Journey to a natural pro card

[ebomb55]

Great log
Well done on your training

Thanks man! Appreciate it!

[DiamondMaker]

Oh **** you're working out at steel now? Just signed up too, awesome gym.

[ebomb55]

Oh **** you're working out at steel now? Just signed up too, awesome gym.

Haha, really? Awesome man, we should get a workout in sometime.

[ebomb55]

8.22.12

Cardio, Calves, Abs

Slight Decline Straight Leg Raises
3 sets to failure

Machine Crunches
3 x 12

Aerodyne Bike HIIT
5 minutes warmup
5 intervals: 30 seconds all out/3 minutes 30 seconds medium

Calf Work
Standing Calf Raises/Tibia Raise
3 supersets, 10-15 reps on each

At Steel, the aerodyne bikes are very 'bare bones', as they have no tracker for RPM, calories, heart rate, etc...just time. These were the toughest intervals I've done on a bike in a while and it likely had to do with the bike not coasting at all. I'm pumped that they have a tibia raise here, as doing 3-5 sets of these in addition to my calf work 3-5 times a week should really spark some growth. 17.5 here I come!! Right now my calves are about 16.25 and I think with the right frequency, I can add good size.

[DiamondMaker]

I'm pumped that they have a tibia raise here, as doing 3-5 sets of these in addition to my calf work 3-5 times a week should really spark some growth. 17.5 here I come!! Right now my calves are about 16.25 and I think with the right frequency, I can add good size.

Tibia raise is very cool but have you tried the standing raise yet? I was at first exicited since ive never seen one go to 495lb but it was way too easy, I was actually able to do 495 one-legged.
The donkey raise machine seems a little better but it's almost more of a hamstring stretch then anything else.

[ebomb55]

Tibia raise is very cool but have you tried the standing raise yet? I was at first exicited since ive never seen one go to 495lb but it was way too easy, I was actually able to do 495 one-legged.
The donkey raise machine seems a little better but it's almost more of a hamstring stretch then anything else.

Ya, the tibia raise is great, especially for those without mutant calves like you ahah!

The standing machine is a joke lol, 495 feels like 200-250 on the machine at my other gym. I really like the donkey calf raise, but you can get too much hammie involvement if you don't position yourself correctly from the start.

[ebomb55]

8.23.12

Arms
Rope Pushdown Warmups
3 sets

Superset 1: Rope Pushdown/Standing Dumbbell Curls (same time)
12/45 x 8
12/50 x 8
12/45 x 8
12/40 x 8

Superset 2: Bench Dips/Barbell Curls w/3 Second Negative
45 lb x failure/40 + bar x 6
45 lb x failure/60 + bar x 6
45 lb x failure/80 + bar x 6
Bw to failure/50 + bar x 6

Strive Plate-Loaded Preacher Curls/Bentover Rope Extensions
75 lb x 8/100 x 12
75 x 8/120 x 12
50 x 8/130 x 12
50 x 8/70 x 12

Seated Calf Raise/Tibia Raises
50 x 10/12 LR
100 x 10/15
120 x 10/8, 12 LR
140 x 3 x 10/10 LR

Awesome arm/calf session. Pumps were other -worldly haha! The arm supersets that Meadows prescribes always fill my entire arm with so much blood it's hard to move. I'm loving the tibia raises, been supersetting them with all calf movements and can't wait to see the results in a few months.

[ebomb55]

8.25.12

Legs
Lying Hamstring Curl
3 warmup sets
Work sets: 150 x 10, 11, 9, 8, 7, 5 (20 seconds rest between sets)

Safety Bar Squats (all sets done with 3 second negative, no lockout)
95 x 8
135 x 8
225 x 8
275 x 8
315 x 8
Work sets: 325 x 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 (6x6, ouch!)

Leg Press (close stance, medium placement, continuous tension)
2 pps x 20
5 pps x 20
Work sets:
8 pps x 40, 9 pps x 25, 7 pps x around 60 (hah)

Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts (stretch focus)
70 x 10, 80 x 10

Standing Calf Raises/Tibia Raises
7 sets of 8/8 LR

Wow. Brutal, brutal leg session. This was day 1 on John Meadows' infamous 'creeping death program,' and all I can say is progress will be made!

[tommohawk9]

I see your still killing it.
Stole your arm workout today and it was amazing... crazy pump!

[ebomb55]

I see your still killing it.
Stole your arm workout today and it was amazing... crazy pump!

Haha, always killin it!

Glad you had a good session!

[ebomb55]

This is the final set of 6 in the 6x6. All sets at 325. Felt really good.

[Jab1]

So strong.

[ebomb55]

So strong.

Thanks brotha!
Had much more in the tank, but that was the goal on this 6x6 :P.

[ebomb55]

8.26.12

Chest/Shoulders/Triceps/Back/Calves

Banded HS Incline Press (1 doubled mini band each side)
Warmups: 1 pps x 8, 1 + 25 x 8, 2 pps x 6
Worksets: 2 pps + 25 x6, 2 pps + 35 x6, 2 pps + 20 x 6,

Superset:
Dumbbell Incline Flye-Press/Incline Barbell Press
50 x 8/185 x 12
55 x 8/205 x 9
55 x 2x8/205 x 2x6
(hardest incline bench I've ever used haha)

Pec Dec (2 second squeeze)/Pec Minor Dips/Bottom-Half Regular Dips
10/8-failure
4 sets like this

Banded Smith Incline JM Press (minis)
25/side x 2x8
20/side x 2x8

High Cable Rear Laterals (1 second flex)
30 x 15
40 x 15
30 x 15
Partials
30 x 50 (woahh)

Neutral Grip Pulldowns (bar a little wider than shoulder width)
Worksets: 150 x 20, 180 x 17, 200 x 14, 210 x 11, 220 x 8

Standing Calf Raise (20-30 seconds rest between sets)
300 x 8, 330 x 8, 360 x 8, 390 x 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
Tibia Raises
4 sets, 8 LR

Awesome overall session. HS Presses felt strong and the incline Flye press/bench superset was also good. Incline bench here is weird and almost impossible to unrack, so on my last set I had a lift off and it was much easier. Machine pec dec/dip superset gave me a nasty pump and the JM presses left my tri's full. The rear Delt cable burnout was rough and pulldowns were a nice last movement to get a little back work in.

[ebomb55]

Just a video of one of the sets of banded HS incline. Goal was to explode on every rep, stop just before lockout, and lower controlled.

[Jab1]

Those look pretty awesome. Need to get me some bands!

[ebomb55]

Those look pretty awesome. Need to get me some bands!

Ya, I love banded HS or barbell presses for chest/triceps and they're great on leg press too!

[ebomb55]

8.27.12

Cardio/Abs

5 minutes elliptical warmup
5 minutes step-mill warmup
5 intervals: 45 seconds 'all-out'/3 minutes medium
10 minutes cooldown

Superset:
Standing Rope Crunches/V-Ups
4 supersets, 8 work sets

The usual off-day work. Back/biceps tomorrow.

[ebomb55]

8.28.12

Back/Biceps/Calves

Meadows Rows
2 warmup sets
Work sets: 120 x 8 LR, 135 x 8 LR, 145 x 8 LR, 135 x 8 LR, 130 x 8 LR

Rack Deads (flex lats hard on negative, 2-3 second eccentric)/Wide Grip Pullups (sternum style)
Warmups: 135 x 5, 225 x 5, 315 x 5, 405 x 5
Work sets:
495 x 4/8
495 x 4/7
495 x 4/6
495 x 4 (switched to assisted) x 8
495 x 4/8
(tough!)

Stretchers
100 x 10, 120 x 10, 130 x 10, 10, 110 x 10

Cable Curls
5 sets, 8-10, 1 set of 40 partials

Banded Hypers (mini + monster mini)
15 banded/10 bw
3 sets

Standing Calf Raise/Tibia Raises (30 seconds between superset)
285 x 8/20 x 8 LR
330 8/10 x 10 LR
360 x 8/30 x 6 LR/8 both legs
405 x 8/30 x 10
405 x 8/10 x 10 LR
500 x 8/empty x 15 LR
500 x 8/20 LR
300 x 20

Hammer Curls to Ears (10 seconds rest)
5 x 8

Insane back/biceps/calves session. Volume was higher than it looks haha. Meadows rows felt great as usual, and the rack dead/chin superset was rough. I have a video of my form on the rack deads and will post in a little. Stretchers finished off the lats, and I threw in some light biceps work before the Hypers/calves. Hypers, as usual, we're brutal, and calves got a nasty pump for
Supersetting tibia/standing.

Tomorrow I have light chest/shoulders/calves. Will have to be an early morning session (meaning I'll be up around 4AM haha. Love law school.

[ebomb55]

Goal with these was to explode up, flex lats hard and maintain that while lowering slowly. This was the fourth set of 4.

[tommohawk9]

When you do laterals on shoulder days with Meadows and use partials as well, how do you program it? I know I could basically do it either way I list below I was just wondering how you had been doing it (as a super set or 2 separate exercises)

Laterals ss. w/ partials (ex.)

35x10 / 45x15
35x10 / 45x15 etc.

or

Laterals

35x10
35x10

Partials

45x15
45x15
etc.

[ebomb55]

When you do laterals on shoulder days with Meadows and use partials as well, how do you program it? I know I could basically do it either way I list below I was just wondering how you had been doing it (as a super set or 2 separate exercises)

Laterals ss. w/ partials (ex.)

35x10 / 45x15
35x10 / 45x15 etc.

or

Laterals

35x10
35x10

Partials

45x15
45x15
etc.

Usually partial reps with either be done as a final 'burnout' type set after the work has been done on full ROM sets, so:
3 x 15 @ 30 lb, then 1 set of 50 partials (or something like that)
Or, we'll do partials at the end of every work set, so like this:
15 full ROM reps + 15 partial reps
and then do 3-4 sets like that.

[ebomb55]

8.29.12

Chest/Shoulders/Calves

Machine Flyes (1 second squeeze)
2 warmup sets
Works: 130 x 10, 10, 140 x 10,

Superset 1:
Dumbbell Side Laterals/Pec Minor Dips
32.5 x 8/45 lb x failure
32.5 x 8/70 lb x failure
32.5 x 8/70 lb x failure
32.5 x 8/70 lb x failure

High Cable Rear Delts/Pec Minor Dips
30 lb x 15 + 15 partials/bw to failure
40 lb x 15 + 15/90 lb to failure
30 lb x 15 + 15/70 lb to failure
30 lb x 15 + 15/70 lb to failure

Seated Dumbbell Press (continuous tension, Dropset)/Pec Minor Dips
90 x 8 to 65 x 8 to 45 x 8/45 lb to failure

Standing Calf Raise (15 seconds between sets)
330 x 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
Tibia Raises
Bw (empty machine) x 60 seconds LR (about 40-50 reps)

Awesome overall chest/shoulder day. Chest exercises today are less free weight-oriented, and more geared towards filling the chest with a lot of blood. This is shoulders' day to shine haha. Laterals felt great, and the high cable rear Delts are brutal. DB presses felt strong, 90 lb not being close to failure for 8 reps, which is sweet since I haven't done them in months.
The pec minor dips felt awesome supersetted with all shoulder movements. They didn't seem to take away anything from shoulders and were a great way to add volume for chest.

Calves were done with less rest and I mixed up the form a bit, alternating between slow and explosive.

Arms tomorrow.

[ebomb55]

8.30.12

AM Session:
Recline Bike HIIT
10 minutes: 25 seconds at 15, keeping it over 130 RPM/30-45 seconds at 5
10 minutes cooldown at 7-8

Just a little cardio this morning. Will be hitting arms after class today.

[adamjohn32]

how you finding the training/school going? i know you just started out this semester, but I imagine you have a good idea how hectic your schedule may or may not be.

[ebomb55]

how you finding the training/school going? i know you just started out this semester, but I imagine you have a good idea how hectic your schedule may or may not be.

You know, it's all about time management. I think the horror stories of the ridiculous amounts of work in your first year of law school typically come from those that either procrastinate too much or put too much pressure on keeping up with the work to the point where it's detrimental. There is a lot of work, of course. But if you do your reading thoroughly, take notes, and come to class prepared to speak on it, it shouldn't at all take over your life.

/Rant lol.

So from that you can likely infer that I don't think I'll have any problem balancing training with school haha.

This, of course, is excluding finals :P.

[ebomb55]

8.30.12

PM: Arms/Calves/Abs

Superset 1: V Grip Pushdowns/Standing Palms Forward DB Curls using fat gripz
10/6
4 rounds
(used 22.5 for curls)

Superset 2: Dip Machine/Barbell Curls w/fat gripz
8/6
4 rounds
(used 50 and 70 lb + bar on curls)

Superset 2: Smith Incline JM Press/Hammer Curls
8/15
1 pps x 8/35 x 15, 1 pps + 20 x 8/30 x 15, 1 pps + 35 x 8/35 x 15, 1 pps + 35 x 8/30 x 15

Standing Calf Raise
8 x 8 with 30 seconds rest between each

Tibia Raises
10 lb x 60 seconds LR (ouch)
20 lb x 12, 6, 3 + 4 partials (only rest was from one leg to another)

Awesome arm/calve session. Pumpzzz for days as usual haha. I'm loving the tibia raises. My girlfriend, who usually can rarely notice a difference in body parts since she sees me often even said my calves look thicker. Win.

[ebomb55]

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Update arm pic.

Not where I want to be, but improving slowly!

[DiamondMaker]

Looking good man, where the arm/leg measurements at now.

[ebomb55]

Looking good man, where the arm/leg measurements at now.

Arms are probably 17.25 and legs are around 28 the last time I measured.