Progress, Progress, Progress

[DFisco]

Dynamic Upper

Dynamic Effort (Speed) Bench Press: 50% 1 RM, 60 secs between sets
-Bar x 8
-140 x 3 (9 sets, 3 different grips: 1-little finger on rings, 2-thumbs length from smooth part, 3-index finger on smooth part)

Heavy Triceps-Close Grip Bench Press: work up to 5 RM
-185 x 5
-205 x 5
-225 x 5
-235 x 5
-240 x 5 (PR)

Biceps- Barbell Curls
-Bar x 10
-75 x 10
-95 x 10
-115 x 8 (2 sets, cheat curls)
-95 x 10 (2 sets)
-95 x 16 (Rest-pause- two 15 second recovery periods, breakdown of 10, 3, 3 reps)

Upper Back- Seated DB Cleans

-20s x 10 (5 sets)

Shoulders- DB Military Press

-20s x 10 (3 sets)

Lats- Kroc Rows

-75 x 20 (each side x 3 sets)


Speed bench felt real light today. Close Grip Bench was good, glad to be pressing heavy again.

Seated DB Cleans are no joke.

Did light military press to get my shoulder used to direct work again, didn't want to push my luck too soon.

I only have one adjustable dumbbell and the most weight I can fit on it is 75 lbs, which explains my exercise choice for lats.

Hopefully my shoulder doesn't start hurting, so far so good.

[DFisco]

Good news/Bad News

Good: my right shoulder doesn't hurt

Bad: my left shoulder hurts. Different than what I've experienced with my right, it's more a nerve feeling that travels down the arm and in the armpit when its moved in certain ways.

[Fisco]

old account, look at that

[DFisco]

Legs/GPP

Squats
-135 x 8
-185 x 6
-225 x 6
-275 x 20 (PR)

GHRs
-6 Assisted (2 sets)
-10 Assisted

Weighted Situps
-BW x 20
-25 lbs x 10 (2 sets)
-25 lbs x 15

Backwards Sled Drags
-4 plates x ~30 yards (3 sets)

Front Sled Pulls
-4 plates x ~30 yards (3 sets)

Sled "Sprints"
-4 plates x ~30 yards (2 sets)

20 rep squat was alright, my back was feeling pretty tired by the last couple reps. GHRs are a little harder at home, had my friend hold my ankles down so I could perform them.

Weather channel says its 18 degrees, feels like 4, 25 mph winds, perfect weather for leg and sled work...

My hands were frozen to the bar after I finished the 20 rep squat set.

Hands were freezing doing the sled pulls...I need gloves for next time...I threw a pair of sock on my hands this time.

Getting as low as possible for the backwards sled drags really works the legs. Same thing for leaning into the front pulls and getting the knees up as high as possible. I put the sled's strap through my belt to do the sprints. Next time I'll only do these with 2 plates in order to actually get more speed going instead of just another slow dragging variation.

[DFisco]

Repetition Upper- all reps & exercises done with very slow eccentric and explosive concentric

Chest- Incline DB Press:
-20 x 10
-40 x 10
-65 x 10 (3 sets)

Shoulders- Barbell Military Press:
-20 lb db x 10
-40 lb db x 10
-Bar x 10
-95 x 10 (3 sets)

Triceps- One Arm DB Extension: *
-20 x 10 each side
-30 x 10 each side
-25 x 10 each side (3 sets)

Back Width- Inverted Rows: **
-BW x 12 (3 sets)

Back Thickness- Chest Supported DB High Row: **
-20 x 10 each side
-35 x 10 each side (3 sets)


*these felt really good, focused on real slow negatives to stretch the muscle

**tried to isolate my upper back (mind-muscle connection) for these pulls because my upper back is lagging

I've done all these exercises before with more weight, but doing them with the slow negative really makes them a lot harder.

I'm still trying to figure out what exercises my shoulders are ok with, but I plan on staying away from barbell bench for a while because I feel like it's destroying my shoulders. I'm gonna take a little break from pure strength training for upper body, try some more "bodybuilding" routines. The real benefit I see coming from this is the different rep schemes that I'm not used to.

[DFisco]

Ed Coan Deadlift Program (Week 9)

Deadlifts:
-135 x 8 (Double overhand)
-225 x 5 (DO)
-315 x 5 (DO)
-365 x 5 (DO)
-405 x 1 (Alternate grip)
-435 x 1 (Alt)
-465 x 1 (Alt) (PR)

Speed Deadlifts

-335 x 3 (2 sets) (Alt)

Power Shrugs

-335 x 3 (2 sets) (DO)

Stiff Legged Deadlift

-315 x 5 (2 sets) (DO) (PR)

DB Side Bends

-80 x 10 (each side x 3 sets) (PR)

Two Handed Plate Pinches

-Two 35s x 45 seconds (PR)
-35s x 35 seconds (2 sets)


My back felt a little out of it once I got around 405 (felt HEAVY), but somehow I was still able to hit the single of 465 that I was supposed to. Next week is 475 and I'm gonna be sure to wear my belt for that attempt...I've gone completely beltless so far.

Did 365 x 5 with a double overhand grip which is a grip PR for me.

Plate pinches definitely got stronger since I started them last week, surprised how long I held them.


Here's a video of the 465 x 1 (I can't be bothered to figure out how to rotate the video). Yes you can see my breath because my garage is really cold. Hips came up a little quick because the bar wasn't close enough to my body.

[Quelly]

gotta watch that rounded lumbar buddy, but nice work, 465 beltless is solid

[DFisco]

gotta watch that rounded lumbar buddy, but nice work, 465 beltless is solid

Thanks and I agree, it looks like crap. Can't justify the bad form at all, but I can say that 405 felt extremely heavy, whereas last week it flew up like it was 315. Maybe this should have been a sign for me not to try to hit the 465 x 1 and just bump it back a week.

I'm gonna take it easy on lower body and back accessory work this week (no more 20 rep squats), I wanna be as fresh as possible for the 475 attempt next week...and do it properly.

EDIT- I'll probably beat myself up about my deadlift form until I can prove that it's good.

[Quelly]

Thanks and I agree, it looks like crap. Can't justify the bad form at all, but I can say that 405 felt extremely heavy, whereas last week it flew up like it was 315. Maybe this should have been a sign for me not to try to hit the 465 x 1 and just bump it back a week.

I'm gonna take it easy on lower body and back accessory work this week (no more 20 rep squats), I wanna be as fresh as possible for the 475 attempt next week...and do it properly.

EDIT- I'll probably beat myself up about my deadlift form until I can prove that it's good.

lol, well I'd rather have you beat yourself up than strain a spinal ligament or get a herniated disc

[DFisco]

So starting a new split...getting away from flat barbell benching for a while. Got the idea from a couple other people but adjusted it to my liking:

-Power Upper
-Power Lower
-Hypertrophy Chest/Arms
-Hypertrophy Back/Shoulders
-Hypertrophy Legs

I won't implement it fully until the Coan Deadlift program is finished.

I'm on a cutting diet (credit going to future dietitian Dylan), started 12/22 at 202.8 lbs, and I was 199.8 lbs as of yesterday (01/02). Slow and steady. I don't really expect to be gaining size with this routine while cutting...just switching up routines is all.

Hypertrophy Chest & Arms

DB Flat Bench
-20s x 10
-40s x 10
-60s x 10
-80s x 10 (2 sets)
-75s x 10 (2 sets)

Alternate DB Curls//One Arm DB Extensions
-20 x 10 (each side)//20s x 10
-25 x 10//25s x 10 (3 sets)

DB Flies
-20s x 10 (3 sets)

Hammer Curls//Lying BB Extensions
-20 x 10 (each side)//85 x 10
-25 x 10//95 x 10
-25 x 10 //90 x 10 (2 sets)


Just trying to get an idea what poundage to use for higher rep sets that I'm not used to, I'll adjust these to be more difficult as I go along and figure this out.

I wanted to throw in DB Inclines in here somewhere but it was just too damn cold in my garage to stay in there any longer. Two pairs of socks doesn't cut it for the Jersey cold. Had a pair of socks on my hands too lol.

[DFisco]

IDK

So forget the split I said in my last post (maybe, we'll see).

I was sitting around last night thinking that the gym was getting kinda monotonous and stale. So I just thought about some exercises that would spice up training, came up with these primitive power movements (...I think that sounds cool...):

One Arm DB Push Press:
-25 x 10 (each side)
-45 x 10
-60 x 8
-75 x 5 (5 sets each side)

DB Shrugs:
-80s x 15 (2 sets, with pause at top to squeeze hard)
-80s x 25 (no pause at top)

One Arm DB Floor Press:
-60 x 10 (each side)
-80 x 5 (4 sets each side)

2 sets of this lung busting Complex: 8 reps for each exercise no rest between exercises, 95 lbs
-Front Squat
-Zercher Squat
-Bent over BB Row
-BB Push Press
-Back Squat

Suspended BB Towel Shrugs//Pushups
-135 x 10//BW x 15
-225 x 10//BW x 12 (3 sets)


Drawing a lot of inspiration from Zach Even Esh right now, which is reflected in the workout. I'm gonna see if I can come up with more days similar to this one and cycle them in. Trying to figure out a way to make a heavy sandbag...

[DFisco]

Cardio

HIIT: 10 intervals, ~60 yard sprints

One-legged Calf Raises Doggcrap style: BW x 8 each side

HIIT- rough. cold outside. never had good running capacity.

Calves- these really burn. Did these DC style one straight set. Five second negative, hold fifteen seconds at the bottom fully stretched, explosive concentric, repeat.

[DFisco]

Ed Coan Deadlift Program (Week 10)

So I had a dream last night that I deadlifted pulling sumo style. This interested me because I have never pulled sumo before, so like an idiot I got all amped up to deadlift today (two days before I was supposed to...I deadlift every Friday).

Sumo Deadlifts
-135 x 5
-225 x 5
-315 x 3
-365 x 1
-405 x 1 (see video at bottom)
-445 x 1 Missed twice

Conventional Deadlifts
-445 x 1 (grinder)
-475 x 1 Missed twice
-475 x 1 (PR)

Speed Deadlifts

-335 x 3 (2 sets)


What a conclusion to the Ed Coan Program. Starting max- 425, ending max 475, Fifty lb increase in ten weeks!

The sumo deads felt pretty good actually. It's something that I'll look into training because 405 x 1 felt pretty easy. Idk if it was the 40 lb jump that made me miss, or just my inexperience with this style. These felt pretty easy on the back, more intense on the hips.

I switched to conventional after my sumo misses because I wasn't going to let myself finish the Coan program like a failure. The 445 x 1 was pretty rough to be honest, but I'm guessing this is just because all my warmups were sumo style.

I jumped to 475 which was my projected max for the program, I missed it twice while wearing my belt. Got it about 2 inches off the ground both times and just couldn't go any higher.

I told myself only 3 attempts to get it, on the third attempt I took the belt off, arched hard as hell at the bottom and pulled the sh!t out of the bar. Came up pretty nice, and form felt great. Definitely an improvement over last week's 465 form.

Put the belt back on for my two speed deadlift sets, these actually felt pretty good with the belt and just concentrated on good form wearing a belt.

Closing thoughts on Coan Program- solid stuff, conditions your back in the beginning and the weights just don't let up.

Don't follow your dreams kids, they lie to you.

Here's the 405 x 1 sumo style (I guess you'd call it a modified sumo), came up pretty good. I felt like my dream was pretty wicked at this point...

[DFisco]

Also for anyone interested,

Macros for my diet according to Fitday: ~2520 kcal 48/234.5/263 Fat/Carb/Pro

Here's to lose some bf%!

[George Costanza]

Interesting routine you have going here...very interesting.

Good stuff though brah. Read the OP, sucks about your hand...I know how it feels to be out with an injury and losing a lot of gains.

[DFisco]

Interesting routine you have going here...very interesting.

Good stuff though brah. Read the OP, sucks about your hand...I know how it feels to be out with an injury and losing a lot of gains.

Thanks, staying healthy is the main goal in lifting. You learn from your mistake though, that's all I can say.

[DFisco]

LISS

-25 mins, ~2 miles

[DFisco]

Hypertrophy Shoulders/Arms

Barbell Military Press
-Bar x 10
-65 x 10
-95 x 10
-115 x 8 (4 sets)

Close Grip Bench Press
-Bar x 10
-135 x 10
-185 x 8 (3 sets)

Barbell Curls
-Bar x 10
-65 x 10
-95 x 8 (3 sets)

One Arm DB Extension//Concentration Curls
-25 x 10 (each arm)//25 x 10 (each arm)
-30 x 10 (each arm)//25 x 10 (each arm) (3 sets)

DB Lateral Raises//Hammer Curls
-25 x 10 (each arm)//35 x 10 (each arm)
-25 x 10 (each arm)//30 x 10 (each arm) (2 sets)


Shoulder/Arm hyper day will be different once I'm back at school and have more equipment. BB Military will be switched to seated DB Shoulder press, CGBP wil be dips as long as my shoulders allow it, and ill also throw in rope pushdown//face pulls at the end.

Haven't done db side raises since probably last spring...shoulders liked it.

[DFisco]

Hypertrophy Legs

Front Squats
-Bar x 10
-95 x 10
-135 x 10
Hurt my shoulder too much, switched to regular squats

Back Squats
-135 x 10
-225 x 10
-275 x 10 (3 sets)

Bulgarian Split Squats holding DBs
-20 lb DBs x 10 each leg
-35s x 10 (3 sets) each leg

Situps//Leg Raises
-BW x 20//BW x 10
-BW x 15//BW x 10 (2 sets)

My garage is too cold to do any form of squatting effectively. It's usually around 20 degrees in there so I can't keep my legs warmed up enough. The 275 felt really heavy, and my back was letting me know.

Good news I really liked the bulgarian split squats with dbs. I used to do these with a bb but I can balance much easier with the dbs.

[DFisco]

LISS

-25 mins, ~2 miles

[Squizzzer]

Balancing is certainly harder with bb on bss but i like it much more

[DFisco]

Balancing is certainly harder with bb on bss but i like it much more

I hear ya...it was at the point where I couldn't get more than three reps in a row using bb without having to reset with my left leg lol. Right leg was fine, but left's balance was terrible.

Never thought I'd say this...but I can't wait to get back to ru's gym...where I'll have some different options...and warmth.

[DFisco]

http://www.broslikethissite.com/2009...t-lifting.html

Funny site

[DFisco]

Worst Day Ever

Floor Presses
-35 lb dbs x 10
-Bar x 10
-135 x 8
-185 x 5
-225 x 5

Stopped bc it felt heavy and didnt have a spotter, just didn't feel safe, so I switched to one arm DB floor press...

-80 x 5 (each arm)
-100 x 5 (each arm) 2 sets, only 4 reps with right arm on second set, wtf

Rack Chins
-BW x 10
-BW + 25 lb plate x 8 (5 sets)

One Arm DB Push Press
-60 x 5 (each arm)
-75 x 5 left arm, 75 x 0 right arm wtf
-75 x 5 right arm

Close Grip Bench Press
-Bar x 10
-135 x 5
-185 x 5
-205 x 5 (2 sets)

BB Curls
-Bar x 8
-95 x 5
-115 x 5 (3 sets)

...worst day I have ever had lifting. Started off fine enough...felt like I could have done my 5 x 5 on Floor Press w/ 225 if I had a spotter, but from there everything went down hill. I can only do one arm db floor press because there's no way for me to get two heavy dbs into position, and when using one it really pulls your whole body to one side messing up the exercise. Really confused me when I couldn't get the last rep with my right arm.

Don't know what happened with db push press either...last week I did 75 x 5 for 5 sets each arm, today I got one set each arm, and first time setting up with my right arm I couldn't even press it once. Big disappointment.

Wanted to do 225 of CGBP for 3 sets, didn't happen.

So I didn't hit one exercise with the minimum amount of weight, reps, or sets that I had planned.

Compound this with the fact that my diet isn't really working even though I've been following it exactly. I'm up in weight since last weigh in, which really confuses me because since then I started doing one hiit and two liss sessions. It's just frustrating to put in all the work diet wise and then it does nothing when you weigh in, feels like it's just a waste of time. Dylan if you see this I'm not mad at you helping me with the diet, I actually really appreciate it and hope we can figure it out, I'm just pissed at myself and ranting.

So put together all this crap and you get a really pissed off Dion.

Oh yea, my shoulder hurts again.

[Active247]

i gotta stop in here more often! haha... good stuff dude

[DFisco]

HIIT + Calves

HIIT- sprints

One Legged Calf Raises DC Style- BW x 8 each leg

[DFisco]

[DFisco]

Hypertrophy Chest/Back & LISS

DB Incline
-35 x 10
-55 x 10
-65 x 10 (4 sets)

Rack Chins
-BW x 12
-20 x 12
-Fat Gripz x 6 wtf sht's rough
-20 x 6
-20 x 12

DB Flat
-60 x 8
-75 x 8 (3 sets)

One Arm DB Row Never done these this slow and controlled before, still easy though
-60 x 10 (5 sets each side)

DB Flies//Seated DB Clean
-25 x 10//20 x 10
-20 w/ fat gripz x 10//20 x 10
-20 w/ fat gripz x 10//20 x 10

DB Shrugs
-80 x 12 (3 sets)

Double Overhand Fat Gripz BB Shrugs
-135 x 10
-225 x 3 lol
-185 x 5 lol
-135 x 15

Band Pull Aparts
-50 total reps

LISS
-25 mins, ~ 1.7 miles (mapmyrun.com)


Something about barbells have been getting to me lately. Same thing goes for brunettes...but that's a different story.

Dbs feel fine even though my shoulder has been feeling less than stellar lately.

Let me say fat gripz are a bitch (fatgripz.com, check them out). They simulate a thick bar for a hell of a lot less $$$, and they work way better than wrapping a towel around the bar.

-Threw them on the bar when I was doing rack chins...barely got 6 reps.
-Put them on dbs when I was doing flies bc it seemed to take a little stress off my shoulder...maybe that was just the reduced weight idk.

The real killer was bb shrugs with them using a double overhand grip. Deadlifting 365 double overhand for reps, CoC grippers, and plate pinches really didn't prepare me for the kind of squeeze you need to do with these bad boys.

I don't have big hands so maybe they're a little easier for other people, but 225 x 3 was pretty humbling for me.

LISS- I get these crazy pumps/fatigue in my tibialis anterior (google images lol) about halfway through walking...makes me feel like I'm walking in molasses...idk guess I have to strengthen them.

[DFisco]

Weight

199.2 (-0.8)

Let's see if it actually keeps going down this time instead of down and right back to where it was on the next weigh in.

[DFisco]

Hypertrophy Shoulders/Arms & Misc. Grip

Corner Presses
-Bar x 10
-Bar + 25 x 10
-Bar + 45 x 10
-Bar + 70 x 10
-Bar + 90 x 10
-Bar + 100 x 10 (3 sets) (PR)

Rolling DB Tricep Extensions
-35s x 10
-40s x 10 (3 sets)

BB Curls
-Bar x 8
-65 x 8
-95 x 8 (3 sets)

One Arm DB Extensions//Concentration Curls
-35 x 10//20 x 10 w/ Fat Gripz
-35 x 10//25 x 10 (2 sets)

Lateral Raise//Hammer Curls
-20 x 10//20 x 10 w/ Fat Gripz
-20 x 10 w/ Fat Gripz//35 x 10
-20 x 10 w/ Fat Gripz//30 x 10

One Arm DB Push Press
-35 x 8
-50 x 8
stopped bc shoulder was getting irritated

Two Handed Plate Pinches//Weighted Situps
-2 35s x 34 sec//25 x 15
-2 35s x 36 sec//25 x 15
-2 35s x 31 sec//25 x 15

Double Overhand Static Holds w/ Fat Gripz
-135 x 21 sec
-135 x 17 sec
-135 x 17 sec


So my shoulder's been irritated since last week when I did military bb press. Idk if anything I did today made it worse, nothing hurt while I was doing it, so it's hard to tell.

First time ever doing corner presses, they felt better on the shoulders than military bb did last week. I subbed rolling tricep extensions in place of dips. For lateral raise I could tell my shoulder was a little "burning" by then so instead of normal lateral raises I did the first portion of an L Lateral Raise, just without the external rotation. Idk if these really did much. The hammer curls with 35 got a little cheaty by the end and I think that may have flared my shoulder up. I'll switch these with alt db curls.

One arm db press was just done to see how my shoulders would respond...and let's just say I'll stick to corner press and try out seated db press once I go back to RU.

My grip was already kinda toast before I got to the grip work from using the fat gripz yesterday, but still decent.

This is a day I'm still experimenting with to see what exercises are ok for the shoulder.