ZMN-offseason "2 year storm"-journal

[ZMN]

hey all,

i post here and there on bb.com, but mostly hang around and post alot at the ocb forum

however i had decided a while back to post my workout journal here on bb.com to gain even more knowledge and feedback

ive been lurking around for quite some time and being a big supporter of Scivation/Primaforce, not to mention being impressed with the kind of people that frequent this section, i decided to move a copy of my training journal over here as well, hopefully to get some of the same support that you fine folks give each other

here is the link to my journal that began immediately after my contest season this year

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4908783

just a bit of info on me (in case you dont feel like reading the current log, and i dont blame ya! lol)

my name is Zack and I'm a competitive natural bodybuilder from Pittsburgh, currently training with Layne Norton for my offseason journey. I plan to make big things happen in the next two years to ensure that i accomplish what i set out to do many years ago when i did my first show

i hope to have you guys along for the ride!

[ZMN]

lets get this started off with today's entry!


12.6.07

upper body hypertrophy

seated cable row
70-110-150 warmups

170x10, 3 sets

one arm db row
150x10 (failure)
140x10
130x12

lat pulldown
207x8
195x9
182x10

hammer underhand high row
per side
80x15
80x12

db incline press
35-50 warmups

db flat
110x10 (failure)
100x10
90x12

cable crossover
50x15
50x12

db shoulder press
40 warmup

50x10, 3 sets

hammer shoulder press (cable loaded)
130x10
130x8
120x11

db curls s/s with overhead rope exts
55x6 - 170x7
45x8 - 170x7
45x8 - 170x7

concentration curls s/s with cable pressdown
30x10 - 170x10
25x11 - 160x12

notes:

really good pump and chest work today. i was flirting with failure a bit too much for my flat presses (im only to do one set to failure per bodypart, at most) but i figured a little extra work never hurt me before, besides i felt strong and just rolled with it

weight this morning was 202lbs

[Beast]

That is quite a workout. Great job and log!

[ZMN]

Originally Posted by Beast

That is quite a workout. Great job and log!

thanks derek!

[RUBICON19]

What up Zack! Good to see you!

[ZMN]

Originally Posted by RUBICON19

What up Zack! Good to see you!

thanks Rub!......still takin' care of business as usual?

[RUBICON19]

Originally Posted by ZMN

thanks Rub!......still takin' care of business as usual?

Oh yeah! But of course

[ZMN]

Originally Posted by RUBICON19

Oh yeah! But of course

glad to hear it, whats next on the agenda for you?

[Jrich54338]

Very Nice Zack. Keep us informed

[RUBICON19]

Originally Posted by ZMN

glad to hear it, whats next on the agenda for you?

Not sure. Maybe Muscle Mania in April.

[ZMN]

Originally Posted by Jrich54338

Very Nice Zack. Keep us informed

thanks Jrich! glad to have you along

Originally Posted by RUBICON19

Not sure. Maybe Muscle Mania in April.

groovy

[ZMN]

12.7.07

lower body hypertrophy

*all sets stop short of failure unless noted

squat
135-185 warmup

205x10, 3 sets

leg press
(sled not added)

990x8 (failure) (cleared 6 nice, had to assist by pushing knees on last 2)
900x8
720x12

leg exts
225x12
210x13
195x13

SLDL
135 warmup

205x10, 3 sets

lying leg curl
180x9 (failure)
160x10
140x12
120x15

standing calf
430x12
455x10
455x8
430x10

seated calf
135x12, 3 sets

notes:

excellent workout this morning, particularly happy with the leg press numbers, i have never done 20 lids(900) for 8 reps and NOT to failure, im very pleased with this. however, i would like to be able to force out all reps with my max weight for the 8 reps without assisting myself......i will do this next week

weight was 201 this morning

[ZMN]

12.08.07

cardio only today, did 15 intervals and 22min total on upright bike

weight was 200lbs


also just got back home from taking my mom and tosh out to the cheesecake factory for my moms bday, it was a good meal but wow do they feed you there! i havent eaten that much in a while

[ZMN]

12.10.07

upper body power

seated cable row
70-140-200-250 warmups

270x5, 3 sets

hammer underhand high row
(per side)
100x10
120x8
120x8

db incline press
40-70-90-100 warmups

110x5, 3 sets

pec dec
210x10
225x8
225x8

db shoulder press
40-85 warmups

90x5, 3 sets

db curls
55x6
50x7

cable pressdown
215x8
215x8

notes:

perfect workout today, with the exception of my cable pressdowns, i added weight to the stack but it wasnt enough so i didnt work quite as hard as i couldve

very very pleased with this mornings workout, i downright took care of business and felt unstoppable.....my main focus is bringing up my chest so db incline is a big deal for me and that weight felt light today, i honestly dont think 1 rep from any set was to failure and i am now very eager to get to my 100% numbers and beyond, but i have to be patient as next week will be 90% of 5 rep max once again as the holiday would incur my protocol so modifications needed to be made

therefore, next week will go 90% again, xmas week will be pretty much as heavy as i can with the equipment and times available (ill be in the middle of nowhere south dakota) and the week after the holiday is 100% and beyond

[ZMN]

12.11.07

lower body power

squat
135-185-225-275-315-335 warmups

365x5, 3 sets

leg exts
225x10
255x8 (stack)

SLDL
135-225-315 warmups

365x5, 3 sets

standing calf
2 warmup sets

505x8
505x7
505x6 (stack)

seated calf
180x8
180x8

notes:

todays workout summed up in two words.....total control. i had absolute focus from the beginning of my workout with squats. i had been looking forward to this workout for 2 weeks and i certainly showed up this morning. i was so much in the zone that i almost felt like i was doing the weight a favor by racking it at the end of my set, ceasing the madness

squats felt incredibly solid and 365 has never felt so light to me, i just pumped out rep after rep without struggle, or at least it certainly didnt feel that way in my mind.....one thing to note is that not only was this a good workout, but i feel that my form for the big moves even improved, which i am very happy for as this means i am not just improving by moving more weight but also maximizing stimulus of the working fibers

in conclusion, i really feel that my training as a whole (diet, workouts, focus, motivation) is coming to my full potential. its getting to the point where ill sometimes lie restless before bed just because im thinking about my workout for the next day, or even in some cases the next week(s) to come........im very excited to see where things are going......

on a lighter note, tosha and i will move into our new place this weekend which is great for many reasons, including but not limited to shorter commute times and a much nicer place

[ZMN]

12.12.07

cardio only, 15 intervals hit, 22min total

[willsong]

your pretty strong bro, I must admit. A 365 lb SLDL? Your hamstrings must've been torched.

[ZMN]

12.13.07

upper body hypertrophy

seated cable row
70-110 warmups

170x10, 3 sets

bb row (overhand grip)

275x8 (kinda failure, terrible form though)
225x10
225x8

lat pulldown
220x8
207x10
195x12

hammer high row, underhand
per side
90x10
80x12

db incline
40 warmup

60x10, 3 sets

db flat press
120x4 (failure)
100x8
90x10

cable crossover
70x12
60x14
50x15

db shoulder press
50x10, 3 sets

db laterals
45x8 (failure)
40x10
35x12

db curls s/s with overhead cable rope
55x6, 170x10
45x8, 180x8
45x7, 190x6

cable curls s/s with cable exts
110x15, 170x15
130x10, 190x12-10 cant remember

notes: good workout this morning. only glitch was the 120's for 4 (target was 8), they were a bit heavier than i thought, also the overhand grip bb rows first set sucked with pride, i typically do underhand grip and wanted to switch it up, but that aggravated my bicep tendon slightly so its likely this is the last time ill do these for a while again

the last stretch of the workout, particularly arm work was downright awesome...i supersetted all exercises and had very low rest times, through the whole workout, but even shorter through arms and lemme tell ya, it was casa de pump up in here!

weight this morning was 203

[ZMN]

Originally Posted by willsong

your pretty strong bro, I must admit. A 365 lb SLDL? Your hamstrings must've been torched.

thanks dude

although, i have a ways to go, ill get there, but my numbers as of now can be laughable compared to alot of the other guys on this forum

thanks for stopping by!

[ZMN]

12.14.07

lower body hypertrophy

all sets stop 1-2 reps shy of failure unless noted

squat
135-185 warmups

205x10, 3 sets

leg press
sled not added

990x8 (failure) (22)
810x10 (18)
720x12 (16)

leg exts
225x10
210x12
195x13

SLDL
135 warmup

205x10, 3 sets

lying leg curl
180x10 (failure) PR
160x10
140x12
120x15

standing calf
450x10
450x8
405x10
380x12

seated calf
135x12
135x12
135x11-12 dont remember

notes:

good workout today despite not feeling at the top of my game, i think the week has worn on me a bit, with worrying about moving and all (on a side note we move tomorrow and got to look at the new place last night and put some boxes in)

leg press was great, got the full 8 to failure without assistance, my only thought is that i couldve been a bit better on the last rep, it felt like it was a bit shallow

overall good workout and upped the intensity again by dropping rest times pretty low (compared to what theyve been lately) and now i need to rest up for the move tomorrow

[ZMN]

12.17.07

upper body power

seated cable row
70-140-200-250 warmups

270x5, 3 sets

lat pulldown
190x10
200x8
200x8

db incline press
50-80-100 warmups

110x5, 3 sets

pec dec
180x10
180x8
180x8

db shoulder press
(forgot to do it...dumbass)

db curls
55x8
55x6

cable pressdown
120x6
110x8

notes:

worked out in what will likely be our new gym, it was a great session other than the fact that as i sat here and typed it up, i realized what a moron i am and forgot to do db shoulder press altogether.....perhaps ill just do them at the end of my leg workout tomorrow

the new place is awesome and we kicked it in the ass this weekend and literally moved everything in essentially a day and a half, im rather tired now so im going to bed! LOL

diet this weekend was all over the place and i was severely under-eating both sat and sun but had a cheat sat night to make up for some of it, also considering this whole weekend was basically one full body HIT session, i skipped cardio on sat LOL not that i wouldve even had time

just need to get settled into my groove but thats not gonna fully happen til we return from the holiday traveling

[ZMN]

12.18.07

lower body power

squat
135-175-225-275-315-335 warmups

365x5, 3 sets

leg exts

220x10
240x10

SLDL
185-275-315 warmups

365x5, 3 sets

standing calf (totally different machine in the new gym)

260x8
260x8
260x8

seated calf
135x8
180x6

make-up db shoulder press
90x5, 3 sets

notes:

awesome workout, totally destroyed squats....i was very pleased once again with my performance

not much else to report, gotta go and get the new place straightened up a bit more

[ZMN]

12.19.07

cardio only tonight, 22min total, 15 intervals

weight this morning was 202

[ZMN]

12.20.07

upper body hypertrophy

seated cable row

170x10, 3 sets

one arm db row
130x12 failure
130x9
120x10

lat pulldown
190x8
180x12
180x12 (dont remember all these, but i think this is close to what i did)

db pullover
75x13
75x12

db incline press

60x10 3 sets

db flat
120x8 failure
100x10
90x11

cable crossover
70x12
60x15
60x15

db shoulder press

50x10, 3 sets

db laterals
45x12 failure
40x12
50x8

db curls
50x8
50x7
50x6

cable curls
110x15
130x10

decline db skull crushers
40x8
40x6
35x7

cable pressdown
90x12
80x12 (dont remember the weight exactly but this machine is totally different from any cables ive ever used for pressdowns, hence the drastic drop in weight i.e. its alot harder)

notes:

good good workout, but my bicep is really hurting and has been for a while, kind of a nagging thing but im not sure what to do about it, ill begrudgingly go to the doc if need be, but i just dont want to hear "take some time off"

im now in SD and today was planned to be leg hypertrophy day but that went right out the window with all the flight delays and problems, not to mention we have yet to get our luggage! so ill have to hit the gym whenever its a possibility given time and transportation, i knew this going in so i wont stress over it, as next week is full out back to business

[ZMN]

12.22.07

leg hypertrophy day

squats
205x10, 3 sets

leg press
16 plates x 12
19 plates x 12
19 plates x 12

leg exts
3sets

sldl
205x10 3 sets

seated leg curl
4 sets

standing smith calf raises
4 sets

seated calf
3 sets

did my leg hypertrophy work today, will do a few more workouts while here in SD but i dont remember nor do i feel like posting all the numbers on this very slow dial up lol so if i miss a few posts, i hope you dont miss me too much! HA

[ZMN]

12.31.07

upper body power

seated cable rows
50-100-170-230-290 warmups

300x5, 3 sets

lat pulldown
180x10
200x8
200x8

db incline
45-80-95-110 warmups

120x5, 3 sets

pec dec
200x8
190x10
190x8

db shoulder press
100x3
100x4
100x2

db curls
50x8
55x6

cable exts
100x8
120x6

notes:

ok, so i havent worked out in 4-5 days since when i got back from SD i got the flu or something the next night....real nice. i literally couldnt even get out of bed for a day and a half, but this morning was my first day back

im very pleased with the db incline numbers, but my shoulder presses were sad with a capital S. i know i could have gotten the 5 reps for them but i broke down mentally and im still a bit sick so i think that took a toll on my stamina at the end of my workout

oh well, good workout with all things considered and simply put, i will come back next week and get all these targets, period

[ZMN]

1.1.08

cardio only today, 15 intervals, 22min total

[ZMN]

1.2.08

lower body power

squat
135-225-275-315-385 warmups

405x5, 3 sets

leg exts.
220x10
230x8

SLDL
135-225-315-385 warmups

405x5, 3 sets

standing calf
230x8
250x6
260x6

seated calf
180x6
180x6

notes:

completely man-handled this workout, these are the 100% 5 rep max numbers and I hit them all, last set of squats felt awesome as i was totally warm by then and it got pretty intense! SLDL is the first time ive touched these numbers in close to a year, i was very pleased with this however my lower back is pretty sore now due to very slight rounding of my back on the last 2 reps of set 3, i just had to squeeze them out and form got temporarily loose

[ZMN]

1.3.08

upper body hypertrophy

seated cable row
60-120-160 warmups

170x10, 3 sets

db row
130x10
120x12
120x12

lat pulldown
180x12
180x10
180x10

hammer iso row
per side
70x15
70x15

db incline press
45 warmup

60x10, 3 sets

db flat press
120x7 (failure)
100x10
90x10

pec dec
180x12
160x12
150x12

db shoulder press
40 warmup

50x10, 3 sets

db laterals
45x8
35x12
35x10

db curls s/s with skull crushers
55x6, 115x8
45x8, 115x6
45x8, 115x6

concentration curls s/s with reverse pressdowns
25x15, 110x15
25x10, 110x12

notes:

today started off great, had a really really good pump going, but since my scheduled rest day was suppose to be yesterday, after my power leg day, my split is messed up resulting in me having to do 3 back to back workouts this week and by the time i hit shoulders today i just didnt have the gas in the tank....it was tough

i woke up this morning and my body promptly reminded me of what i did yesterday, damn was i sore! still am

not sure if i will take tomorrow off and do my lower hypertrophy on sat or if ill just suck it up and get it over with tomorrow

[ZMN]

1.4.08

lower body hypertrophy

squat
135-185 warmup

205x10, 3 sets

leg press
12 plates x 12
12 plates x 12
14 plates x 8

leg exts
210x10
190x12
170x15

SLDL
135 warmup

205x10, 3 sets

leg curls
120x10
120x8
100x12
80x15

standing calf
200x10, 4 sets

seated calf
90x15
135x10
180x6

notes:

i probably should have waited until tomorrow to do this workout, i just didnt get into my groove. i was still completely wrecked from my power leg day and my performance suffered bc of it. also, the leg press and lying leg curl are both extremely different in this new gym so that needed to adjusting to.

on a positive note, i looked pretty good this morning and weight upon waking was 203. another good thing is, my gyms db only go up to 130 but i spoke with the guy working the desk and he took me in the back storage are and showed me the 140's and 150's which is awesome bc he said when i come back in we can take them out for me, yea budday!