Bo Flecks' Training Lean and Power Density Experiment

[ArchAngel'73]

Happy belated birthday Steve and LOL @ the civilian at the buffet!

Have you thought of taking your back out of the equation in squats by only doing a ROM that doesn't affect it?
Imo, 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 movements are prefectly acceptable when dealing with an injury. just my $.02.

[bamazav]

Happy belated Birthday.

[Bo_Flecks]

Tuesday 11/20/12- Back/Triceps/Abs/Calves "B Week" Rotation

Wide Grip Pull Ups
11xBW+35
11xBW+35
11xBW+35
11xBW+35
12xBW+35

One Arm Dumbbell Rows
11x90
11x90
11x90
11x90
12x90

V- Grip Pull-ups
11xBW+35
11xBW+35
11xBW+35
11xBW+35
12xBW+35

Decline Close Grip Bench Press
11x205
11x205
11x205
11x205
12x205

OH Dumbbell Tricep Extensions
11x92 1/2
11x92 1/2
11x92 1/2
11x92 1/2
12x92 1/2

Reverse Grip Bench Press
11x185
11x185
11x185
11x185
12x185

Hanging Knee Raises-Obliques
(left)
10xBW+20
10xBW+20
10xBW+20
10xBW+20
10xBW+20
(right)
10xBW+20
10xBW+20
10xBW+20
10xBW+20
10xBW+20

Decline Crunches
15xBW+25
15xBW+25
15xBW+25
15xBW+25
15xBW+25

Seated Calf Raises
15x275
15x275
15x275
15x275
15x275

Observations
Workmanlike session. Pretty typical of what I intend to continue doing. Nothing really exciting to see here. Just methodical forward progression.

Back Workout
Wide Grip Pull Ups:
Wide grip, working to flare the lats out as much as possible at the bottom of this movement.
One Arm Dumbbell Rows:
Pretty straight forward DB rowing. Controlling the cadence of the reps to keep as much tension on the lats as possible.
V-Grip Pull-ups
Really just a hammer grip pull-up, flaring the lats out as much as possible at the bottom of this movement.

Tricep Workout
Decline Close Grip Bench Press:
Performed at a 30 degree decline with the thumbs about 10 inches apart.
OH Dumbbell Tricep Extensions:
The staple for working the medial head of the tricep. Very little forearm tendon stress at this angle.
Reverse Grip Bench Press
Hands about 15 inches apart, and elbows coming right down along my rib cage.

Direct Ab Work
Hanging Knee Raises-Obliques
Focusing on the obliques a little more for the time being. Turning the hips and pulling the legs up with the obliques from the hanging position.
Decline Crunches
Trying to really burn the abs here with a little more weight.

Calf Workout
Seated Calf Raises:
Soleus focused calf work.

Final Thoughts
My sinuses are still nowhere near normal. It does not seem to be messing with my workouts much, so I guess I will not complain.

[-=FLEX=-]

Just methodical forward progression.

Pretty much my mantra as well; I slacked off on writing in my journal at the gym for a while. I've started doing so again. I start by writing the weights/reps I did the prior week and just try to make some improvement.

[Lou1se]

Regular people eh?

When I read your observations above I did a double take as I'd read- Womanlike Session

Your workouts look like punishment!

Methodical means it's in the plan, the changes will come.

[drudixon]

Nice workout! Love those 35lb pull ups. 12 is nuts. Interesting about flaring at the bottom. I'll have to try that.

Sry bout the sinuses. Hay fever?

[BergMuscle]

"Workmanlike" pretty much sums up what I've been doing as well. Nothing earth-shattering; just plain good work getting the job done.

My sinus are just starting to act "normal" after I-don't-know-how-many weeks. Didn't hurt my training either, but is/was a darned nusiance.

[cmoore]

Just methodical forward progression

Progress is always exciting to see. Just sayin...

Happy Turkey.

[bamazav]

Enjoy your Turkey day there in the woods.

[ljimd]

Have great holiday there buddy.

[Bo_Flecks]

Thursday 11/22/12- Shoulders/Traps/Legs "B Week" Rotation

Seated Overhead Barbell Press
10x195
10x195
10x195
10x195
12x195

Barbell Front Raise
12x65
12x65
12x65
12x65
12x65

Bent Lateral Raises
12x50
12x50
12x50
12x50
12x50

Medium Grip Barbell Shrugs
12x250
12x250
12x250
12x250
12x250

Seated Dumbbell Shrugs
12x90
12x90
12x90
12x90
12x90

Barbell Squats
15x175
15x175
15x175
15x175
15x175

Lying Leg Curls
10x60
10x60
10x60
10x60
10x60

Calf Presses
25x460
25x460
25x460
25x460

Observations
Because of Turkey Day traveling, this workout had to be done very early in the morning. With my nutrition being such as it is on this mass gaining phase, pre-workout carb timing is not critical, so adjustments like this are real easy to make right now.

Shoulder Workout
Seated Overhead Barbell Press:
Bringing the bar down just below my chin until the backs of my arms go past the parallel plane. Any deeper than this and my delts disengage and my triceps take over.
Barbell Front Raises:
Performed with an EZ Bar. Raising the bar to just above shoulder level, and then controlling a slow negative for the burn.
Bent Lateral Raises:
Chest supported at a 30 degree angle. Concentrating on pulling the dumbbells up with the elbows, forcing the work to be done by the rear delts.

Trap Workout
Medium Grip Barbell Shrugs:
Chest supported at a 60 degree angle forcing the traps to pull a little more from the top. Holding and squeezing..
Seated Dumbbell Shrugs:
Dumbbells brought around a little more to the back to try and focus on the top of my traps. Performed seated on my SuperBench, back supported at an 80 degree angle.

Legs
Barbell Squats:
Taking these just past parallel. The higher rep work started today.

Lying Leg Curls:
Controlled cadence with a short hold at the top and a slow negative.
Calf Presses:
Hi rep work with the feet together and toes straight forward to hit the belly of the calves.

Final Thoughts
It will be nice to eat a holiday meal where I will not be trying to manage my macros and calories. I am going to eat what I want, as much as I want, and not a single **** will be given.

[ironwill2008]

This morning, we went to the buffet for breakfast. I stopped at the omelet station, and ordered one with tomatoes and cheese. The lady chef glanced over at my plate which had some biscuits and gravy, a few strips of bacon, and a cinnamon roll on it. She looked up at me and said, "Honey, if you keep eatin' like this, you won't have that physique for long."

I told her, "Today is leg day." She hit me with a Bert stare. lulz

Regular people are funny.

Lulz.








As an aside to the above remark from the civilian, it's always of great interest to me how nutrition can at once be both very simple and very complicated.

Barbell Squats
15x175
15x175
15x175
15x175
15x175

Good deal getting these in here.

It will be nice to eat a holiday meal where I will not be trying to manage my macros and calories. I am going to eat what I want, as much as I want, and not a single **** will be given.

FTW.

[bamazav]

Final Thoughts[/b]
It will be nice to eat a holiday meal where I will not be trying to manage my macros and calories. I am going to eat what I want, as much as I want, and not a single **** will be given.

Doing the same. It is the only way to enjoy the day. Happy Thanksgiving.

[Vytis]

First off Happy Belated Birthday Steve!

Lovin' your buffet selections.

Happy Thanksgiving - enjoy your meal.

[BergMuscle]

Love the "Final Thoughts" (and the rest of the work as well, but...) - very much my attitude today as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Bo_Flecks]

LOL, excellent response.

Yep. I was trolling her a little. I figured she would not have a clue what I was talking about, but I took what she said as a complement so I thought I would have some fun with her.

Happy belated birthday Steve and LOL @ the civilian at the buffet!

I really did have a mound of food on that plate, but hey, it was a buffet. I was in the mood to try a bunch of stuff, and if I did not like it, no biggie.

Have you thought of taking your back out of the equation in squats by only doing a ROM that doesn't affect it?
Imo, 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 movements are prefectly acceptable when dealing with an injury. just my $.02.

I think I have my ROM right. The fragileness I felt in my lower back was probably due to being sick. The session this week felt solid.

Happy belated Birthday.

The competition was the real 50th birthday celebration. I am glad I had it out of the way because by the time I actually got to my birthday, I was sick and felt like an old man.

Enjoy your Turkey day there in the woods.

We ended up going to visit grandma and grandpa for Thanksgiving this year. The kids loved the visit, and my wife loved not having to fix the dinner.

Pretty much my mantra as well; I slacked off on writing in my journal at the gym for a while. I've started doing so again. I start by writing the weights/reps I did the prior week and just try to make some improvement.

I am going to be living on those small forward progressions for the next year. I always seem to hurt myself somehow when I get greedy, so methodical and controlled will be the protocol.

Regular people eh?

Yeah, I figure calling them regular people is much more socially acceptable than calling them lard a$$es.

When I read your observations above I did a double take as I'd read- Womanlike Session

Your workouts look like punishment!

Methodical means it's in the plan, the changes will come.

I have nothing really exciting planned for my training over the next nine months. There probably will not be many pics added to the write-ups since I am basically going to stay buttered over during this mass gaining phase.

Nice workout! Love those 35lb pull ups. 12 is nuts. Interesting about flaring at the bottom. I'll have to try that.

I do not drop to a dead hang at the bottom. If I do, it is really tough on my connective tissue. Dropping low enough to be able to see the lats flare out at the bottom is plenty deep to get the job done.

Sry bout the sinuses. Hay fever?

Nope. Some kind of a virus. It has pretty much run the course through my family. When you have three little kids running around the house who are exposed to all kinds of crud at school, it is just inevitable that we have a constant run of snotty noses in the winter.

"Workmanlike" pretty much sums up what I've been doing as well. Nothing earth-shattering; just plain good work getting the job done.

Yep. Sometimes it seems a bit redundant to write these workouts up. I am surprised anyone even bothers to come in and look them over. Pretty much the same stuff, over and over.

My sinus are just starting to act "normal" after I-don't-know-how-many weeks. Didn't hurt my training either, but is/was a darned nusiance.

I have started turning the corner on mine, too. Yesterday was the first day in over a week I did not use nose spray just so I could breath through my nostrils.

Progress is always exciting to see. Just sayin...

The progress is finally starting to come again. I have been a little impatient with it following the break I took after the competition. I still do not have the nutritional aspect of this mass gaining phase worked out to my liking. I definitely have some adjusting that still needs to be done.

Have great holiday there buddy.

The holiday has been great. It has given me a lot of time to be with my little ones. Having time off at the same time as my children is just one of the perks of being a teacher.

As an aside to the above remark from the civilian, it's always of great interest to me how nutrition can at once be both very simple and very complicated.

I am feeling my way through the nutritional aspect of the mass gaining phase. My body just ballooned up 8lbs in five days, so things need to be backed down.

Good deal getting these in here.

I will stick with the 175lbs on the squats until I can get 5 sets of 20, and then I will start slowly moving the weight up. Since they are my secondary leg workout for the week, there is no reason to get too greedy with them.

First off Happy Belated Birthday Steve!

Lovin' your buffet selections.

Happy Thanksgiving - enjoy your meal.

I gave myself six weeks to recover some body weight, and get myself back on track for mass gaining, but now I need to make some nutritionally adjustments. Gaining body weight back is actually a much trickier process than cutting. It is not nearly as linear, and can get away from you quickly.

At first, my body did not want to gain anything back. Then, it seemed to settle in and start responding predictably to the extra food. Then all of the sudden it just went crazy and added a bunch of weight all at once. I will get this figured out. All just part of the process.

[ironwill2008]

I will stick with the 175lbs on the squats until I can get 5 sets of 20, and then I will start slowly moving the weight up. Since they are my secondary leg workout for the week, there is no reason to get too greedy with them.

Good deal, Steve. Slow and steady is the way to go, especially with such a basic exercise (and your back issue).

[Bo_Flecks]

Saturday 11/24/12- Chest/Biceps "A Week" Rotation

Incline Barbell Bench Press
12x225
12x225
12x225
12x225
12x225

Decline Barbell Bench Press
12x185
12x185
12x185
12x185
12x185

Decline Dumbbell Flyes
12x70
12x70
12x70
12x70
12x70

Incline DB Curls
12x40
12x40
12x40
12x40
15x40

Tricep Bar Spider Curls
11x155
11x155
11x155
11x155
11x155

Spider Concentration Curls
11x45
11x45
11x45
11x45
11x45

Wrist Curls
10x95
10x95
10x95
10x95
10x95

Observations
The sinus problems I have had for the past week and a half were less of an issue today. Still a bit of an annoyance, but better. Things are finally starting to gel in the gym again.

Chest Workout
Incline Barbell Bench Press:
Controlled reps focusing on working the pecs with the weight. The sets of 12 with 225lbs was all I wanted today.
Decline Barbell Bench Press
I changed my grip on this one today by widening my hands 4 inches. This seemed to put more impact on the pecs and less on the triceps and delts. Dropping the bar just below my sternum.
Decline Dumbbell Flyes:
Hug the tree form to concentrate totally on the pecs. Performed on my SuperBench at a 30 degree decline angle to achieve a good stretch.

Bicep Workout
Incline DB Curls
The bench angle is at 60 degrees. I started the dumbbells at the bottom in the hammer position and put a quarter twist on them as I raised them to their apex.
Tricep Bar Spider Curls:
Chest supported at a 45 degree angle. Using a total hang at the bottom to stretch the bis, and then pulling the bar to the apex. This is my heavy work for the biceps to try and add size.
Spider Concentration Curls
Chest supported at a 45 degree angle. Using a total hang working both dumbbells simultaneously and getting a good squeeze at the top.

Forearm Workout
Wrist Curls:
Continuing the rehab work on my forearm tendons.

Final Thoughts
Now I am off to eat Thanksgiving II with the in-laws. Should be a pretty good post-workout meal .

[bamazav]

Workman like, as usual. Hope you had a great weekend. I ate a ton of stuff I don't normally eat, more carbs than normal but kept within my caloric boundary. Ready to start back on Monday?

[BergMuscle]

Interesting how a slight change in grip on the declines can change how the target muscles get hit. I always try to keep aware of what's happening with my pecs during chest work vs. the tricpes and delts.

Enjoy Thanksgiving II - yeah, that should be a good post-WO feeding.

[alex2363]

Saturday 11/24/12- Chest/Biceps "A Week" Rotation

Incline Barbell Bench Press
12x225
12x225
12x225
12x225
12x225

Decline Barbell Bench Press
12x185
12x185
12x185
12x185
12x185

Decline Dumbbell Flyes
12x70
12x70
12x70
12x70
12x70

Incline DB Curls
12x40
12x40
12x40
12x40
15x40

Tricep Bar Spider Curls
11x155
11x155
11x155
11x155
11x155

Spider Concentration Curls
11x45
11x45
11x45
11x45
11x45

Wrist Curls
10x95
10x95
10x95
10x95
10x95

Observations
The sinus problems I have had for the past week and a half were less of an issue today. Still a bit of an annoyance, but better. Things are finally starting to gel in the gym again.

Chest Workout
Incline Barbell Bench Press:
Controlled reps focusing on working the pecs with the weight. The sets of 12 with 225lbs was all I wanted today.
Decline Barbell Bench Press
I changed my grip on this one today by widening my hands 4 inches. This seemed to put more impact on the pecs and less on the triceps and delts. Dropping the bar just below my sternum.
Decline Dumbbell Flyes:
Hug the tree form to concentrate totally on the pecs. Performed on my SuperBench at a 30 degree decline angle to achieve a good stretch.

Bicep Workout
Incline DB Curls
The bench angle is at 60 degrees. I started the dumbbells at the bottom in the hammer position and put a quarter twist on them as I raised them to their apex.
Tricep Bar Spider Curls:
Chest supported at a 45 degree angle. Using a total hang at the bottom to stretch the bis, and then pulling the bar to the apex. This is my heavy work for the biceps to try and add size.
Spider Concentration Curls
Chest supported at a 45 degree angle. Using a total hang working both dumbbells simultaneously and getting a good squeeze at the top.

Forearm Workout
Wrist Curls:
Continuing the rehab work on my forearm tendons.

Final Thoughts
Now I am off to eat Thanksgiving II with the in-laws. Should be a pretty good post-workout meal .

In on pics of meal

[Bo_Flecks]

Sunday 11/25/12- Legs "A Week" Rotation

Leg press-Wide Foot Position
12x700
12x700
12x700
12x700
12x700

Leg press-Narrow Foot Position
12x550
12x550
12x550
12x550
12x550

Hack Squats
12x400
12x400
12x400
12x400
12x400

Lying Leg Curls
10x65
10x65
10x65
10x65
12x65

Glute-Ham Raise
12xBW
12xBW
12xBW
12xBW
15xBW

Leg Press Calf Raises w/Toes turned out
15x600
15x600
15x600
15x600
15x600

Leg Press Calf Presses w/Toes in
15x600
15x600
15x600
15x600
15x600

Observations
My legs were much stronger than last week, but the sinus problem I have been having was a bit of an issue today. I am trying to ride this thing out, but I may have a visit to the doctor in my near future.

My wife always gives me trouble because I will continue to train when I feel like crap. It is just what I do.

Quad Workout
Leg Press: Wide Foot Position
Weight increased by 80lbs and rep increase. Heels are about 15 inches apart with the quads coming down well to the outside of my chest at the bottom of the movement.
Leg Press: Narrow Foot Position
Weight increased by 30lbs and rep increase. Heels are about 5 inches apart with the quads coming down and pressing against my chest at the bottom of the movement.
Hack Squats:
Reps increased. The feet are positioned to put as much emphasis on the outer sweep of the quad as possible.

Hamstring Workout
Lying Leg Curls:
Steady cadence with a short hold at the top and a slow negative.
Glute-Ham Raise:
Slow rep cadence on this one to totally focus on how the hammies pulling. Wide knee position which brings a little more of the upper hamstrings into play.

Calf Workout
Leg Press Calf Presses- Toes turned out:
Reps increased. Gastrocnemius focused.
Leg Press Calf Presses- Toes in:
Reps increased. Tibialis focused.

Final Thoughts
Things are beginning to gel in the gym again, but from my perspective the workouts are a little overshadowed by the sinus problem and peripheral issues brought on by it. It makes me wonder just how much stress I am putting on my CNS.

[baker]

Solid leg session SteBo!

[Getsum]

My wife always gives me trouble because I will continue to train when I feel like crap. It is just what I do.

I can relate.

Solid work and impressive volume as usual Steve!

[BergMuscle]

My wife always gives me trouble because I will continue to train when I feel like crap. It is just what I do.

That's just what we do.

[FlaIronMind]

I can relate.

Solid work and impressive volume as usual Steve!

x 3.

Excellent work brother. Well done.

Glad you had a great Thanksgiving my friend.

[alex2363]

hope all gets better w the sinuses, i know it sucks.

[Lou1se]

Get well Steve. I don't know how you keep plodding thru with it hanging about for so long. Last thing you want to do is run yourself into the ground.

[Bo_Flecks]

In on pics of meal

Meh. My Thanksgiving meals were really nothing too special. My most difficult decision was to go with or without desserts. I chose to go without. Because of that, I may be one of the few guys on the boards who lost weight over the Thanksgiving weekend. Dropped from 191 to 188lbs.

That was probably pretty good. Jumping up to 191lbs this soon after the competition was much too fast, anyway. I still have some nutritional adjusting to do.

Solid leg session SteBo!

I paid for it. It drove my CNS to the brink. I will get to that in a minute.

I can relate.

Typically, I can get away with it. The fact that I have a bacterial infection has complicated things some. I came up out of the gym, and my wife told me I looked like I had been hit by a truck.

That's just what we do.

Yep. Most of the time we get away with it. Sometimes we do not. Sometimes I push myself to the point where I cannot get myself well. That is what I did this time.

Glad you had a great Thanksgiving my friend.

The best part of the Thanksgiving weekend was Friday when we got the Christmas tree and decorations out. My kids are still young enough that Christmas time still holds the magic, awe and wonder of the whole thing. With my oldest ones just turning 7, I am afraid this might be the last year for that.

hope all gets better w the sinuses, i know it sucks.

Get well Steve. I don't know how you keep plodding thru with it hanging about for so long. Last thing you want to do is run yourself into the ground.

Well... there is a back story to all of this that I have not shared.

Many of you know that I had a heart procedure 5 1/2 years ago to take care of an electrical problem. The surgeon told me I was cured of the SVTs, but not the palpitations I get sometimes. The palpitations are magnified when I get some sort of bacterial infection as in this case where I have a sinus infection. The palpitations are harmless, but very annoying.

As I continued to train with maximum intensity, and the sinus infection lingered, the palpitations increased. It got to the point where I decided it was time to see my doc and get an antibiotic because it was not going away.

Saw my doc yesterday, and explained the situation. She felt my glands, looked up my nose and said, "Oh yeah... we have a good one here." I told her the palpitations were pretty annoying while I was training. When she found out that I continued my training with a sinus infection of this magnitude, she literally looked at me like this:



We both agreed that I have my CNS pretty heavily taxed at the moment. Anyway, she suggested that I take a few days off, and when the antibiotic had me feeling better, I could start hitting the iron again.

We both chuckled about it a little, and then I reminded her very matter-of-factly that the reason I was there in the first place was so she could help me continue to do what I do.

So...

Un-scheduled De-load

I am taking Augmentin right now and already feeling a little better. The doc told me I should be feeling a lot better in 48 hours, and that my high intensity training should be able to start back up on the weekend. No biggie it was about time for a de-load anyway. Hopefully she was right, and I will be set to rumble on Saturday. If not, the iron will be there when I am ready.

[Payton1221]

With you being the king of volume in these parts, I thought you might appreciate some points that Pavel makes in his Power to the People book. The book is really designed for people who want to get strong without accumulating any size (I thought "there's a wasted $20), but he tells of a story where one branch of the Russian Military/Police had a section that trained "for show." Unlike the other branches, they were their "Hollywood" branch of sorts, and unlike the other groups that trained heavy but with few reps and few sets (3x3 was a typical workout), the Hollywood group that wanted to look the part of big and bad trained with . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . VOLUME! This is when he gives his "Russian Bear" program which is basically a reverse pyramid where you end up at 20% of your first set and continue it until your form breaks down--kind of interesting how the volume is self-regulating where somedays you'll have more sets than others.