PL87's Westside Journal: Going to the Darkside

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

My new journal for this routine.

8/15 - Week 1/Day 1

Floor Press
135x5
175x3
190x3
205x2
225x0
225x0
215x1
220x1

First time ever doing a floor press, but I read it is supposed to be about 90% of flat bench max, so I wanted to try for 225. First attempt was really sloppy and missed from the bottom. Second attempt I got it about 3 inches from lockout and got stuck there. Fought for about 6 sec., but missed. After, I got 215 and 220 though, without much difficulty surpisingly. Next week's goal will be 225 then.

Bench Shrugs
135x10
185x10
2x225x8

First time doing these also, just getting used to them.

Tricep Pushdowns
4x120x12

Good. Add 10lbs. next time.

Alt. DB Rows
4x40sx10

Haven't done for a long time, so just getting used to it again and getting the form right. Add weight next time.

Alt. Hammer Curls
4x30sx10

Good. Add 5lbs. next time.

Weight: 232lbs.
Time: 2 hours (Talking to a friend for about 20 mins, but still way too long)
Grade: B

Went to the county fair about an hour and a half after this. I was already tired enough, but my friends wanted to walk around the entire thing. So walked about 5 miles.

[runjumpthrow]

PL87 -

To answer your question about increasing volume, you might want to try something like this:

(based on 250 max)

45x8
65x8
85x8
95x5
115x5
135x5
155x3
175x3
185x3
205x2
225x2
235x2
245x1
250x1
255x1

This is what I have been doing for a few weeks and it seems to be working. All of those lighter sets really help you work on form and speed, as well.

[Jamma]

Nice to see a new journal P0W3RLIFT3R87. Good luck with your goals, the darkside likes you lol..

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

PL87 -

To answer your question about increasing volume, you might want to try something like this:

(based on 250 max)

45x8
65x8
85x8
95x5
115x5
135x5
155x3
175x3
185x3
205x2
225x2
235x2
245x1
250x1
255x1

This is what I have been doing for a few weeks and it seems to be working. All of those lighter sets really help you work on form and speed, as well.

OK. Thanks alot RJT.

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

Nice to see a new journal P0W3RLIFT3R87. Good luck with your goals, the darkside likes you lol..

LOL. Thanks Jamma.

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

8/16 - Week 1/Day 2 ME Squat

Goodmornings
45x5
65x5
95x5
115x3
135x3
155x3
185x3

First time going heavy on these. Form started to fall apart at 185, so decided not to go any higher without fixing that first. So, going to consider 185 as my 3RM and try for 190 next week with good form.

Leg Extensions
4x100x12

Easy. Add 10lbs. next time.

Ab Pulldowns
4x70x15

Also easy. Add 10lbs. next time.

Static Barbell Holds (DO Grip)
185x43sec.
205x31sec.
225x24sec.
245x14sec.
265x0sec. - Grip failed while picking it up. lol
245x7sec.

Very happy with this actually. Thought my grip would be alot worse. A few months ago I couldn't pick up 225 with DO grip. Will stay with 5 sets and use 250 on the 5th set next time.

Weight: 233lbs.
Time: 1 hr. 15 mins.
Grade: B

[AJ010]

Great stuff!!

Floor Press and GMs look A-OK.

[raffiki]

Good luck on Westside. On ME day they normally skip 2 reps. When you feel you are within 10lbs of your 3RM, switch to singles. You want to get the volume in, but not too much fatigue for max effort.

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

Thanks guys.

8/17 Week 1/Day 3 Sled Work

Sled Drags:

Forwards
Emptyx200ft.
2xSled+45lbs.x200ft.

Backwards
Emptyx200ft.
2xSled+45lbs.x100ft.

Forwards
2xSled+90lbs.x100ft.

Not hard strength wise, but very hard cardio wise. Doing pretty good on the forwards ones. Backwards hurts my knee, so went quite abit slower with those and less weight.

Sled Rows:
2xSled+45lbs.x50pulls (~60ft.)

Tried this out today. Nice and easy. Not nearly as tiring as the drags.

Weight: N/A
Time: 50 minutes
Grade: B

[Advanced_Bot]

good stuff, hopefully this time you will see goals achieved

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

Thanks Advanced Bot.

8/18 - Week 1/Day 4 DE Bench

Speed Bench
135x5*
Add 30lbs. Chain:
8x135x3

Fast today. Working on keeping my elbows in more. 140 next week.

Military Press
45x5*
95x5*
2x105x7
105x6
105x5

Felt heavy, but still pretty good. Haven't done these in a while. Stay until I get 6 on the last set.

Skullcrushers
4x45x10

Haven't done these in awhile either, working on form. Used the barbell, since it doesn't really hurt my elbows that way. Add 5lbs. next time.

Barbell Curls
4x65x8

Ok. Add 5lbs. next time.

Weight: 232lbs.
Time: 1 hr. 15 mins.
Grade: A

[AJ010]

Great workout! Looked really fun

Sweet military presses as well!

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

Thanks Unlimited Steel. My shoulders are really sore today after not doing militaries in a while.

Think I will move pullups/chinnups to Mondays instead, b/c it's not going to happen after the militaries and I'd rather do them on an upper body day than on a lower body day to leave more time for recovery. And I will do DB/Barbell rows on Thursdays.

8/19 - Week 1/Day 5 DE Squat

Speed Box Squat(8")
45x5*
135x5*
150x10x2

Fast today. Leaning a little too far forward on a few of the sets, but working on it. 155 next week.

Barbell Shrugs
135x10*
225x5*
315x4
315x3
2x275x8

Thought 315 would be easier, but I'll stay with 275 next time to get enough reps.

Ab Pulldowns
4x80x15

Easy. I like these, since my lower back is usually very sore from squatting still and this helps relieve that quickly. Add 5lbs. next time.

Face Pulls
2x80x15
2xDNF

These hurt my upper back where I'm injured, so I won't be doing them for a few weeks at least.

Weight: 233lbs.
Time: 1hr. 15 mins.
Grade: B

[AJ010]

I hear ya on the militaries. Once ya do them for a while you get used to them.

Kickass workout! 8" for speed box squats? That's crazy ! Are you just doing 8" for a few workouts or is that going to be the height of most of the DE squat days?

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

I hear ya on the militaries. Once ya do them for a while you get used to them.

Kickass workout! 8" for speed box squats? That's crazy ! Are you just doing 8" for a few workouts or is that going to be the height of most of the DE squat days?

For me it is just a little below parallel. It may actually be 9-10" with a little room between the plates. I stack 8 flat 45lbs. plates on top of each other to make the box. They are about an inch thick each. I will have to measure for sure next time.

[AJ010]

For me it is just a little below parallel. It may actually be 9-10" with a little room between the plates. I stack 8 flat 45lbs. plates on top of each other to make the box. They are about an inch thick each. I will have to measure for sure next time.

Holy **** that's a low parallel! I remember doing an 8" box squat once and said that was near rock bottom haha.

Good stuff though. 8-10" sounds just about right for ya then.

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

Holy **** that's a low parallel! I remember doing an 8" box squat once and said that was near rock bottom haha.

Good stuff though. 8-10" sounds just about right for ya then.

I know for sure that I can not go very low on squats. The lowest I can get is a little below parallel. I do not have the flexibility and probably too big for my height to get lower. I'm just short. lol

[AJ010]

I know for sure that I can not go very low on squats. The lowest I can get is a little below parallel. I do not have the flexibility and probably too big for my height to get lower. I'm just short. lol

Yeah but, when 8" is a little below parallel, how much lower could you really get(unless you train hard for full oly lifts)?

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

Yeah but, when 8" is a little below parallel, how much lower could you really get(unless you train hard for full oly lifts)?

lol. I know some people say they go a2g. I figured that meant hitting the ground at the bottom of the lift.

[AJ010]

lol. I know some people say they go a2g. I figured that meant hitting the ground at the bottom of the lift.

Hahaha. Yeah right, most people arent THAT flexibile.

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

Hahaha. Yeah right, most people arent THAT flexibile.

What does a2g mean then? Is that just as low as you can get? For me that would just be a regular competition squat.

[AJ010]

What does a2g mean then? Is that just as low as you can get? For me that would just be a regular competition squat.

It just means as low as you can get really. Are you talking IPF(I think thats the strict federation) rules? Because normally a parallel squat would pass just fine, though the lower you go the more convincing it is.

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

It just means as low as you can get really. Are you talking IPF(I think thats the strict federation) rules? Because normally a parallel squat would pass just fine, though the lower you go the more convincing it is.

Well I only go a little below parallel, about an inch or 2. I can't really stop right at parallel, as it bothers my knees that way. Don't think that would make a huge strength difference.

[AJ010]

Well I only go about 1" below parallel so I think it's better to stop there than risk being too high. Don't think an inch would make a huge strength difference anyways.

I don't know, I suppose you'll be fine an inch below.

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

I don't know, I suppose you'll be fine an inch below.

I would actually probably lift less at parallel than a little below.

[AJ010]

I would actually probably lift less at parallel than a little below.

Really? How come?

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

Really? How come?

You see when I started lifting I weighed around 145lbs. That was only about 15 months ago or so. Now I weigh almost 90lbs. more than that. So it's almost as if I am squatting 400lbs if I still weighed what I did when I started. Squatting bothers my knees as it is, but when I go a bit lower than parallel it's not as bad as if I stopped right at parallel.

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

8/22 - Week 2/Day 1 ME Bench

Floor Press
45x8
95x8
135x5
165x5
185x3
200x3
210x1
225x1 PR
230x1 PR

10lbs. PR from last week. 225 wasn't that hard today. 230 was quite abit harder but still got it. Very happy with this.

Pullups (w/some foot assistance)
4xBWx6

Put my toes on a stack of 45s and used as little help as I needed on each rep, which was still quite abit. My goal for these is to be able to do 1 pullup with actually getting my chin over the bar without any help.

Flat DB Press
4x55sx8

Fairly light weight, as I was exhausted by now, but got all the reps. Add 5lbs. next week.

DB Overhead Press
4x40sx6

These were fairly light also, though it felt heavy doing them. Add 5lbs. next week.

Hammer Curls
4x25sx8

Also light, could have done a bit more weight actually. Add 5lbs. next week.

Tricep Pushdowns
100x12
3x120x12

Thought that these would feel very heavy by the time I got to them. 100 felt too light, though, so went with 120 for the other 3 sets. Add 10lbs. next week.

Weight: 232.5lbs.
Grade: A
Time: 1hr. 40mins.

[Advanced_Bot]

Goodjob! looks like we both hit a PR today!

[runjumpthrow]

PL87 -

Nice work on floor press. I'm going to cycle floor press in for 3 weeks and see if I can improve my lockout strength.

Way to go on the pull-ups, too. My goal is to be able to do 1 pull-up and a couple of chin-ups by the end of the year. I've been doing a 5x5 routine using bands for assistance. I try to use a smaller band each week.