Bloats N Hoes

[GraspingAir]

This will be the training log for myself (Jason) and WizardFight (Jake). We will record our pathetic lifts as we strive to be stronger than 12-year old girls. More importantly, we will discuss our gluttony as we devour mac n cheese and burritos in pursuit of a massive bloat. I will outline my routine shortly and hopefully Jake will chime in at some point.

[GraspingAir]

So I'm supposed to be teaching right now, but I gave my students some practice problems to work on so I figured I would post my routine. Currently, I am doing a push/pull/legs split with an extra fourth day for whatever else I feel like doing. I'll also attempt to mix in some conditioning/cardio as my conditioning blows.
My main goals right now are to rehab my shoulder, add some mass to my upper body, start squatting in Chuck's again and eventually squat how I used to when I was actually somewhat strong. Expect to see tons of hypertrophy work for my upper body so I don't further aggravate my shoulder. Squats will be light for now while I transition back to my old form.

[WizardFight]

Funny you should mention conditioning. I am currently in the second and final week of my "Don't call it crossfit...seriously, that's not funny" block. After finishing my last strength phase, I decided that I needed to address my lagging GPP. So recently, my workouts have resembled circuit training more than powerlifting - lots of supersets with minimal rest periods. I can already tell a difference. Each workout I feel less and less like barfing. The downside: these workouts are BORING. I'm glad to be getting back to real weights soon. Here is an example of these GPP workouts:

12 reps each exercise, with 30-60 sec rest between supersets. 3 supersets total, then 2-3 min rest before moving on to the next exercises.
Goblet Squat/DB Bench
GM/BB Row
Back Raise/Band pullaparts
Standing Abs/Tricep Ext


Starting next Monday, I will be back to the good old conjugate method. Here's my planned split:
Monday: ME Lower (alternating squat or deadlift focus each week)
Tuesday: Off or light recovery workout
Wednesday: ME Upper
Thursday: DE Lower
Friday: Off
Saturday: Recovery workout/GPP
Sunday: DE Lower

Once the strength block begins, my GPP work will be the more typical powerlifter-style conditioning: Sandbag carries, sled dragging, speed eating, etc.

[GraspingAir]

Well, school for tomorrow has already been canceled due to the coming winter storm, although it hasn't snowed AT ALL yet! Bunch of pussies down here in Nebraska. Oh well, at least I get a day off. Hopefully the school gym is open so I can at least get a lift in tomorrow.

Starting next Monday, I will be back to the good old conjugate method. Here's my planned split:
Monday: ME Lower (alternating squat or deadlift focus each week)
Tuesday: Off or light recovery workout
Wednesday: ME Upper
Thursday: DE Lower
Friday: Off
Saturday: Recovery workout/GPP
Sunday: DE Lower

Once the strength block begins, my GPP work will be the more typical powerlifter-style conditioning: Sandbag carries, sled dragging, speed eating, etc.

I see you are doing 2 DE Lower days, is this the new Westside template? Speed eating sounds fun to me, we should have a meat-eating contest (no homo).

Also those conditioning workouts you're doing look rough. Hopefully you've been eating a ton so you don't lose too much weight. I'm planning to add in kettlebell swings and such for my conditioning, should be fun...

[WizardFight]

Yep Louie called me the other night and was explaining their new training methodology: "On the second DE Lower day you do good mornings, stand-up benchpress machine, uh... good mornings....I'm 57 years old!" But really, Sunday is supposed to be DE Upper.

I'm glad to be almost done with conditioning. For my last couple workouts this week I am transitioning back into a normal exercise selection, just with lighter weight/short rest periods.

Thursday 2/21/13

Conv DL
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
315x5
225x5
135x5
Rest was just long enough to change the weights

Did these for 3x12
Snatch Grip Deads
Standing Abs
Back Raise

[WizardFight]

Saturday 2/23/13

Did a light extra workout - 4x12 of each of the following:
Cable Row
Back Raise
Hanging Leg Raise
Standing Calves


Sunday 2/24/13

Last conditioning workout. I used a more typical exercise selection again as a transition back into normal training.

Superset 1
DB Bench
Rear DB Raise

Superset 2
OH Press
Pullups

Superset 3
Face Pulls
Tricep Pressdown

Finished with one giant set of hammer curls.

[GraspingAir]

Solid workouts. Do you think all this conditioning work will help? Also, do you think you'll be able to maintain your improved level of conditioning when you drop the supersets and go back to normal training? Either way I'm going to steal your superset idea for a little while. I always tell myself I'll do some conditioning after I lift, but I usually spend so much time lifting that I don't want to stick around longer for conditioning.

[GraspingAir]

2/26/2013 - Upper

Face Pulls
5x15-20

Superset - DB Bench + DB Row
40's 3x12 -> 70 3x12
50's 1x15 -> 70 1x20

Superset - Plate Raise + DB Skullcrushers
25 4x15 - > 25's 4x12

Superset - Side Laterals + BB Curls
4x12 -> 4x10

Pull-ups
bw 3x8

[WizardFight]

I'm hoping it will make a difference. My rest times between sets have been getting longer and longer lately - but not by choice. My goal was just to get conditioned enough that I could shorten those rest periods a bit and keep my workouts to a reasonable length.

For the near future, I will continue to superset my accessory work (or at least keep rest times short). I think that doing this, coupled with a bit of dragging/carrying/sprinting/something once a week, should help keep me jacked and tan for a while. We'll see how long my conditioning lasts - I know it will slowly decline.

Have fun with your supersets. Remember that you have to do each workout completely clad in spandex!

[WizardFight]

Back to normal training. I had to shift all my workouts by a day thanks to some school stuff this week.

Tuesday 2/26/13

Close-stance Squat
135 2x5
185 2x5
225 2x3
245x3
265x3
285x3
Stance was very close for me. Shoulder-width or just a bit inside. Felt this a lot in my low back since I didn't adjust my bar position at all.

GM
135x8
185 4x6

Single Leg Press
3x8

Standing Abs
100-something 4x8



Thursday 2/28/13

Close-grip Bench
95x5
135x5
165x3
185x3
195x3
205x1
155x8

Mini Band Pull-aparts
Done in between bench sets
5x10

BB Row
95x10
135x10
145x8
155x6
165x6

Superset
DB Skullcrushers: 20 4x15
DB Side Raise: 10 4x12

[WizardFight]

Friday 3/1/13

Speed Squat
205 8x2

Speed DL
265 8x1

...and then the gym closed. Spring break starts tomorrow, which apparently means they needed to close early last Friday.

I can tell the conditioning work did something - I was able to breeze through the speed sets. I'm going to try bumping up the percentages on my DE lifts a bit. I will be working in the 60-70% range, as recommended for RAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW lifters. We'll see what happens.


Saturday 3/2/13
Did some band work for hamstrings/low back to make up for Friday, and also a bunch of foam rolling


Sunday 3/3/13

Speed Bench
145 9x3 (3 grips)

OH Press
45, 65, 85 x8 each
95 3x8

Pullups
Done between pressing sets
5x5

Cable Row
120x12
130x10
140x8

Face Pull -> Tricep Pressdown Superset
50 3x12 -> 70x20,18,16

Bought a rotisserie chicken tonight. I set aside one breast for lunch tomorrow, then ate the rest of it for dinner with some biscuits and veggies. Feels good man (except the veggies).

[GraspingAir]

Friday 3/1/13

...and then the gym closed. Spring break starts tomorrow, which apparently means they needed to close early last Friday.

I can tell the conditioning work did something - I was able to breeze through the speed sets. I'm going to try bumping up the percentages on my DE lifts a bit. I will be working in the 60-70% range, as recommended for RAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW lifters. We'll see what happens.

Bought a rotisserie chicken tonight. I set aside one breast for lunch tomorrow, then ate the rest of it for dinner with some biscuits and veggies. Feels good man (except the veggies).

Damn you guys have an early spring break, we still have 2 more weeks of school until ours. You mad about eating veggies bro? What's wrong with veggies? What veggies were you eating?

[GraspingAir]

Got a couple workout to post so here we go. I guess I need to be better about updating this.

2/28/2013 - Lower

Squat - Low bar, wide stance
135 2x8
185 3x5
225 3x5

Superset - Snatch Grip RDL + Decline Situp
135 4x10 -> 12.5 4x12

Superset - Leg Press + Back Raise
8 plates 3x12 -> 25 3x12

Squatting in Chuck's again with a lower bar position and a wider stance feels super weird after squatting olympic style for a couple months. My posterior chain is definitely weak, so it will probably be a while until I'm moving some decent weight. I also can feel my quads wanting to take over when I squat, so I'm trying to avoid that.


3/1/2013 - Upper

Superset - Bench Press + BB Row
95 4x12 -> 135 4x12

Superset - Skullcrusher + Chuck V Row
55 4x12 -> stack 4x15

Superset - Pushup + Band Lateral Raise
bw 4x20 -> mini 4x12

Band Pullaparts
mini 4x25

Shoulder has been feeling much better lately, but I still don't want to push it too much when it comes to benching.

[WizardFight]

Veggies are good for the most part. I was eating raw broccoli, which I find a bit boring. Usually I cook it and season it up a bit.

Good couple workouts. Fight those quads! I bet your posterior chain strength will come back pretty quickly. How long are you planning to stay on dat superset time?

[WizardFight]

Monday 3/4/13

Paused Sumo DL
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x3
315x3
365x3

Pulled up to just below my knees, held it for a two-count, then locked it out. This was my first time doing this exercise, but I'm already a big fan. I'll be keeping these in my rotation.

Snatch-grip Deadlift -> Hanging Leg Raise
135 4x8 -> 4x8

Band Leg Curl
mini 4x20

[WizardFight]

Wednesday 3/6/13

Paused Bench
95x5
135x5
155x3
175x3
185x3
195x3
205x3
155x10 - pauses were a bit shorter here...

Long pause on the chest. I noticed that on a couple sets I would press the bar straight up for the first inch or two off my chest and then start to drift back, rather than pressing back from the start. I think this could have something to do with poor lat engagement, because the problem went away when I focused on upper back/lat tightness. But I could be wrong.

Mini Band Pull-aparts
Done between bench sets
4x10

Lat Pulldown
100x10
120 2x8
130 2x8
Did a few scap retractions after finishing the last two sets

DB Side Raise -> DB Curl Superset
12 4x12 -> 20 4x12

External Rotations
20 4x12

[GraspingAir]

Veggies are good for the most part. I was eating raw broccoli, which I find a bit boring. Usually I cook it and season it up a bit.

Good couple workouts. Fight those quads! I bet your posterior chain strength will come back pretty quickly. How long are you planning to stay on dat superset time?

I'm not sure. I was originally just going to use it for conditioning, but it's allowed me to get through my workouts quicker which has been nice, so I may keep them in permanently.

Pulled up to just below my knees, held it for a two-count, then locked it out. This was my first time doing this exercise, but I'm already a big fan. I'll be keeping these in my rotation.

Nice pulls. Paused deads can be pretty tough.

[GraspingAir]

3/4/2013

Sumo Deads
275 10x1

Narrow Squat - Chucks
135 2x10
185 3x10

Side Bends
bar 3x25

Got to the gym late so I had to rush. Also had to use the damn dodecagon shaped plates. Fukin skanks.


3/5/2013

Face Pulls
5x 15-20

Superset - DB Bench + DB Row
45's 4x12 -> 75 4x12

Superset - Front Raise + DB Curl
20's 4x15 -> 20's 4x12

Superset - CG Bench + Side Laterals
115 4x10 -> 15's 4x12

Lat Pulldown
4x10

Lots of fine pussy in the gym tonight, made it a bit tough to focus.

[WizardFight]

Lots of fine pussy in the gym tonight, made it a bit tough to focus.

Is it campus-wide ab week? Gotta get that beach bod ready for spring break.

[WizardFight]

Thursday 3/7/13

Couple sets of front squat to warm up.

Speed Squat
215 8x2

Speed Deadlift
285 8x1

Single Leg Press
4x12-15

Hanging Leg Raise
4x8

[GraspingAir]

Is it campus-wide ab week? Gotta get that beach bod ready for spring break.

Did not even think of that, but I'm sure that's the reason.

Got a couple workouts to log so here we go.


3/7/2013

Leg Press
4 plates 1x10
6 plates 2x10
8 plates 2x10
10 plates 2x10
dat pump

Leg Curl
4x8-12

Squat - narrow
135x10
185 2x10
225 2x10

Superset - Side Bends + Ab wheel
bar 3x20 -> bw 3x12

Short on time again. Legs swole as fuk.



3/8/2013

CG Bench
95x 20,18,15 RP

BB Curl
65x 15,12,9 RP

Superset - Smith BTN Press + DB Skullcrusher
some weight 4x12 -> 25's 4x10

Superset - Side Laterals + DB Curls
4x12 -> 4x10



3/10/2013

Face Pull
5x15-20

Pull-ups w/ 4 second negative
bw 6x4
fuark these killed my lats and arms

BB Row
175x 18,15,10 RP

BB Shrug
135 2x20
185 2x20

Superset - Lat Pulldown + Rear Delts
4x12 -> 15's 4x10

The pull-ups torched everything, especially my forearms which made it tough to hold on to anything for the rest of the workout. Also loving the RP work I started putting in, **** is awesome.

[WizardFight]

Dat pump is right. I forgot all about RP stuff, I might throw some into my rep work here and there.

[WizardFight]

Sunday 3/10/13

Mini band pullaparts
4x12

Speed Bench
155 9x3

OH Press
up to 105 4x6

Pullups
In between pressing sets
5x5

Tricep Pressdown -> Face Pulls
70x20,18,16,16 -> 50 4x12


Monday 3/11/13

Squat
135 2x5
185 2x5
225x3
255x3
275x1
295x1
315x1
All beltless. Felt better than expected.

GM
135x8
185x6
205 3x6

DB Side Bends
70 4x8

Back Raise
3x15


Wednesday 3/13/13

Bench
95x5
135x5
165x3
185x3
205x2
225 3x1

Mini band pullaparts
Done between bench sets
5x12

BB Row
115x8
135x8
145x8
135x8
115x8

Busy couple days, so just hit my main movements.


Friday 3/15/13

Speed Squat
225 8x3

Speed DL
305 8x1

Standing Abs
5x8

Again, just wanted to get the basics done.

[WizardFight]

Superset - Side Bends + Ab wheel
bar 3x20 -> bw 3x12

Do you have a real ab wheel, or do you just use a barbell?

[WizardFight]

Sunday 3/17/13

Rear Raise
10s 3x12

Speed Bench
165 9x3 (3 different grips)

OH Press
45,65x8
85x6
95x6
105x6
115x6
95x8

Pullups
Done between pressing
3x5, 2x6

External rotations -> Tricep Extension
20 4x12 -> 80x20,17,16,14

[WizardFight]

Monday 3/18/13

Deficit Sumo DL
Done using 35s rather than 45s
115x5
185x5
255x3
325x3
345x3
375x3

Hips were fried after this.

Good Mornings
135x6
185 3x6
135x8

Front Squat
95 2x8
135 2x6

Decline Situps
4x8

Felt pretty crappy today, so I tried not to run myself into the ground.

[GraspingAir]

Do you have a real ab wheel, or do you just use a barbell?

We have a real ab wheel, the thing is awesome. If you don't do them you should... also try side bends with a barbell.

Nice couple workouts and nice deficit deads, I'm jelly that you guys got 35's. Do you front squat in Chuck's?

[WizardFight]

I will have to throw them in my rotation, but using a barbell since we don't have an ab wheel. The side bends will also be a good addition to break up my ab work monotony.

I do my front squats in Chucks. It feels a bit odd if I try to go heavy, but usually I am just using them as assistance work so it doesn't bother me.


Had to shift my workouts by a day last week:

Thursday 3/20/13

Paused bench
45 2x6
95x5
135x5
155x3
175x3
185x3
200x3
210x3

Mini Band Pullaparts
Done between bench sets
5x12

BB Row
115x10
135x8
145x8
155x6

DB Side Raise -> BB Curl
10s 4x12 -> 45 4x10


Friday 3/22/13

Speed Squat
205 10x2

Speed DL
265 10x1

DB Side Bends
70 4x8

Bulgarian Squat
3x6

Grabbed a double-meat burrito from Chipotle on my way home and washed it down with some whole chocolate milk. Felt good man.


Sunday 3/24/13

Speed Bench
145 9x3

Mini band Pullaparts
Done between bench sets
5x12

OH Press
45x8
65x8
85x6
95x6
105x6
115x6

Pullups
Done between pressing sets
5x6

External rotations -> Tricep pressdowns
20 4x10 -> 80x20,18,15

[GraspingAir]

Strong paused bench, I am impress. Also, how do you think the speed work is benefiting your raw strength?

I've been a bit lazy with posting my workouts these last 2 weeks, but I'll start posting them again for this week. Got 2 workouts in already that I'll post shortly.

[WizardFight]

Thanks Joben.

I think the speed work will have a better effect with the new higher percentages (60-70%). I really didn't feel like I was doing anything cycling 50-60%. I would get done with my sets and not be tired at all. I read something by Brandon Lilly a couple months ago and he mentioned his percentages for speed work were a bit higher. Then I went back to read some of Louie's articles and saw that he recommended raw lifters add a minimum of 10% to the recommended DE percentages. I am still in the early stages of my experiment, but so far I like it. That extra 10% on the bar coupled with the short rest periods means I am actually a bit tired for the last few sets - tired enough that I need to focus on my technique and on keeping my bar speed up. At 50-60%, I never really had to think about either speed or technique. The other thing I need to do more frequently is work up to a heavier set or two after all my speed sets.

I'm planning to do another mini-bulk before the weather gets too hot and I lose my appetite. So in a couple weeks I will go back to alternating DE and RE cycles, and may drop the DE altogether.

No workouts to post (deloading), instead here's some new Kylesa: