting 385. I can bet you that the next time or the time after next time you'll get it, little doubt. That sucks what what happened though, referring to leaning forward. So, diud you fell it didn't really help much, but only hindered you? Nice deal on the stiff leg deadlifts! I'm gonna try 200x8 or 210x8, if its possible. Last time I got 190x8. Hahahah. Out of nowhere, I see dumbell raises. That's hilarious! :D But, yeah, shoulders can be done on ME Squat. Good job on starting pull throughs! These are killers! I used to get pulled back with 90lbs, but now 150 can't,well, it can, but I resist! :D Your pull through will be 220 soon. Remember, RESIST the back pull, and get into position as fast as you can, so you don't get puilled back. Good luck with them! :)

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Nice job dude! Is 1" below parallel your weak point? Don't worry about not getting 385. I can bet you that the next time or the time after next time you'll get it, little doubt. That sucks what what happened though, referring to leaning forward. So, diud you fell it didn't really help much, but only hindered you? Nice deal on the stiff leg deadlifts! I'm gonna try 200x8 or 210x8, if its possible. Last time I got 190x8. Hahahah. Out of nowhere, I see dumbell raises. That's hilarious! :D But, yeah, shoulders can be done on ME Squat. Good job on starting pull throughs! These are killers! I used to get pulled back with 90lbs, but now 150 can't,well, it can, but I resist! :D Your pull through will be 220 soon. Remember, RESIST the back pull, and get into position as fast as you can, so you don't get puilled back. Good luck with them! :)

Well no it's just good to squat a little below parallel. then you won't have depth problems in competition (theoretically). Yeah I trained lats hard on Sun so I had to do shoulders yesterday.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Well no it's just good to squat a little below parallel. then you won't have depth problems in competition (theoretically). Yeah I trained lats hard on Sun so I had to do shoulders yesterday.

Ok, sounds all good then. Keep it up!

[Deciever]

i watched the westside squatting secrets video today and i am totalling revampling my form after this meet.. just thoght i'd share.

keep up the good work. a missed lift only gives your more drive for next week.

[Antaeus]

3 board press with doubled minis under 2 dumbells = +100 lbs

bar x8x2
95x3x2
135x3
165
185 tough
190 blew up
205 PR gutted it out
-215

First time benching with bands. Very wobbly at first; they're definately going to build those stabilizer muscles! They probably around 60 lbs at the bottom. Found it hard to stay tight again with so much added pressure, but 305 at the top is an all-time most weight pressed record. 315 at the top is the most I've ever held. No handoff, as Garrett had to hold the boards (Hayward's joining us Fri). If I would've had a handoff I think I could've got the last one. Just pressing it out of the rack was a chore! Garrett did 370 so 470 at the top for him.

5 Boards plus bands (same)
-185 just stapled, very tired from ME exercise.
135x5x3 good stuff

Incline bar extensions
bar x10
95x10x4 tris thoroughly killed now

Chest-supported rows
2 plates x8
3 plates x8x2
3 plates +10 x6x2

Seated abs w/ strap 40x10x3

Can you say tough workout?! Tris, lats, abs screaming. The bands are great. They have such a radical resistance curve that you really have to build great acceleration off the bottom or you just get stapled. It's an interesting feeling to have them pulling down on you, and not just holding gravity weight. :)

[Antaeus]

2nd week of wave. 195 + light bands (+100 lbs).
8 box doubles. Found it hard to set up, hunching over too much, forgetting to push knees out. Leaning forward, not sitting back enough. Form is ****ed, hard to adjust to the bands. Funny thing is the weight felt light. Tore open the web of my thumb on the squat stands. Terrible day, Garrett missed his 3rd wave sets, ~715 at the top, Frank missed a 575 pin press for ME.

GHRs 4x10 on bench

Bar GMs 2x10 for light recovery

Decline crunches 3 sets.

****ty day, ****ty weather. You can't have a great workout every time.

[Deciever]

better luck next time

[Deejay_Spike]

yeah, you'll do better next time :D

[Antaeus]

3rd week of wave.
135 + 30 lbs of chain, 9 fast triples. Little slower but still under 3 seconds. With the heavier DE weight I found it harder to keep elbows tucked, form was a little ****ty. Compensated by pushing towards feet, that helps a lot.

Weighted dips.
+25 x5
+35 x5
+45 x5
+55 x5

Love these! Felt thrashed afterwards. Previous best (when I did these regularly) is +75 x3 so not too far off. Inner chest still hurts like hell. I can remember back to when I couldn't do one dip! That was like 3 yrs ago lol. Goal is still 2 plates (+90) for 3.

Incline dumbell extensions.
25 x10
30 x8
35 x8x2 Nice and xplosive, no serious elbow pain.

Lat pulldowns with v-bar.
50 x10
100x8
140x8
160x8
170x8 I have to almost throw myself down and wrap my legs around the seat. I need to find a pulldown machine with a seatbelt lol.

Good workout. Only had 4 ppl ask me what the chains are for. :rolleyes:

[Seanner]

heh always good to be strong enough to lift yourself off a machine

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Seanner
heh always good to be strong enough to lift yourself off a machine

yeah, it's kinda silly that the stack goes to 250ish but no seatbelt. what only 300 lb dudes are going to use it?? lol

I might just start using the v-bar looped over a high power rack pin and do weighted pullups. same movement, I suppose. :)

[Deciever]

very nice.. i always get pulled up by the lat pull down. it sucks...

here's a crazy idea.. try lat pull downs with chains.. easier at the top harder at the bottom since the chains get deloaded... hmm

[Antaeus]

5 RM Wide GMs to parallel.
135x8x2
185x8
225x3
275x5
295x5
315x5 PR Felt good, definately strained.

SLDLs
225x8
275x8
295x6
315x5 Yowza.

Bar Shrugs
275x8x3 Fully monopolized the only power cage. Not like anyone else was using it. :rolleyes:

Ab Side Bends
55x8
70x8
80x8

Good workout, didn't feel any hip strain. :)

[Antaeus]

A mere 11 hours later! lol

Reverse Blue Band Press
Took about 185 to keep it down.
185x8, 185x3
225x5
275x3
315
-365 failed at about a 3 board
-365 arrgghh
365 PR Yayyy!
-370

Lots of straining today. These basically teach explosiveness off the bottom, b/c you have to use the bands to carry you through lockout otherwise you fail halfway up. Garrett close-gripped a huge 470 and Hayward got 405 after getting stapled with 455 and missing 420 twice. Garrett and I are very consistently 100 lbs off in our MEs, which is good. Means both of us are gaining nicely.

CG 5-Board Press with doubled minis (+100 lbs)
155x5x3 20 more lbs than last week. This really shows how my tris are lacking. Garrett did 370x5 and Hayward 315 for a single (275ish x5).

Incline Bar extensions -edit: Garrett's calling these Incline JM Presses.
100x8, 100x10x2 5 more lbs than last week.

Chest-supported rows
145x8, 145x6x2

seated incline abs w/ strap.
50x8x3 10 lbs over last week.

Great workout. Went quickly w/ 3 ppl rotating. :D

[Deciever]

great! i love reverse band presses.. really teach you how you need to continually push throug hthe entire movement when your wearing a bench shirt.. i may do these again, maybe shoot for 225 or something.

You've been doing alot of band work... do you feel its beating up your body

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
great! i love reverse band presses.. really teach you how you need to continually push throug hthe entire movement when your wearing a bench shirt.. i may do these again, maybe shoot for 225 or something.

You've been doing alot of band work... do you feel its beating up your body

yeah you just die half way if you relax at the bottom, and don't have good speed. It was a little freaky holding 365, felt like a ton. Hayward was bouncing a lot, I think that's cheating a little bit b/c the bounce gives you even more pop with the bands. Funny how w/ the chains you can feel the constant increase, but with (reverse) bands it's like they just let go at about a three board - you really need speed and a strong lockout.

Which bands do you use for these? average?

Well this is my first training cycle with bands so no I feel ok with them. But yeah overall I feel a little beat up. I'll probably take some time off after Dec. The band presses are incredibly taxing. I want to do some GMs with bands, DLs with bands AND reverse bands, and use bands for DE bench. I think it's ok if I'm switching it up a lot, and Frank & Garrett swear by bands. Frank says chains do nothing for him.

[Deciever]

i use the light bands which take off like 45 -55 at the bottom :)

[Antaeus]

Heavy blues take off at least 185-200 off the bottom. Nuthin' at top. So for me say 165 to 365 throughout the ROM was a biatch!! :D

[musmar]

Bump, wow!

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by musmar
Bump, wow!

Thx!

:D

[Antaeus]

3rd week of wave. 205 + light bands (100 lbs) for 8 fast doubles.
Felt a little slow, but weight didn't feel heavy at all. Worked mainly on form. Frank actually moved my stance *in* a little. Going really wide wasn't letting me push my knees out enough, which is more important. Next week dropping down to 185 to get speed back. Garrett did 315 +medium bands (about 450) 6x2 reps.

GHRs
x10
x8x3 + light band around neck, unassisted. ouch.

Standing abs w/ strap.
40 x10
50 x8x3

Fini.

Frank did a little benching before heading up to the WABDL Worlds in Reno, NV. 615 reverse band 3 board!! He gave 655 a ride but the whippy bar killed all the momentum. Very impressive.
Borrowed medium bands for Monday's ME: reverse band DLs. Gonna wear my Z for the 1st time deading, too. :)

[Deciever]

nice workout

do you pull sumo or conv???

[Antaeus]

sumo. the bands will knock off ~100 lbs at the bottom. again it's all about early acceleration, 'cause the bands will be loose at lockout. :D

[Deciever]

Originally posted by Antaeus
sumo. the bands will knock off ~100 lbs at the bottom. again it's all about early acceleration, 'cause the bands will be loose at lockout. :D

i know.. i've done em before.. gotta love em..

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
i know.. i've done em before.. gotta love em..

what's your PR? with what band? and how does that compare with your reg. DL? Garrett says I should be within 20 lbs of my meet DL with this exercise...

[Deciever]

i got 405 w/ the light bands, pulling conventional. It took about 90 off at the bottom. I was strong off the floor, so it just locked it self out almost...

my best conventional pull was 360, stalling at lockout on anything heavier....

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
i got 405 w/ the light bands, pulling conventional. It took about 90 off at the bottom. I was strong off the floor, so it just locked it self out almost...

my best conventional pull was 360, stalling at lockout on anything heavier....

hmm maybe I'll get more from the mediums, like 120-150ish...

actually I'm pretty stoked about Mon. I've never had grip or lockout probs so I'm interested to see how it goes...

ps Garrett says I should move into the 198s NOW. He wants me to gain as much weight as possible, wt classes be damned. He says at 6' I should shoot for 242!!! Christ...

[Deciever]

Originally posted by Antaeus
hmm maybe I'll get more from the mediums, like 120-150ish...

actually I'm pretty stoked about Mon. I've never had grip or lockout probs so I'm interested to see how it goes...

ps Garrett says I should move into the 198s NOW. He wants me to gain as much weight as possible, wt classes be damned. He says at 6' I should shoot for 242!!! Christ...

haha, yeah, gain some weight man. go super heavy weights... watch out garry frank..

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
haha, yeah, gain some weight man. go super heavy weights... watch out garry frank..

I think I've been too concerned about my #s in the 181s. Trouble is the 198s are full of 500 benchers :(

[Antaeus]

Lugged around a large bag full of irons for an average of 200 yds, 18 times. This included a 3,5,7,9 iron, pitching wedge, putter, & 6-pac of beer. Many obstacles, including sand traps and inclines. This took roughly 3 hours, and was most enjoyable.

;)

[Seanner]

lol surely the sand traps weren't actually in YOUR way... ;)

so what did you shoot?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Seanner
lol surely the sand traps weren't actually in YOUR way... ;)

so what did you shoot?

lol, I had several pars, and a couple birdie opportunities but 2 putted :( Yeah I stayed out of the traps this time! Shot of the day: Thwacked the top of a large tree to the left of the green, it riccoched LEFT, hit an embankment and tumbled down it through weeds and bushes, and popped out onto the green! Par. :D

[Antaeus]

Reverse band deads w/ greens (medium). Hung 5'6" from pins, so that they deduct 90 lbs from the bottom and hang loose at the top, leaving you holding the raw wt.

135x8x2 very springy, odd sensation
185x5
225x3
275
315
365
405
455 fast
495 PR!!

455 was a joke it was so quick. Right around mid-thigh the weight starts to feel very heavy, and utilizing the added acceleration from the bands is the key to carrying you through lockout. I brought my suit but had to wait a half-hour (no lie!) to use the sole power rack. These idiots were doing leg raises (bent-knee), and then 3 guys were waiting to do squats. So basically I didn't have time to put on my suit, and the bar had no knurling to speak of (worn smooth). But hey I got 5 plates! Even though it was 405 at the bottom, the weight just popped right up, very quick, slowed drastically at lockout but I got it smoothly. Hip started bothering me a little so I called it a day.

Weighted hyperextensions +25 lbs 8x3

Standing abs 40 lbs x10, 80 x8x2

Green band GMs 20x2

:D

[Antaeus]

Oh yeah I weighed myself at the gym, too: 189!!! Not sure if I can make the 181s after the holidays. :o

I think I'm just going to eat everything in sight during Dec. and move up to the 198s. :)

[Antaeus]

Floor Press
bar x10
95x8
135x5
185
225
245
-255 relaxed in bottom
255 PR
-260

Garrett PR'd 375.

5 Boards w/ doubled minis (+100 lbs)
135x5x3 Definately going up next week.

Incline Dumbell extensions.
30x8, 35x8, 40x8

Chest-supported rows 3 plates x8x3.

[ballast]

Nice work on the floor presses.Congratulations on the pr!

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by ballast
Nice work on the floor presses.Congratulations on the pr!

thx dude. Previous PRs on this are 225 + 50 lbs of chain. This exercise is super tough off the bottom b/c of lack of leg drive, so I'm real happy with 255 (not content, just happy!). What is your PR for floors?

[ballast]

I just started doing floor presses, and Monday's session is my current max which is 230.I feel this will be a very productive lift for me where increasing my max bench press is concerned.The starting point of the floor press is the exact spot where my sticking point is in the bench press.We'll see how it goes.Again, good job.

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by ballast
I just started doing floor presses, and Monday's session is my current max which is 230.

nice - that was roughly my raw wt max last month, so yeah your PR will go up quickly. The biggest thing w/ floors is learning to stay tight throughout the movement. When your tris hit the floor you have a tendancy to relax - gotta find a medium between a good descent, slight pause, explode up. I really feel floors in my chest, and of course tris. bump on that weak off the chest part too!!!

[Antaeus]

4th week of wave - deload to regain speed.
Fast 14" box doubles with choked light bands (+100 lbs).
bar x10x2
95x8
135x5
185x2x9 felt good, but not quite as fast as I want.

Band Speed Deadlifts with doubled, choked blues (+200 lbs)
135x5
225 for 6 singles, resting 30 secs. Really need to concentrate on speed off the platform or 425 at the top just nails you.

GHRs on bench with light band.
4x10 unassisted. ouch.

Seated cable abs w/ strap.
40x10, 50x10x3

Ugh. Going to puke now.

[healthy n_fit]

Good job Antaeus! You can finally do Glute/Hams unassisted eh? :D You were locking out 425 on those speed deadlifts? Wow....was tjhe speed fast? Keep going! :)

[Antaeus]

not only unassisted, but with a light band wrapped around the bottom support and my neck. :D it's on a GHR bench too, which is waaaay easier than fixed knee.

yeah those speed deads were real tough. my back is killing me. they were like lightning fast. probably 1/4 of a second or so. you have to be fast off the floor or the bands just stop you dead (ha). it's weird, the band tension tries to rip the bar out of your hand, tough to hold on at the top. Garrett did 315 and it looked too easy for him. (note - he mentioned he could do 7 plates on the medium reverse band deads).

this is probably one of the toughest workouts I've had. 3 exercises with bands! yaargh.

[Antaeus]

9 Fast triples with 115 + chains (30 lbs). Fast as ****e.

CG Bench w/ chains.
185x3, x5x2. Don't know what happened on the first set. I realized I don't do much full-ROM bench assistence so I threw these in.

Incline dumbell extensions.
30x8, 35x8, 40x8, 45x8. Really gained on this exercise.

Bar rows.
135x8, 185x8, 205x6x2. Felt like going a little heavier.

Alternating dumbell front raises.
20x10, 25x10, 30x10, 35x10.

Watched "Pumping Iron" before I worked out (a friend recorded it for me), kept thinking about gaining weight and going up to the 198s! Really pushed it this workout, wasn't too happy with the CG poundages. Last time I did five rep sets for CG I did 185x5x3 sans chains so I guess that's an increase.

[Seanner]

Those are some nice bar rows. I don't know what my problem is, but 12x155 is heavy for me - I must max row like 2/3 of my bench - right near my abs the bar starts getting REALLY heavy. How many BW pullups can you do?

[Antaeus]

Thx bro I've really been training my lats hard. I row 2x a week, bar and chest-supported. My record for pullups (palms away) is 18, but I don't do them much (probably should!).

[Antaeus]

Zerchers from pins at knee level (hold bar in crook of arms).
bar x8
95x6x2
135x3
185
205
225
275
295
315 PR
-335 miss, off-balance

Whew, tough exercise! Murder on the back. Forearms are a little bruised but np. Previous PR for this movement is 185 3RM for seated zerchers (all back, no legs really).

Bar Holds
405 for 6 secs
455 for 5 secs

8" High rack pulls. Bar just above knee.
405x3x3 Rest 10 sec between reps to reset.

Very difficult, as it's just the top of the ROM. Dr. Tudor Bompa states that maximal force production occurs at 115-120 degrees of joint angle, and my knees were at about 150 degrees (180 being straight leg). Hence I couldn't produce as much contractile force with my legs close to straight as I could with the knee just past 90 degrees as in a full pull or high squat. Makes sense, right?

SLDLs
275x8 then grip gave out. Aarggh.
225x8x2

Shrugs
275x6
225x8 Again grip just died. Too many bar exercises? The inside of my fingers are slightly bruised, and man I could barely make a fist after this workout! Lovin' the pain today. Yeah!! :D

[Deciever]

nice job on the PRs.. zerchers are hell

when i did them once i just hit my elbows on my knees.. it was getting tiresome

what book are you citing that info from? it sounds like you've been educating yourself.. since your becoming so educated all of a sudden, can you educate yourself on dynamic IP addresses and port forwarding for HTTP servers.... thanks...

hows training for the rest of they guys going?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever

what book are you citing that info from?
hows training for the rest of they guys going?

thx bro. 335 was there but it was hard to balance and again work capacity issues.

that stuff I read in Serious Strength Training by Bompa. Good info for the 1st few chapters on muscle types and recruitment, rest of the book is kinda blah. I hope to incorporate more science into my training, maybe tweak a few things here and there.

rest of the guys are doing fine. cira-max is hell, most of them are competing at the APF Ironman in Fresno Dec 7th. Frank, Hayward, Mike, Toby & I are doing the USAPL Winter meet Dec 28th. Frank wants to claim the Masters over 50 WR bench, ~550. Toby just did a WABDL so Ironman's out, so he'll do a single-ply meet for fun. Hayward will look for 1450ish at Teen 181 after moving up. Garrett's getting some **** b/c he can't bench 500 yet at 280 so we're training hard. I of course am the weak newb but am looking for huge PRs at the next meet. :)

[Seanner]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Bar Holds
405 for 6 secs
455 for 5 secs

SLDLs
275x8 then grip gave out. Aarggh.
225x8x2


why not do the bar holds at the very end of the workout?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Seanner
why not do the bar holds at the very end of the workout?

b/c if you do them heavy at the beginning, it makes your working sets feel light, even if they *are* heavy relative to your 1RM.

also after all that bar work my grip is toast, I don't think I could do heavy holds afterwards.

[Deciever]

Originally posted by Antaeus
thx bro. 335 was there but it was hard to balance and again work capacity issues.

that stuff I read in Serious Strength Training by Bompa. Good info for the 1st few chapters on muscle types and recruitment, rest of the book is kinda blah. I hope to incorporate more science into my training, maybe tweak a few things here and there.

rest of the guys are doing fine. cira-max is hell, most of them are competing at the APF Ironman in Fresno Dec 7th. Frank, Hayward, Mike, Toby & I are doing the USAPL Winter meet Dec 28th. Frank wants to claim the Masters over 50 WR bench, ~550. Toby just did a WABDL so Ironman's out, so he'll do a single-ply meet for fun. Hayward will look for 1450ish at Teen 181 after moving up. Garrett's getting some **** b/c he can't bench 500 yet at 280 so we're training hard. I of course am the weak newb but am looking for huge PRs at the next meet. :)

good luck man..me and you have some things in comon.. like being the weakest at the gym...

i think i'll gain alot more respect once i pull 400..... then i can actually out lift one of the guys!

[healthy n_fit]

Damn...nice job! You really toasted yor grip eh? :D

Wow...zercher squats/pulls sound cool...I gotta try them some time! :) Wow.....so what height did you use off the racks to pull the 455?? Nice number...lol. ;) Keep going dude....you stong bitch! lol..I remember that day when you had a 925 total...you've come a long way! :)

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
good luck man..me and you have some things in comon.. like being the weakest at the gym...

i think i'll gain alot more respect once i pull 400..... then i can actually out lift one of the guys!

heh I don't really mind b/c I am the strongest at the RSF!!

and the PL guys are always giving me pointers, which is cool. If I can stay within 100 lbs of most of Garrett's exercises I'm doing ok. he was in a slump for a while but I guess training me has really shifted his own into a higher gear, because he gets PRs on everything now. so it's reciprocal. :)

hayward thinks I'm going to out pull him soon b/c I have longer arms, heh I've got a ways to go before ~550. he thinks my total will be up near his once I get my bench up and get stronger on the dead. squat form remains my weak point.

oh I forgot to mention that I had to use the "no-knurling" bar yesterday - it has an extra-wide smooth and almost all the knurling is gone. so for the holds and pulls I actually did those on the smooth, if you believe it. no wonder my hands are so bruised! :( :D

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Damn...nice job! You really toasted yor grip eh? :D

Wow...zercher squats/pulls sound cool...I gotta try them some time! :) Wow.....so what height did you use off the racks to pull the 455?? Nice number...lol. ;) Keep going dude....you stong bitch! lol..I remember that day when you had a 925 total...you've come a long way! :)

yeah the holds just fried my grip. I didn't really like them too much - I think I prefer rack pulls instead. I did high pulls yesterday to change it up a little, but overall I like the bar just below the knee, which works out to the plates being about 6" off the ground (yesterday was 8"). The high pulls are actually harder. The 455 was a hold. Most I've low rack pulled is 425 several months ago. Heh when I first came on this board my total was 855 (315/245/315)!

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
yeah the holds just fried my grip. I didn't really like them too much - I think I prefer rack pulls instead. I did high pulls yesterday to change it up a little, but overall I like the bar just below the knee, which works out to the plates being about 6" off the ground (yesterday was 8"). The high pulls are actually harder. The 455 was a hold. Most I've low rack pulled is 425 several months ago. Heh when I first came on this board my total was 855 (315/245/315)!

Wow! And to think I was actually close to your deadlift at one point! ;) :D Keep going dude! Yuor strong!!! :) Wow....so you can rack pull over 455 now right?? wow....you've come a long way!! I gotta get to 800lb total soon........ 635 right now.....

[Antaeus]

thx bro. yeah I could probably rack pull 455 right now but that'll have to wait for a ME day!

your total is great for your age and wt class, healthy! be proud of the wts you can move. :)

benching tonight...

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
thx bro. yeah I could probably rack pull 455 right now but that'll have to wait for a ME day!

your total is great for your age and wt class, healthy! be proud of the wts you can move. :)

benching tonight...


Ok...cool! Nail 455..and more!! :) Thanks! I'm pretty happy....but of course..not content! ;) Goodl uck benching! ME?? I'm doing DE Squat....in a little bit....just wanna rest..had to walk home from school...:( :D

[Antaeus]

ha ha good attitude! yeah CG incline max tonight. see ya!

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
ha ha good attitude! yeah CG incline max tonight. see ya!

Yep...I know!

See ya! Good luck dude!! :)

[Antaeus]

CG Incline. Hands 2 fingers from smooth. Old PR 205.
bar x10
95x8
135x6
165x3
185
205
225 PR
-230 stalled 6" off chest, good strain.

No lat drive with incline, and my ROM is like 3 feet lol. But hey 20 lb PR!

Decline bench
225x5x3 Wide grip for some pec work.

Incline dumbell extensions
40x8
45x8x3 really moved up on these, nice & explosive

Side raises.
22.5x10
35x8x2

Ab crunches - 10x front & each side, x2 = 60 reps.

[healthy n_fit]

nice job Antaeus..you strong uhhh,,,,,PLer! :D Damn.you beat my close grip incline by 90lbs!! Yuo like it with only two fingers on the smooth? I put my whole handf on the smooth! :D Hey..nice job! You got a 20lb PR! Be proud! :)

[Deciever]

i hate inclines .. my rom is like 3 feet too.. it sucks..nice job though!

[Antaeus]

Whew what a weekend! Too much turkey! Nah...

Worked out at the Y, did my DE squat on a bench outside one of those narrow half-cages. Slightly higher than parallel, interesting squatting on cushy seat (hassock squats?).
225x2x8 really fast, no bands/chains.
275
315 fast

Speed deads.
225x3x3 reset after each rep
275
315 fast

Weighted hypers
bwt x10
+25 x10
+35 x8x3

Seated machine rows, narrow grip
70x10
150x8x2

One-arm dumbell rows
80x10
90x8
100x8 most I've ever done on this one!

Not bad, considering I forgot my workout shorts and did the whole thing in jeans! :rolleyes:

[Antaeus]

Extra Workout.

Rotator cuff, various exercises
10 lbs x8x3

Alternating Supinated Bicep curls
30 x10x3

GPP - Farmer's walk
40s 1x around gym
50s
60s
70s yeowch

Standing Abs
40x10
50x10x2
60x12x2 really grinded it out

Ab Side Bends
70x10
80x10
90x10

Wow what a xtra workout! Felt great though. Wanted to do a little bi work - didn't go heavy. Going up 10 lbs for the Farmer's next week.

[Antaeus]

Speed Bench
125x3x9 with 30 lbs of chain. Really quick. Bought a nice, small, canvas military surplus blue duffel bag to carry my chains in, instead of multiple paper grocery bags that keep ripping.

Rack lockouts w/ chains
135x8
225x3
275x3x3 around 300 at the top.

Barbell extensions to throat (California presses?)
bar x10
65x10x4 man this is tougher than it sounds. really stretches the tricep. gotta keep your wrists straight and elbows pinned. hurts elbow less than JMs, something about stopping half-way really brings on the tendonitis.

Hammer Strength machine low rows.
180x10x4 pretty light w/ 2 plates on either side

Rear delts on pec-dec style machine (rotating handles instead of pads).
60x10
80x10
100x10x4

This really seems to nail the rear delts. ME Squat tonight; that'll be 4 workouts in a row!

[healthy n_fit]

great job dude! damn...300 at top! Damn....nice job! :) Hmm....calirfornia presses sound interesting. how much pain did you really feel? Wow...they seem tough,.,.....ill tryu them one day. Good job dude! Keep getting stronger! :)

[Antaeus]

Thx bro. The California presses weren't that bad, but I didn't really go that heavy on them. I like incline JMs better as far as barbell extensions are concerned. :)

[Antaeus]

~14" Box Max. Same height as the last box max, but definitely an inch or so below parallel. It's shorter than the 14" box I use for DE, but I didn't bring a measuring tape.

135x8x2
185x3
225
275 belt
315 suit bottoms
365 straps up
385 PR by 20 lbs. nice, easier than the last
-405 rats.

Did a couple things wrong on the 405:
1. Too long of an eccentric. Felt like a f'n negative.
2. Had a brain fart in the hole, paused for like 2.5 seconds, killed any stretch reflex.
Man it's true that every inch lower takes like 50 lbs off your squat. I did an easy 405 raw off the 16" high box.
Oh well, I had a good strain. Felt too tired to attempt another one. Feeling a little burnt after 4 straight training days.

GHRs 10x3

Dumbell Shrugs
50x10
70x10
90x10x3

datsit

[Antaeus]

Oh yeah after I had just missed the 405, this ****ing twerp of a personal trainer comes over looking all concerned.

Trainer: "You know those are bad for you back."
Ant: :rolleyes: "You ever even heard of a box squat?"
Trainer: "Yeah, they're bad for your spine."
Ant: "Yeah, if you do them ballistically, and bounce off the box. I'm fine, dude. Go away."
Trainer: (walking away) "Ok, man. Just saying. I wouldn't do 'em. I'll go back to sticking my thumb up my ass."
Ant: "Good for you. Numbnuts."

:rolleyes:

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Oh yeah after I had just missed the 405, this ****ing twerp of a personal trainer comes over looking all concerned.

Trainer: "You know those are bad for you back."
Ant: :rolleyes: "You ever even heard of a box squat?"
Trainer: "Yeah, they're bad for your spine."
Ant: "Yeah, if you do them ballistically, and bounce off the box. I'm fine, dude. Go away."
Trainer: (walking away) "Ok, man. Just saying. I wouldn't do 'em. I'll go back to sticking my thumb up my ass."
Ant: "Good for you. Numbnuts."

:rolleyes:

Hahahah!!! LOFL!!!!!!!! :D Damn....i would never want that happening to me. :D Lol.......

Still nice job on the 385! Yeah....several inches really matter! So.you're taking a few days off now right?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit

Still nice job on the 385! Yeah....several inches really matter! So.you're taking a few days off now right?

Yeah those first (or last?) couple inches make a huge difference. I'm doing the low box stuff b/c my next meet is USAPL, and I think they have a lower (literally) standard for squats than in the APA or APF. I can get down to parallel fine with 405, but a couple inches below is a different matter. I'll just see how they're calling depth at the meet and pick my attempts from there.

I want my attemts to be something around 330-374-418 (150-170-190 kg).

Just today off. Then ME bench Wed. :)

[Antaeus]

CG Flat bench. Old PR 225.
135x8x2 wide grip
135x3 CG
185
225
-245 out of groove
245 PR
-255

With so much ROM, it's easy to get the bar out of position. With the first 245 it drifted towards my face (yikes). The 2nd attempt went much better. Didn't get stapled by 255 but missed it all the same. Hayward just missed 295, he got 285 easily.

Incline JMs
bar x10
95x8
115x8x3 yeowch, 20 lbs higher than previous workouts.

Bar Rows
135x10
185x8x2 CG
155x8 wide-grip
185x8 wide-grip, really like these.

Shoulder Horn (rotator cuff)
8x3 w/ 10 lbs

Seated Incline Cable Abs w/ tri rope
40x10
60x10
80x8x2
90x3, held last rep

Great workout. Very intense. We really pushed each other. :)

[Deciever]

nice PRs... looks like you did a lot of rows today.... any reason for the rotator cuff work? is it bothering you or something?

also, incline JMs... what would make you crazy enough to try that?

[Antaeus]

Thx bro. Yeah I really want to train the crap out of my lats. I realized all the rowing I've been doing is narrow grip. Well crap, rows are supposed to mimic the bench, right? So I'm doing lots of wide-grip rows starting now.

Heh this is like the 4th time I've done incline JMs. I think I previously called them incline bar extensions. There's less pressure on the elbow, and they are murder on the tris. I started off with 95x8 and now I'm doing 115x8 so it's going good. Heck Hayward did 155x8 for one set. The key is to use a medium to close grip and keep your elbows tucked. It's real easy to turn it into a press if you're not paying attention.

I can really feel the rotator working using the shoulder horn. I've had a previous full cuff tear so I want to keep the support structure nice and strong - hence "preventative maintenance." :)

[Deciever]

Yeah , i need to start doing some more rows.. my power rack just came in today... its beefy as hell... weighs like 160lbs...so i can train lats like 3 days a week whenever i want or something

the Incline JMs sound good, maybe i'll give em a try. Hayward is a nice guy, i've been talking to him lately. 115 x 8 is really good... hell , i cant even do that on normal JM Presses, so keep up the good work

That sucks about the cuff tear... better to be cautious than have it happen again/

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
"Hayward is a nice gay"

LOL!!! Yeah he's on AIM a lot.

"That sucks about the cuff tear... better to be cautious than have it happen again"

you bet. it was from a car accident, not lifting though! :(

[Deciever]

thats good that it wasnt from lifting... and i meant guy, not gay :) lol

[Antaeus]

heehee I know

[healthy n_fit]

Great job dude! :) So....you're finally close gripping your old comp. bench! :D Excellent! Damn....are incline JMs exactly like flat bench JMs?? Do the wide grip rows feel easier for you? Once agin nice job. I gotta try some of those exercises. ;)

[Antaeus]

For incline JMs you touch the bar to your forehead. I usually do it right above the hairline so you don't have a big razberry on your forehead if you wack yourself a couple times (which you will).
So the ROM is about the same but for some reason there's much less pressure on the elbow. Something to do with gravity and biomechanics, I'm sure. ;)

Yes that's true, I did CG my old reg. max. Still waiting to see what I can do in a shirt. Hopefully I'll get some shirt work in next Wed.

No the wide grip rows are harder. Less ROM but still harder. :)

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
For incline JMs you touch the bar to your forehead. I usually do it right above the hairline so you don't have a big razberry on your forehead if you wack yourself a couple times (which you will).
So the ROM is about the same but for some reason there's much less pressure on the elbow. Something to do with gravity and biomechanics, I'm sure. ;)

Yes that's true, I did CG my old reg. max. Still waiting to see what I can do in a shirt. Hopefully I'll get some shirt work in next Wed.

No the wide grip rows are harder. Less ROM but still harder. :)


Oh....i see. Thanks dude! I understand that all now. :)

[Antaeus]

Squat Lockouts (held at top for 5-10 secs)
135
225
315
405
495
585
635 felt like a house

Box squat 185x2x9 +chains. Felt like nothing.

Rack pulls + chains. 8 singles, 30 sec rest w/ 405.

SLDLs 225x8x1 grip shot

Weighted Hypers
+10 x10
+25x8x4

I think my CNS is still fried from those lockouts. Mad props to anyone who can squat that much.

[Antaeus]

Double-choked green bands (medium) double-looped around bar (+100 lbs).
bar x10x2
135x3x2 too slow
115x3x7 nice and fast. comp grip was lightning fast. the bands actually accelerate downwards, causing a greater stretch reflex and faster bad speed on both eccentric and concentric.

3 board press with same setup.
135x5
155x5
175x5
195x3

Hayward used a 2 board to work his sticky point more. He got up to 255x3.

Incline Dumbell Extensions
25 x10
35x10
45x8x3

Seated face pulls w/ tricep rope
70x10
90x8
110x8
125x8

Incline abs w/ tri rope (sucky cable machine w/ too many pulleys)
50x10
150x10
200x5x2
180x8

Toby joined us for some squat work. Old Boss suit, straps down, belt, wrist & knee wraps. He worked up to 635. Then:
675
725
765 PR
635x2

8 plates, straps down. Ppl in the gym were in awe. He's good for over 800 at napa, 308 22 yrs old. Awesome! :D

[ballast]

Mad props to anyone who does that much squatting and pulling in one session.Nice workout!

[Deciever]

wow... using medium bands fo DE Bench.. thats crazy man....

that must be hell on the joints...

good work though

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Double-choked green bands (medium) double-looped around bar (+100 lbs).
bar x10x2
135x3x2 too slow
115x3x7 nice and fast. comp grip was lightning fast. the bands actually accelerate downwards, causing a greater stretch reflex and faster bad speed on both eccentric and concentric.

3 board press with same setup.
135x5
155x5
175x5
195x3

Hayward used a 2 board to work his sticky point more. He got up to 255x3.

Incline Dumbell Extensions
25 x10
35x10
45x8x3

Seated face pulls w/ tricep rope
70x10
90x8
110x8
125x8

Incline abs w/ tri rope (sucky cable machine w/ too many pulleys)
50x10
150x10
200x5x2
180x8

Toby joined us for some squat work. Old Boss suit, straps down, belt, wrist & knee wraps. He worked up to 635. Then:
675
725
765 PR
635x2

8 plates, straps down. Ppl in the gym were in awe. He's good for over 800 at napa, 308 22 yrs old. Awesome! :D

Oh ****!!!! 765 is freakin amazing!!!! Wow....and i was proud of my raw 200 lol.....damn.....can he lockout over 1000? :p Wow..i gotta try face pulls some time! What do they help with? Rear delts and lats? Hahahah....so.for the ab pulldowns, the extra pulleys made your usual weight too easy?? Yes, i know about pulleys, learned bout them this year lol ;). Great job dude! 500/300/500 is gonna come soon for you! :)

[Antaeus]

Max box squats - 1" above parallel (16" - I do DE on 14", 1" below).
135x8
185x5
225
315
365
405 suit bottoms, easy
455 easy
495 PR, straps up. 90 lb PR on this one.

GHRs 8x4

Band GMs - 1 green x20, 2 greens x20x2

Ab dumbell side bends 60x8, 85x8, 100x8

Yowza, close to a 500 lb squat! Ok I know it wasn't to //, but close. :)

[lilmuscleman]

wow, looks like a good workout. do you like doing ME Box Squats? What're your feeling about below parallel ME box squats? do they help your overall squat much?

[Antaeus]

Dumbell work.
50x10
70x6
80x3
90
100x1x2 PR, never tried maxing with dumbells before.

Shirt work
225 8" from touching
-275 4" from touching, serious pain.
225 paused raw - opener

Recovery - round SLDLs 115x10x2

Shirt is way too small. It's gonna take 300+ to touch. Opening 225 raw at meet, then probably 255-265 for raw PR, then shirt up for ~300.

[Antaeus]

14" box squat, 205 +chains 2x8

GMs 185x8x4 to // pins.

Bar rows 155x8x2 close grip, 155x8x2 wide grip

Bar shrugs 225x8x4

Been sick all week. Felt like crap, but DE felt light.

[Antaeus]

135 +chains 3x9. Felt fairly fast.

CG Bench 155x10, 185x8x4 Definitely couldn't do that before (bwt for reps x sets). I want to keep working the bottom end more.

Incline dumbell extensions
35x8
40x8
45x8
50x6

Side raises
20x10
25x8
30x8x2

Neglecting abs. Toby joined me again, but he did squat work again. We spent 25 minutes trying to put on his new Hardcore, couldn't get it over his hips. He put on the boss suit he used last week and got a 20 lb PR - 785 fairly easily. He a strong mofo.

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by lilmuscleman
wow, looks like a good workout. do you like doing ME Box Squats? What're your feeling about below parallel ME box squats? do they help your overall squat much?

I think box squats are great for ME. I switch up between high box, low box, a GM, and a DL variation for ME squat. So you do each of those once a month. The high box gives you the feel of heavier weights, as you can usually squat about 50 lbs more. Then next week switch it up to low box for below // work. I feel they really complement each other. I also think that the walkout I did the previous friday a couple days prior really helped as well. 495 didn't feel that heavy after having 635 on my back.

[ballast]

Sounds like a good rotation of ME exercises.I'm doing something similar, but haven't tried box squats as a ME.Need a better built box.I see more and more westsiders incorporate walkouts into their routine.This is something else for me to try.Thanks for the ideas.

[lilmuscleman]

Originally posted by Antaeus
I think box squats are great for ME. I switch up between high box, low box, a GM, and a DL variation for ME squat. So you do each of those once a month. The high box gives you the feel of heavier weights, as you can usually squat about 50 lbs more. Then next week switch it up to low box for below // work. I feel they really complement each other. I also think that the walkout I did the previous friday a couple days prior really helped as well. 495 didn't feel that heavy after having 635 on my back.

wow Antaeus, i think i'm really gonna try that thing you got goin. you like doin GMs? i'll start that next week as a matter of fact.

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by lilmuscleman
wow Antaeus, i think i'm really gonna try that thing you got goin. you like doin GMs? i'll start that next week as a matter of fact.

The Westsiders use GMs over 50% of the time for ME because it works for both squat and DL. They already have great form as elite lifters so they don't practice heavy squats or DLs much. In fact they hardly pull at all. Us beginners need steady practice squatting and DLing, not just working the muscles of the posterior chain, but working on form as well. That's why we do heavy box squats, speed pulls, and pulls for ME sometimes. You should definitely be doing GMs for assistence on occasion to work the back/hams/posterior chain, and then do at least 1 GM ME workout a month.
:)

[lilmuscleman]

cool i was already contemplating a workout with the high/low box like you were talking about. I just have trouble keeping the bar nice and steady on my back when doing GMs.

[Antaeus]

39" Chain-suspended GMs

135x10
185x6
225x3
315
365
405 PR
-455 stapled
-425 couldn't budge it, good strain tho

Ok these are awesome. This is by far the best way to do GMs. I used a loop of 3/8ths chain around high pins and the bar. My previous GM PR is 335(?) I think. Btw Billy Mimnaugh can do a 771 round-back GM from this height so get to work, ppl. :D

SLDLs 225x8x4

Wide-grip bar rows 185x6x4

Ab crunches

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by lilmuscleman
cool i was already contemplating a workout with the high/low box like you were talking about. I just have trouble keeping the bar nice and steady on my back when doing GMs.

You're going to need to hold the bar much lower on your back when doing GMs. It shouldn't be anywhere near your neck. I hold it over the rear delts below the traps. This is about 1-2" lower than bar squatting position. I actually saw a guy at the gym the other day doing GMs (commendable) with a pad and the bar on his neck (scary)!

The whole purpose of splitting up your days into ME and DE is to attenuate your CNS to heavier weights. High box squats and walkouts are geared towards nervous system training, and of course the high box max does wonders for absolute muscular strength and the DL (as your rear is in the DL position). You don't need to squat to // every workout. :)

[healthy n_fit]

Hey Antaeus!! You're here!! Damn, nice job, you're frikkin strong!!
Damn, you are good morning so much weight.. ihate you ;)
im so proud of you :D BTW, you have two ME squats in your journal, and they're labeled ME Bench, unless you edited it by the time you see this message.

[ballast]

Excellent work on the good mornings.I have yet to try the chain suspended variety due to lack of chains, but I understand they allow you a more comfortable set-up as opposed to doing them off the pins.405?!!Nice!!

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Hey Antaeus!! You're here!! Damn, nice job, you're frikkin strong!!
Damn, you are good morning so much weight.. ihate you ;)
im so proud of you :D BTW, you have two ME squats in your journal, and they're labeled ME Bench, unless you edited it by the time you see this message.

Hey dude! Thx bro. Yeah I got sick so I had to take some time off.
Heh that's like a 70 lb PR for GMs, too!! I'm pretty happy about that. All my weights are going up, but I wish I had better equipment and could figure out a shirt. My bench is really killing my total.

Thx I did edit the titles.

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by ballast
Excellent work on the good mornings.I have yet to try the chain suspended variety due to lack of chains, but I understand they allow you a more comfortable set-up as opposed to doing them off the pins.405?!!Nice!!

Thx bro. Yeah they feel so much better. It's a much smoother motion and set up. I really want to keep my GM max high, as it both helps you from dumping forward and does wonders for your DL. I think some of the Westsiders do these as low as 34", but 36-39" is the usual height. It's easy to fall into "squatting" the weight up, you just have to keep the bar in front of your knees. :)

[lilmuscleman]

Originally posted by Antaeus
You're going to need to hold the bar much lower on your back when doing GMs. It shouldn't be anywhere near your neck. I hold it over the rear delts below the traps. This is about 1-2" lower than bar squatting position. I actually saw a guy at the gym the other day doing GMs (commendable) with a pad and the bar on his neck (scary)!

The whole purpose of splitting up your days into ME and DE is to attenuate your CNS to heavier weights. High box squats and walkouts are geared towards nervous system training, and of course the high box max does wonders for absolute muscular strength and the DL (as your rear is in the DL position). You don't need to squat to // every workout. :)

alright, that is where i currently place the bar on my back. ya i think next monday, I'm gonna do regular squats one more time to make sure my form is perfect before venturing on to high box. i still gotta make a box lol. thanks man. great job on the GMs

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Hey dude! Thx bro. Yeah I got sick so I had to take some time off.
Heh that's like a 70 lb PR for GMs, too!! I'm pretty happy about that. All my weights are going up, but I wish I had better equipment and could figure out a shirt. My bench is really killing my total.

Thx I did edit the titles.

Wow, you must have a really strong lower back ;) Hey, id be happy too. :) Yeah, lol, my bench and squat are holding me back :o

Ok see ya! Are you still sick btw?? I'm glad you're back.

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Wow, you must have a really strong lower back ;) Hey, id be happy too. :) Yeah, lol, my bench and squat are holding me back :o

Ok see ya! Are you still sick btw?? I'm glad you're back.

My back is quite sore today lol.

Nah I feel much better, thx. I've got a bunch of stuff to take care of but I'll pop in to post my workouts and check up on you guys ;)

[Deciever]

good.. you better not even think about leaving us...

[lilmuscleman]

Originally posted by Deciever
good.. you better not even think about leaving us...

or i'll mace you good!

[Antaeus]

hee hee I'm still around :D

btw mace is nasty stuff

[Antaeus]

Recovery - round back SLDLs 115x10x2

GPP - farmer's walk 1x around gym - 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s

Biceps - alt. supinated dumbell curls x8 reps - 25, 30, 35, 40s

Abs - seated machine crunch - 125x15, 137.5x15, 150x15x2

3 Rotator cuff exercises, 10 reps x 3 sets each


Lower back feels a little better, but lats and traps still very sore. Elbows feel good, bis felt good. Went up on farmers. :)

[Antaeus]

Decline bench.
135x8x2
185x3
225
275
-295
-295 dammit

PR is 295, but I had a good strain. Two terrible handoffs contributed to the misses, I must say. :(

Incline CG bench 135x8x3

Pushdowns - 40x8, 80x8, 100x8

Alt. front dumbell raises, 20x8, 25x8, 30x8

Ok workout, nothing to write home about.

[ballast]

Nice try on the 295.275 would have buried me.I need to start doing more declines on ME days.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
My back is quite sore today lol.

Nah I feel much better, thx. I've got a bunch of stuff to take care of but I'll pop in to post my workouts and check up on you guys ;)

Thanks dude. ;) BTW, yuor work takes priority, so, if ya need to get it done, then go ahead. :D Ok..see ya.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by ballast
Nice try on the 295.275 would have buried me.I need to start doing more declines on ME days.

Yea, i can only do 175 :eek: I'm hoping that'll become 190 next time i do them.

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by ballast
Nice try on the 295.275 would have buried me.I need to start doing more declines on ME days.

thx man. I wanted to hit a new PR ~305 but just wasn't feeling it. I like the decline because it's kinda like a high box. Heavier weight at about a 3-board for me. I also feel more chest and delt involvement. I remember just barely getting 185 on decline about a year ago.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
thx man. I wanted to hit a new PR ~305 but just wasn't feeling it. I like the decline because it's kinda like a high box. Heavier weight at about a 3-board for me. I also feel more chest and delt involvement. I remember just barely getting 185 on decline about a year ago.

Wow...no way...185?? wow...... Good luck next time ya do it!

[Antaeus]

Regular squats. No bands or box.
275x2x5 fast doubles with suit bottoms. Had Garrett and Frank critique my form. Felt good, light.

Speed deads (sumo).
225
315 for 5 singles w/ suit bottoms. Felt like 225
365 w/ straps up. fast, light.

1st time deading with suit. Feels like it takes 50 lbs off. The key is to spread you knees wide and keep your hips as close to the bar as possible, and "squat" down to grab the bar.

Decline abs in power rack with zercher cambered bar.
95x10x3 ouch. Like doing decline crunches with 2 plates on your chest.

Cable GMs w/ strap around neck standing on a 4" block.
60 lbs x20x3

Good workout. Always fun to try new stuff. :)

[Deciever]

are you getting ready for a meet?

looks good, if nyou are.

about the deadlifting and keeping your hips close.. i need to start doing that. i used to sit back like a squat and then pull, and that would cause me to round.

nice job

[Antaeus]

Speed bench. 95 +chains x3x9. Absolutely launched it up. Lowered DE bench weight drastically after talking to Toby & Garrett about %s. Toby uses 185 for a 530 max. Garrett uses 165 for 440. So I figure 135 is way too high. It just didn't feel *that* fast. Now the lighter weight feels much better.

Paused singles w/ chains.
135
185
205 flew up.

Lying dumbell extensions.
25x8
30x8
35x8x2

Straight-arm medium-grip lat pulldowns.
30x10
40x8
50x8
60x6

This is tougher than it sounds! I realized I have trouble unracking over 275 and setting up low. Straight-arm pulldowns were suggested to rectify this. And as I'm weak at this exercise I know I need to bring up my lats even more.

Good workout. Last one before meet on Saturday. Openers are 330/220/330. Nice and low. ;) 2nds will be 418/275/418. Wish me luck. :D
-Ant.

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by Deciever
are you getting ready for a meet?

looks good, if nyou are.

about the deadlifting and keeping your hips close.. i need to start doing that. i used to sit back like a squat and then pull, and that would cause me to round.

nice job

yup, USAPL meet on Sat. Deepsquatter's meet (Jason Burnell). Hayward and Toby are competing as well. Hayward will open 500/330/500 at Teen 181 and Toby 644/500/644 at Jr. 308. Toby is looking to break 2k for the 1st time in a meet. His gym #s already beat that.

[Deciever]

sounds good.. better get some pics... have hayward video tape some of it...

i've never seen you lift before.. so hopefully, maybe i can see it this time.

[healthy n_fit]

Nice job dude!! Good luck!! You'l lbe at 500/300/500 soon. :)

[ballast]

Good luck in your meet on Saturday.

[Antaeus]

Thanks guys! Yeah I'm bringing a camera, and hopefully borrowing a video camera. Merry xmas. :)

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Thanks guys! Yeah I'm bringing a camera, and hopefully borrowing a video camera. Merry xmas. :)


Ya you better :p

Good luck dude....havent heard from ya that much in a while. ;)

[Antaeus]

Dec 28th USAPL NorCal Open PL

Hey guys!! I had a great time at my meet.

Squat:
330 3W easy!
397 3R tight wraps kinda threw me off, redlighted for depth.
418 3R ass-to-grass depth, but my hips came up first, which pushed my torso forward. I couldn't recover from the forward lean, but luckily Garrett (who was running the spotting/loading, caught me and prevented the dump.

I know exactly what I did wrong, and all the weights felt light. I know I'm capable of 440+, I still have form problems. I didn't drive my head into the bar first, I didn't lead with my head.

Bench:
220 3W raw. light.
275 3W!!! In EHPHD Shirt.
302 3R stalled 3" up after long pause.

Woohoo! I finally got a shirt to work for me. Garrett said I paused for ages, otherwise I would've got it.

Dead:
330 3W light
418 3W light!!
440 3W light goddamn it!!!

Heh ppl said put some weight on the bar dammit! So I went back to the warmup area and pulled 475, and then 495!!! I have pictures to prove this.

I weighed in at 182, and had 5 minutes to drop over half a pound. No prob! Took a piss and spat a bunch and weighed in at 82.4 kg.

So my official total was 1045, unfortunately not enough to place, as I was competing against 8 others. But my overall total is now 1175, Class 2 for 181s!!!!! 30 lb bench PR, and a 90 lb dead PR.

Next meet in March 1st. I want to go 440+/308/520.

Hope y'all are doing well.

Happy New Years!

-Ant.

[lilmuscleman]

good job, Ant

[healthy n_fit]

Antaeus, you're amazing dude!!!! How the heck did you imrpove that fast on deadlifts?? im jealous ;) You got any secrets or anything? I need to get a 400lb deadlift sometime.....

[Antaeus]

Thanks guys!!!

Light band GMs 20x3
Mini-band around back bench press 20x3
Mini-band face pulls 20x3

So sore...

Will do some bench work 1/2/03 after 4 days off. First day back into Westside will be Friday's DE squat.

[Antaeus]

Flat Bench
135x8x2
185x3
225x4 just wanted to see how many I could get with 2 plates

Dumbell bottom 1/2 reps
60x8
70x8
80x6

6" Comp grip rack lockouts
225x5
275x5
295x5 wow
315x5
335x5 what is going on here?! 295x1 was a previous PR on ME day about 2 months ago. very tempted to max out on this exercise.

Alt. front dumbell raises
20x8
30x8x4

Great workout, chest very sore. :D

[Antaeus]

14" box, light bands (+110 lbs), suit bottoms
bar x8
135x6
225x2x8 very fast
315
365 (475 at top) easy, popped right up. Previous PR was 365 w/o the bands.

Sumo speed DLs, raw
135x5
225x3
315 for 6 singles, 1 min rest. nice and fast.

Decline cambered bar zercher abs
135x8x2, 135x6 so much pain. did 95x8x4 last time.

GHRs x8x4

Everything felt very fast today. Great DE session. I feel like 405 +bands would've been very do-able, but didn't want to push it so soon after the meet. :)

[Antaeus]

Some of Hayward's stuff he doesn't use/need.

Size 34ish Inzer Champion w/ straps cut off at the chest. This will be my "groove brief," although the technical term Inzer uses is "Power Pants" because they have legs. Apparently briefs cut like underwear are fairly useless because they don't give you enough hip support w/o the legs. You can actually order Power Pants from Inzer. I will wear my Z over this.

Size 50 Blast for training. Board presses and the like. I'm tired of having 1 ****ey shirt session before the meet and then not knowing what I'm doing when it matters. But my 48 is just too small and painfull (whine whine).

Size 50 EHPHD. Same shirt I came close to 300 with! Yay a real shirt of my very own. I will wear it occasionally on ME days to get a feel for the added stiffness.

:)

[healthy n_fit]

Nice stuff man! Wow, 6" locking out so much man! 335x5!! And you seem to have really gotten stronger and fast!!! Remember when you couldn't even squat 135??? DAMN! You must have great genes. And i woujld think the 315 for deadlift sumos would be fast, since you can deadlift so much more thasn that. You are really coming along dude. I want to hear more from you :p

[Antaeus]

thx bro. yeah all the guys say I'm having the customary 1st year 300 lb addition to my total!

I think the first time I squatted I did 185. :)


We have a new guy lifting with us. Rob is a 275er with an 1800 total. He has been training since 2000. In his first meet he did 1300 at 225, then put about 300 lbs on that through '01. Rob's my height but a stocky mofo. He's looking for 700/500/700.

[lilmuscleman]

nice job Ant, looked like you had a lot of fun there.

[healthy n_fit]

Hahaham 300lbs?? How about a million pounds in one year?? You;re improving very fast! Damn, that Rob guy sounds like he's got a great future going for him! :) BTW How's you're life going Antaeus?it must be superb!

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Hahaham 300lbs?? How about a million pounds in one year?? You;re improving very fast! Damn, that Rob guy sounds like he's got a great future going for him! :) BTW How's you're life going Antaeus?it must be superb!

thx man. yeah Rob's doing well. everyone wants to 1. total elite, 2. total 2000+.

life's ok, I've been really busy - I'd much rather talk to you yahoos :D

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by lilmuscleman
nice job Ant, looked like you had a lot of fun there.

thx man. you guys should seriously think about competing, it's tons of fun.

[lilmuscleman]

i wanna compete, but i've checked a bunch of powerlifting links and stuff for my state. but there isn't really anything for NC it seems. i could just be checking the wrong sources of course

[Deciever]

Originally posted by Antaeus
Some of Hayward's stuff he doesn't use/need.

Size 34ish Inzer Champion w/ straps cut off at the chest. This will be my "groove brief," although the technical term Inzer uses is "Power Pants" because they have legs. Apparently briefs cut like underwear are fairly useless because they don't give you enough hip support w/o the legs. You can actually order Power Pants from Inzer. I will wear my Z over this.

Size 50 Blast for training. Board presses and the like. I'm tired of having 1 ****ey shirt session before the meet and then not knowing what I'm doing when it matters. But my 48 is just too small and painfull (whine whine).

Size 50 EHPHD. Same shirt I came close to 300 with! Yay a real shirt of my very own. I will wear it occasionally on ME days to get a feel for the added stiffness.

:)

great.. having training breifs will help you alot.. you wont feel "awkward" in your gear anymore, since you'll train in it often.

Oddly enough, i get more out of a standard blast shirt, then i do with a HD blast. What size do you wear for competition? 50? could you go smaller?

I've yet to try the EHPHD.. i heard its good. I cant wait til i get used to my crain shirt, or if i ever get a fury.. hope everyhting works out well

[Antaeus]

the 48 blast was murder. the 50 EH whatever felt smooth, easy, but more supportive. :) the 50 blast will give me some support, good for shirt/gear training, but still let me "work the muscle" so to speak.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
thx man. yeah Rob's doing well. everyone wants to 1. total elite, 2. total 2000+.

life's ok, I've been really busy - I'd much rather talk to you yahoos :D

Hahaha yea!! I want to total elite of course. Hmm, how many pounds away? :D ;)


Yeah, lifes going good here too. Kinda busy again with school. :(
I have some scars from that rack pull day, but hopefully when i max out, it'll all be gone....

[lilmuscleman]

ahh, those emotional scars don't last. i'm already itching to Deadlift again, but i'm waiting another week or so.

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by lilmuscleman
ahh, those emotional scars don't last. i'm already itching to Deadlift again, but i'm waiting another week or so.

Yea.....hey, we shouldn't clutter up Antaeus' thread anymore...:D

[lilmuscleman]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
Yea.....hey, we shouldn't clutter up Antaeus' thread anymore...:D

bah stfu...*sniffle*....i guess...i'll wobble back over to my thread. sorry Antaeus lol

[ballast]

Congratulations on your meet!Excellent work!Your deadlift is insane, taking into consideration your bodyweight.That's awesome!Good luck in March.

[Antaeus]

95 + doubled minis (+90 lbs) 3x9 very fast

CG 3 boards + minis
135x5x5
-185 dammit right at sticky point

Bar extensions to throat (California press)
bar x8
65x8
75x8
85x8 ouch, good stretch tho

Bar rows (went a little lighter)
135x10x2 CG
155x10x2 Wide-grip

Chest supported band face pulls (standing against rack, band looped around opposite support)
doubled-mini x10
x10x3 w/ 2 doubled-minis. tough!

Plate Raises 20x2

Real intense workout! Hayward & I really push each other. :)

[Deciever]

looks good....

what else do you do for your rear delts?

[Antaeus]

"Safety" Bar squats, 16" high box

135x6x2
185x4
225x3
275
315 suit bottoms
365
405
455 easy
-495 leaned forward, dumped, around 520-530 total weight.
-495 unracked, right leg back, left leg back to a medium-wide stance, bar tilted to left slightly, *pop* left knee blew out.

dumped weight, iced knee. Went to doc Tues, probable ACL tear. I have to wait until the swelling goes down and then have another evaluation, and most likely an MRI to determine damage. Partial tear means 3-6 month rehab, even then only 85% strength recovery, probably no maximum weight bearing. Full tear means surgery, 1 year minimum recovery, again only 85% strength recovery, no maximal weight bearing.

I really thought 495 wouldn't be a problem, as 455 was quite easy. The bar sits high on your neck almost, and it's much harder to balance. The weight teetered a lot, and as I tried to stabilize it my knee just couldn't take the weight. I think that weight was fine for straight bar, but the SSB is just nuts. It pulls you forward, and there's a lot more pressure on the knee and quad. Too much for mine, apparently.

Not quite sure how to deal with this yet.

[lilmuscleman]

Originally posted by Antaeus
"Safety" Bar squats, 16" high box

135x6x2
185x4
225x3
275
315 suit bottoms
365
405
455 easy
-495 leaned forward, dumped, around 520-530 total weight.
-495 unracked, right leg back, left leg back to a medium-wide stance, bar tilted to left slightly, *pop* left knee blew out.

dumped weight, iced knee. Went to doc Tues, probable ACL tear. I have to wait until the swelling goes down and then have another evaluation, and most likely an MRI to determine damage. Partial tear means 3-6 month rehab, even then only 85% strength recovery, probably no maximum weight bearing. Full tear means surgery, 1 year minimum recovery, again only 85% strength recovery, no maximal weight bearing.

I really thought 495 wouldn't be a problem, as 455 was quite easy. The bar sits high on your neck almost, and it's much harder to balance. The weight teetered a lot, and as I tried to stabilize it my knee just couldn't take the weight. I think that weight was fine for straight bar, but the SSB is just nuts. It pulls you forward, and there's a lot more pressure on the knee and quad. Too much for mine, apparently.

Not quite sure how to deal with this yet.

arrgh i'm really sorry to hear that. good luck bro

[healthy n_fit]

Ya Antaeus, me too. Damn, i hope you get back into the game soon. I know how a few months of no training feels. But, i got stronger way faster when i came back, so maybe you will too...

Damn, are you gonna ever try SSB ever again?? Prob not im guessin.....

[Antaeus]

dude I'm looking at not squatting or deading for a year, maybe two. and even then not heavy. :(

[healthy n_fit]

Originally posted by Antaeus
dude I'm looking at not squatting or deading for a year, maybe two. and even then not heavy. :(


No way. Are you ****ing serious??? You'll come back fast, i know it. :(



BTW, do you got MSN or AIM?

[Antaeus]

Go here for some Meet Pics:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=87063

and and here for some Training Pics:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=87057

[healthy n_fit]

Hahahha, looks much neater now Antaeus! :D

I was wondering what the heck all that writing was! :D

You included deejay's thread in there before... why?

[Antaeus]

Originally posted by healthy n'fit
No way. Are you ****ing serious??? You'll come back fast, i know it. :(



BTW, do you got MSN or AIM?

dude I probably need major knee reconstruction.

sorry i have neither...