Journey to a natural pro card

[rakan92]

THanks alot for taking the time to answer , much appreciated

[ebomb55]

5.1.13

Back/Squats

Warmup
Voodoo band work

OLY Squats (beltless)
135 x 10
225 x 10
275 x 3x10 (45 seconds rest between each set)

Dead Stop Smith Rows
1 pps x 8
1 pps + 25 x 8
2 pps x 8
2 pps + 10 x 8
2 pps + 20 x 8
Dropset
2 pps + 25 x 6 to 1 pps + 25 x 8 to 1 pps x 12

Partial Pulldowns
180 x 10
200 x 2x10
180 x 10

DB Meadows Pullovers
65 x 3x12

Stretchers
3x12

Dumbbell Shrugs (continuous tension)
105 x 25
120 x 3 x 25

Dragon Flags/Neck Harness
10-15/45 lb x 10
3 rounds

Great session. I decided to hit some light squats first thing and it served as a great warmup/"wake up" haha. Quads got a nasty pump with the short rest.

All back work felt good. Only a mild pain in my brachialis, which I think is getting better, but it might be wise to lay off all barbell/DB pressing for a while.

[The Solution]

Tossing some big weight back on MD, overall do you feel this will help you in your PL resorting back to this for a breif bit??

[ebomb55]

Tossing some big weight back on MD, overall do you feel this will help you in your PL resorting back to this for a breif bit??

I think it will help me recover a bit and get my joints healthier haha.

Since I'll be squatting often, I think that will help, but overall, if you want to improve the lifts, you need to do them. I'll likely get back on them, just not for a little while.

[ebomb55]

5.2.13

Arms
Voodoo Band Warmup

Incline Dumbbell Curls (mixed with supinated and hammer)
15 x 30, 20 x 30 warmups
30 x 10 + 10 top half partials
30 x 8-12 + 5-10 top half partials x 3
Supersetted with Straight Bar Pushdowns
10-15 + 20 bottom half partials
3 rounds

Superset 2:
Close Grip EZ Bar Preacher Curls (hard flex at the top) + 5-10 top half partials at end/High Incline French Press + 10-15 bottom half partials
Bar x 12/30 + bar x 30
20 + bar x 12 + partials/50 + bar x 15 + 15
40 + bar x 12 + partials/50 + bar x 15 + 10
60 + bar x 10 + partials/50 + bar x 12 + 10

Cordova Extensions (full reps + partials)/Wide Grip Elbows in Preachers
10 + 8-10/12 + 5
10 + 8-10/12 + 5
10 + 8-10/12 + 5

Triceps DC Stretch x 60 seconds LR
Biceps DC Stretch x 60 seconds

Occluded Seated Calf Raises/Dorsiflexions
70 x 35, 15, 15, 15/30, 15, 15, 15

Well, I was watching some Tom Platz videos to give me squatting/leg day motivation, and decided to give his arm principles a try. I figured since Platz, similar to me, had issues bringing up his arms, he had to resort to extreme tactics and ended up doing a pretty damn good job with them, so I'd give it the same try.

This was pretty brutal. The idea was to complete the normal set (with hard flexes, controlled eccentric) then do partials where you really squeezed the bar/rope as hard as possible and flexed the muscle/contracted it as hard as possible and for as long as possible. Very brutal, but I can imagine very effective.

Weight was 224.0 this morning...Down 1.8 lb from last week...Diet is coming along.

[The Solution]

Those meadow arm workouts are BRUTAL bro. good stuff.

[ebomb55]

Those meadow arm workouts are BRUTAL bro. good stuff.

Haha, they are brutal for sure...Meadows and Platz share similarities in training style.

[ebomb55]

5.4.13

Legs: Platz Inspired

Warmup
Voodoo Band Work

Back Squats: very close stance, belt
135 x 20
225 x 20
315 x 20, 20
405 x 10

Leg Extensions
3 sets to failure (20-30 reps) + bottom half partials (15-30) + Iso holds

Lying Leg Curls
1 x 20
3 x 10-15 + 10-15 top half "flex" partials
1 x 20

Hack Squats: feet as low as possible, close
1 pps x 30
2 pps x 2 x failure
1 pps x 20

Standing Calf Raise/Calf Stretch
210 x 20 + 20 flex partials
420 x 10 + 15 flex partials

Woah. This session pretty much crushed me haha. I could barely walk up the stairs to leave the gym.

I will definitely be working on my ankle flexibility and squatting flexibility so as to perfect the "Platz-esque" super close stance squat...But I was pleased with my first time effort.

[The Solution]

How you are still walking is beyond me.. How that high rep treat you? Feel like you were doing crossfit ?

[ebomb55]

How you are still walking is beyond me.. How that high rep treat you? Feel like you were doing crossfit ?

Haha ya, crossfit...with weight lol.

It was pretty brutal. Will be feeling it tomorrow for sure.

[ebomb55]

5.5.13

Cardio/Abs

Warmup
Voodoo work

Bike HIIT/Ab Work
5 minute warmup
Intervals/Ab Work
7 seconds all out/Bench situps to failure + partials
10 seconds all out/bench sit-ups
15 seconds all out/bench sit-ups
20 seconds all out/bench sit-ups
20 seconds all out/knee raises
15 seconds all out/knee raises
15 seconds all out/knee raises
10 seconds all out/knee raises
7 seconds all out
Cooldown

Quick, tough cardio/ab session, but incredibly effective. Legs are pretty destroyed today from yesterday's "Platz" thrashing.

[ebomb55]

5.6.13

Chest/Shoulders

Nautilus Machine Press
35 x 30
65 x 30
95 x 25 + 10 flex partials
140 x 25 + 5 flex partials
Top set
200 x 14 + 6 top partials + 8 stretch partials

Dumbbell Incline Press (using fat gripz)
Warmups
70 x 35 +top half partials
105 x 15 +5 partials right to 70s x partial neutral presses

Wide Stretch Dips/Band Stretches
3 sets to failure/10-12 w/monster mini

Dumbbell Laterals (arms above head)
20s x 30 + partials
20s x 25 + partials
20 x 20 + partials

Over And Back Press
65 x 15
65 x 15
65 x 15 drop 10s right into wide grip press to failure

Dumbbell Rear Delt Flies/Dumbbell Swings
20 x 25 + 30 x 25
3 rounds

Occluded Seated Calf Raises
70 x 35, 20, 20, 15

Awesome session. Sick pump.

[ebomb55]

5.7.13

Cardio/Abs

Bike HIIT/Ab Routine
5 minute warmup
7 seconds all out/leg raises to failure
12 seconds all out/leg raises to failure
15 seconds all out/leg raises to failure
20 seconds all out/situps to failure
22 seconds all out/v-ups to failure
25 seconds all out/v-ups to failure
20 seconds all out/v-ups to failure
15 seconds all out/frog situps to failure
10 seconds all out/frog situps to failure
5 minute cooldown

Pretty tough cardio session. I really enjoy doing my ab work in-between each interval, as I definitely get great work in and it's incredibly efficient :P.

[The Solution]

How do your legs/leg recovery feel with HIIT 2x a week right in the middle of your training even in offsesason?

[ebomb55]

How do your legs/leg recovery feel with HIIT 2x a week right in the middle of your training even in offsesason?

Legs are a little sore, but not bad. I've never had much of an issue doing HIIT 2-3 times a week, even with twice weekly leg sessions. Since I'm only hitting them once a week, it's really not an issue.

[ebomb55]

5.8.13

Back

Dead Stop Dumbbell Rows
50 x 20 LR
85 x 15 LR
100 x 10 LR
120 x 10, 10, 8 LR
120 x 25 LR

Close Grip Pulldowns
12 + 20 partials
10 + 16 partials
8 + 12-16 partials x 3

Meadows Pullovers
60 x 20
70 x 2 x failure
60 x failure + 10 partials

HS Partial Pulldowns
1 pps x 15
3 pps + 25 x 12, 3 pps x 12, 2 pps x 12

Wide Grip Dead Stop/Continuous Shrugs
135 x 30
225 x 15/20
315 x 10/15
405 x 8/12
225 x 30

Banded Hypers
Light band x 15, 15, 15

Occluded Seated Calf Raises
75 x 35, 20, 15, 15 (top partials thrown in there)

Nasty back session today. I decided to do dead stop dumbbell rows first, really trying to pull the dumbbell to my back hip to engage as much lay as possible, and it certainly worked haha. Pump was pretty brutal. The Pulldowns + partials really topped that pump off and pullovers felt great because of that.

Partial Pulldowns are always a nice movement to throw in near the end to emphasize flexing the entire upper back. Shrugs felt good and then threw in some relatively "easy" banded Hypers to finish it off.

[ebomb55]

5.9.13

Arms

Incline Dumbbell Curls
20 x 30
30 x 15 + partials to failure
35 x 10 + partials to failure
30 x 10 + partials to failure, 2 times

Bar Pushdowns
10 w/ hard flex + 10 continuous
4 rounds

EZ Preacher Curls
50 + bar x 15 + 8 partials
70 + bar x 10 + 8 partials
50 + bar x 10 + 8 partials
50 + bar x 10 + 8 partials

Incline Close Grip Pin Presses (hard flex for 3-5 seconds at top)
135 x 15
225 x 10
275 x 8, 3, 3
225 x 10

Dumbbell Hammer Curls (cheat form to strict w/hold)
70 x 10 LR/25 x 8
90 x 10 LR/25 x 8
80 x 8 LR/25 x 8, 2 times

Dumbbell Cross Body Extension/Rope Pushdown
20 x 15 LR/12
25 x 15 LR/12
30 x 10 LR/12
35 x 8 LR/12

Nautilus Preacher Curl
2 sets to failure + partials to failure

Awesome arm session. Really crushed it. Decided to add in some cheat movements supersetted with strict movements and pump was nasty. Forearms and biceps on the heavy hammers/strict hammers were crazy pumped. Weighed in at 221 this morning. Weight's moving in the right direction.

[detazathoth]

So I saw that you did 405x10 on Squats so I had to give it a try too

[ebomb55]

So I saw that you did 405x10 on Squats so I had to give it a try too

Haha, saw that...Your set looked sick. Will be doing tomorrow or Saturday.

[ebomb55]

5.10.13

Chest/Shoulders
Warmup

Bench Press
225 x 5x10

DB Hex Press
30 x 15
40 x 3x12

Banded HS Press
1 pps x 20, 20, 20

Band stretches

Partial DB Laterals
50 x 3x35

Cage Press
95 x 6
115 x 4x6
135 x 1x6

Incline Rear Delt Flies
20 x 2x30

Solid pump day. Pain is pretty much completely gone in brachialis when benching, so very happy with that. Great session. Leg destruction tomorrow .

[ebomb55]

5.11.13

Legs

Warmup

Seated Leg Curls
3 x 20 warmup
2 plates x 20
2 plates + 25 x 15
2 plates + 35 x 10 + partials to failure

OLY Squats
135 x 8
225 x 8
275 x 8
315 x 8
365 x 8
405 x 7
435 x 7
455 x 5

Leg Extensions (hard flex, keep it moving entire time)/Leg Press (close stance, 3 second negative, continuous)
210 x 30/6 pps x 8
210 x 25/7 pps x 8
210 x 25/8 pps x 8
210 x 15/5 pps x failure

Decline Bench Dumbbell Isometric Leg Curl (start with DB at butt, lower as slow as possible while maintaining flex)
25 lb x 1 rep
30 lb x 1 rep
35 lb x 1 rep

Leg Extensions
2 sets, 3 second squeeze at the top, 8 reps

Barbell RDL w/25's (bottom half, stretch emphasis)
145 x 3x20

Awesome leg session. Crushed every fiber. Some highlights are the 455 x 5 squat, which felt good. The leg press extension superset was brutal. Quads were ridiculously pumped. I really liked the dumbbell iso leg curls. Hammies felt like they were gonna tear haha. Overall, sick session.

[ebomb55]

5.12.13

Cardio/Abs

Bike HIIT
5 minute warmup
10 intervals: 10/50
5 minute cooldown

Ab work
6 sets KB sit-ups

HIIT post leg day is always a fun torture device.