Iron619's Strength Training Journal

[iron619]

Sumo Deadlifts: 1 set of 1+ @ 455 lbs
455x6 @ 9 RPE

Sumo Deadlifts: 5 sets of 3 @ 415 lbs
415x3
415x3
415x3
415x3
415x3

Touch N Go Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 3 & 1 set of 3+ @ 300 lbs
300x3
300x3
300x3
300x3
300x6 @ 10 RPE

Smith Machine Calf Raises: 275, 275x8, 275x8, 275x8, 275x8

Smith Machine Shrugs: 275x8, 275x8, 275x8, 275x8, 275x8

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 65x10, 65x10, 65x10, 65x10, 65x10

Seated Face Pulls: 100x10, 100x10, 100x10, 100x10, 100x10

11-lb Ball Situps: 20, 20, 20, 20, 20

Cardio: Treadmill running / 17 minutes / 5.5 mph / 1.55 miles

+9 minutes of stretching

(Duration of Workout: 2 hours, 38 minutes)

Comments: Overall, another awesome training session! I was thoroughly exhausted after this one. Ideally for each training session, I am knocking out all prescribed work, then doing cardio, then cooling down with some stretching. I will try to keep track of how long my workouts are, so starting today, I timed the workout.

Regarding the deadlifts, I was pretty stoked to hit 6 reps with 455 lbs because it felt like I could have done another rep or two. On 9/2915, I hit 455x5 at an RPE of 9.5, so this shows that I have increased by a rep. This may not seem like much, but I think each baby-step in progress helps. One thing to note was that my right hip flexor/psoas area was feeling pretty sore and twingy -- not a good feeling. Hopefully I'm not overworking this muscle group with the high volume work I am doing.

I also saw progression on bench today -- big time! Today I nailed 300x6 on the 5th AMRAP set on bench, which is a huge improvement from my recent performance when assigned the same weight/set/rep work prescription. On 9/30/15, I only hit 300x3 for 5 straight sets (no extra on the 5th AMRAP set). Then on 10/7/15, I again was only able to hit 5 sets of 3 (no extra on final AMRAP) with 300 lbs. Then on 11/18/15, I once again was only able to hit 300 lbs for 5 sets of 3 with no AMRAP sets. The final set of 3 on each AMRAP set was always an RPE of 10. So needless to say, doubling the number of reps and hitting 6 reps on the final AMRAP set was shocking! Very happy with this.

Everything after the deadlifts and bench was accessory work. The cardio work was great, too. I increased by 2 minutes at the same pace from the previous cardio session. I made sure to stretch pretty good after. Looking at the duration of the workout -- pretty long..

[iron619]

Conventional Squats: 5 sets of 7 @ 305 lbs
305x7
305x7
305x7
305x7
305x7

Paused Flat Bench Press: 5 sets of 7 @ 250 lbs
250x7
250x7
250x7
250x7
250x7

Smith Machine Calf Raises: 295x6, 295x6, 295x6, 295x6, 295x6

Feet Up TnG CGBP: 185x10, 185x10, 185x10, 185x10, 185x10

Seated Machine Rows: 112x10, 112x10, 112x10,112x10, 112x10

11-lb Ball Situps: 20, 20, 20, 20, 20

Cardio: Treadmill running / 20 minutes / 5.5 mph / 1.83 miles

+10 minutes of stretching

(Duration of workout: 2 hours, 25 minutes)

Comments: Overall, a good workout. My motivation and energy was a bit low today.

The squat set were very tough. Each rep felt like a grinder. The popping of my knees on virtually each rep didn't help, either. Because the reps on squats felt so tough, I didn't superset this exercise with anything. Nonetheless, I was able to hit all prescribed sets and reps. To make it clear, the "duration of workout" listed is from the time I begin my first warmup, to when I complete the stretching at the end after cardio.

Bench press was pretty tough but manageable as well, as each set felt like an RPE of 9.5. The bench press work was supersetted with leg curls and calf raises.

Everything after the squat and bench was accessory work. The CGBP, rows, and abs were done in a circuit. The ball situps really hit my core hard. Hopefully this will carryover to the actual physical fitness test that I have coming up (situps is being tested).

The cardio at the end was excellent. It felt good to get in the three cardio sessions at the end of the workouts. For this week, the pace is only at 5.5 mph, so it's more like a jog. I plan on slowly increase on this though.

[iron619]

Paused Sumo Deadlifts: 9 sets of 3 @ 310 lbs
310x3, 310x3, 310x3, 310x3, 310x3, 310x3, 310x3, 310x3, 310x3

Standing Overhead Press: 4 sets of 5 & 1 set of 5+ @ 160 lbs
160x5
160x5
160x5
160x5
160x5 @ 10 RPE

Front Squats: 4 sets of 5 & 1 set of 5+ @ 180 lbs
180x5
180x5
180x5
180x5
180x8 @ 8 RPE

Smith Machine Shrugs: 295x6, 295x6, 295x6, 295x6, 295x6

Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 30x10, 30x10, 30x10, 30x10, 30x10

13.2-lb Ball Situps: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Cardio: Treadmill running / 22 minutes / 5.5 mph / 2.13 miles

+10 minutes of stretching

(Duration of workout: 1 hour, 52 minutes)

Comments: Overall, a pretty good workout to successfully wrap up week #1 of a new loading phase. This workout took less than 2 hours, so that was a good thing. The other workouts this week took about 2.5 hours to complete, which is both mentally and physically draining, especially because it is done after a long work day. Once the school semester starts up next week, I may need to find ways to cut down on the workout duration by a little bit. Lastly, I did not wear a lifting belt for anything today.

The paused sumo deadlifts felt pretty good. I felt a slight twinge in my right psoas/hip flexor area again, which I had also felt earlier this week.

The standing overhead press work was brutal! I BARELY hit the 5th rep on every set. I'm not sure if it was because my triceps were fatigued from yesterday or what, but this was very difficult to complete. There was absolutely no way I could have completed any extra reps on the final (AMRAP) set.

Front squat felt great. My quads were pretty sore from the previous day's squat session, but I was able to hit ass to grass on each rep. On front squats, I seem to be able to hit the lowest depth. My lower back was feeling a bit fatigued from this as well. Again, not wearing a belt on either OHP or front squats may have taken it bit out of me.

Everything after the front squats was accessory work. I had completed the front squats, shrugs, curls, and abs in a one circuit in order to cut down on the length of my workout. The cardio at the end was solid. I started wearing my custom orthotics while running, and this is causing a bit of discomfort in my feet. I simply have to get used to the orthotics. These inserts were custom made for my feet a few months ago, but I haven't worn them during running. Hopefully this can help correct the jacked up feet I have and help my run.

[Andalite]

Chris, bro, happy new year Hope all is well! Best lifts to you for 2016!

[iron619]

Chris, bro, happy new year Hope all is well! Best lifts to you for 2016!

Hey Anuj! I appreciate your words, and I wish you a STRONG new year of training!

[iron619]

Conventional Squats: 4 sets of 2 & 1 set of 2+ @ 355 lbs
355x2
355x2
355x2
355x2
355x3 @ 10 RPE

Paused Bench Press: 4 sets of 2 & 1 set of 2+ @ 295 lbs
295x2
295x2
295x2
295x2
295x4 @ 10 RPE

Smith Machine Calf Raises: 315x6, 315x6, 315x6, 315x6, 315x6

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 90x8, 90x8, 90x8, 90x8, 90x8

Seated Leg Curls: 163x8, 163x8, 163x8, 163x8, 163x8

Supinated Grip Lat Pulldowns: 137x8, 137x8, 137x8, 137x8, 137x8

13.2-lb Ball Situps: 12, 12, 12, 12, 12

Arm-Supported Knee Raises: 12, 12, 12, 12

Smith Machine Shrugs: 275x6, 275x6, 275x6, 275x6

Cardio: Prowler Sprints / 140 lbs / 1 lap=175 feet / 5 laps

+10 minutes stretching

(Duration of workout: 2 hours, 35 minutes)

Comments: Man, what a thorough and exhausting training session to kick off week #2 of the loading phase. Although I wasn't really mentally motivated for this workout, I was able to do all prescribed work and some extra, so I was overall very pleased with this workout. I didn't feel like I was at my best today, and it showed on some of the work.

Concerning the squats, the last time I completed this weight/set/rep prescription, I hit 5 reps on the AMRAP set. Today, I was pushed to the limit with just 3 reps. Not sure why, but perhaps I was a bit dehydrated. At least I completed one extra rep on the final AMRAP set. VERY tough squats sets today.

Bench press work was solid. As a side note, I stopped wearing my lifting belt on anything other than deadlifts and squats several weeks ago. Anyway, I completed the same weight/set/rep prescription on bench back on 11/25/15, at which time I hit 4 reps on the final AMRAP set, so at least I wasn't any weaker on this today. This is still a move in a right direction because on 10/21/5, I failed on the 3rd rep with 310 lbs.

Everything after the squats and bench press was accessory work. I threw in a second ab exercise at the end just because I feel my core needs a little more direct work. The prowler work was very, very challenging, too.

[iron619]

Cardio: Treadmill running

Duration: 25 minutes

Speed: 5.5 mph

Distance: 2.29 miles

+8 minutes of stretching

Comments: Solid cardio work today! This pace, which is probably very slow to almost all people, is perfect for me. I'm not trying to wear myself out or anything, but this seems to be a solid pace for my current level of fitness. What makes these runs painful is the custom orthotics I started running with recently. I need to get used to this, so there will be a period of discomfort until I adapt. I'm hoping that these orthotics will help my running form and will minimize the pain in my feet.

[iron619]

Weight on digital scale: 185.5 lbs

Time of check: 7:30am

Comments: I wanted to check my weight because I haven't checked it in a long time. I was only wearing boxers when I weighed myself. I have a powerlifting meet coming up on February 6th, so I need to get down to about 181 lbs for it. Additionally, I feel like my bodyfat percentage is a bit excessive. I'm hoping that the extra cardio work I started this year will help shed off some of the unwanted body fat. Of course I am aware that diet is critical, and I have tightened up on this variable as well. If I have to estimate, I would list me at 15% body fat right now. The extra cardio work is also being done because I have a physical fitness test coming up in the military, and I need to improve my running performance.

Lastly, I began taking a fat burner (Hydroxycut Hardcore Elite) on January 7th, so I'm curious to see if I feel and see any minimal benefits from it. Of course I am also aware that most supplements hardly do anything, but I'm usually open to trying new supplements out of curiosity.

[iron619]

Sumo Deadlifts: 1 set of 1+ @ 470 lbs
470x4 @ 9 RPE

Sumo Deadlifts: 4 sets of 3 @ 430 lbs
430x3
430x3
430x3
430x3

Touch N Go Flat Bench: 4 sets of 2 & 1 set of 2+ @ 310 lbs
310x2
310x2
310x2
310x2
310x4 @ 10 RPE

Smith Machine Shrugs: 315x5, 315x5, 315x5, 315x5, 315x5

13.2-lb Ball Situps 15, 15, 15, 15, 15

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 70x8, 70x8, 70x8, 70x8, 70x8

Seated Face Pulls: 112x8, 112x8, 112x8, 112x8, 112x8

Hanging Knee Raises: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

(Duration of workout: 1 hour, 45 minutes)

Comments: Overall, an excellent workout to continue with this loading phase. Once again, I was not mentally motivated at all for this. On top of that, physically, I was tired. This was because I had to work an extra long day, and did not start this training session till a bit later in time. Because of my fatigue, I skipped the typical cardio work, extra accessory exercises, and even the stretching cool-down that I have been doing lately. I was just ready to get the heck out of the gym. The good news was that I completed all required sets and reps, and hit a few extra reps on the final AMRAP sets.

Sumo Deadlifts were tough. As of last week, I'm not trying to COMPLETELY keep a straight upper back; rather, I'm letting my upper back flex just a LITTLE bit. I'm curious to see if this helps with my numbers. On paper, the 4 sets of 3 @ 430 lbs didn't seem like much, but after the second set, I was starting to feel the struggle.

The Touch N Go Bench Press work felt great. I supersetted the bench press work with the shrugs and ball situps. I typically don't superset the main exercises with more than one accessory exercise, but as I mentioned in my initial paragraph, I was just anxious to get home and rest. Again, this is from the extended work days that I have been doing - not from a lack of sleep or inadequate diet. Since my gym is located at my work, just getting out of the building was a refreshing thought. I wouldn't call this a slump, but it does affect my outlook on training.

Everything after the deadlifts and bench was accessory work. I only completed the prescribed accessory work and nothing more. This was probably why the workout was much shorter than usual (less than 2.5 hours).

[iron619]

Cardio: Treadmill running

Duration: 30 minutes

Speed: 5.5 mph

Distance: 2.75 miles

+8 minutes of stretching

Comment: An excellent cardio session! I was stoked to finally work up to 30 minutes at 5.5 mph. It actually felt pretty good, and my feet didn't terribly hurt - at least not as much as it has been. Now that I hit 30 minutes at 5.5 mph, I will increase the mph to 5.7 mph, and build back up the duration from 20 minutes. On the treadmill, there is an option to elect to run a 5K, and I'm debating this. Because I get tested to run 3 miles, I am thinking that training to run 3.2 for a fast time will allow me to train slightly more than what is required for my job, so when it comes time to test out, I would be more than prepared. Also, most of the courses I will later have to attend will run more than 3 miles, so preparing myself for a minimum of a 5K might be advantageous. Either way, this cardio work today.

[iron619]

Conventional Squats: 6 sets of 6 @ 315 lbs
315x6
315x6
315x6
315x6
315x6
315x6

Paused Flat Bench Press: 6 sets of 6 @ 260 lbs
260x6
260x6
260x6
260x6
260x6
260x6

15.4-lb Ball Situps: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Touch N Go Feet-Up CGBP: 195x8, 195x8, 195x8

Seated Machine Rows: 112x9, 112x9, 112x9

Seated Leg Curls: 163x9, 163x9, 163x9

(Duration of workout: 1 hour, 30 minutes)

Comments: I struggled on this workout, both mentally and physically. It was another long, busy day at work, which led me to start this workout a bit later day than usual.

This workout started off pretty rough with squats; I mean, I had seriously contemplated just cutting the main work short. This was initiated by my damn knees popping VERY load on each rep. On the first three sets, I tried being consciousness of my squat technique. For instance, I focused on pushing my knees out on the first set. I also focused on sitting back with my hips. Still, my knees popped. For the 4th set, I focused on squatting faster to the hole - these reps were noticeably faster, thus, the time under tension was decreased. I did this for the last 3 sets of 6 and to my surprise, my knees did not pop at all. On the downside, my form became "loose" and technique was a bit sloppy. What I mean by this is that I even lost my balance/footing and had to re-adjust on a few of the reps, but it was nice not having my knees pop and feel awkward. Perhaps with some practice, I can learn to stay tight and fast on squats. At the end, I was happy to have completed the prescribed work on squats.

The bench press work was solid; I have no complaints about this work. I feel pretty confident with my bench technique. Because I had started this workout late, I had completed the squats and bench in alternating sets - they were not supersetted, but done within a couple minutes of each other. I did superset the weighted/ball situps with the bench press.

By the time I completed the squats, bench, and ab work, I was ready to get out of there. I had cut the volume down on the rest of the accessory work (typically do 5 sets) to only 3 sets, and those sets were supersetted. I almost always do extra accessory work, cardio, and stretching, but I omitted those again.

[iron619]

Paused Sumo Deadlifts: 8 sets of 3 @ 320 lbs
320x3, 320x3, 320x3, 320x3, 320x3, 320x3, 320x3, 320x3

Standing Overhead Press: 4 sets of 3 & 1 set of 3+ @ 170 lbs
170x3
170x3
170x3
170x3
170x5 @ 10 RPE

15.4-lb Ball Situps: 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12

Single Leg Press: 125x8, 125x8, 125x8, 125x8, 125x8

Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 35x8, 35x8, 35x8, 35x8, 35x8

Cardio: Treadmill running / 15 minutes / 5.7 mph / 1.42 miles

+9 minutes stretching

(Duration of workout: 2 hours, 5 minutes)

Comments: Overall, this was a great, successful workout to wrap up week #2 of my training program. Mentally and physically, I felt good. This might be because I finally got 8+ hours of sleep the night before, and woke up rejuvenated. During the week, I had only averaged about 6.5 hours of sleep, which is something that can definitely affect me. I also started this workout much earlier than all the other workouts during the week, which also helped. I'm definitely glad to have finished this training week.

The sumo deadlifts sets felt pretty good; no complaints here. The sumo deadlifts were supersetted with weighted ball situps. The standing OHP was very challenging, but I was happy to have completed the prescribed volume while getting a couple extra reps on the final (AMRAP) set. The OHP was supersetted with the leg press.

Cardio has been going pretty smooth. Since I had completed 30 minutes at 5.5 mph in my last cardio session, I bumped up the speed to 5.7 mph (yes, this small increase is noticeable), and dropped the duration down to later build up.

At the end of the workout, I had also completed a "2-minute dead-hang challenge", which was something I randomly found while browsing the forum on bodybuilding.com. I thought it would be easy, but it wasn't! I failed the challenge on the first try (before my workout). Ironically, after completing this workout, I was successful with the challenge.

[iron619]

Conventional Squats: 4 sets of 2 & 1 set of 2+ @ 365 lb
135x1 <----LEFT LOWER BACK STRAIN WITH MY SECOND WARM-UP SET!!! COULD NOT GO ON

Paused Bench Press: 4 sets of 2 & 1 set of 2+ @ 300 lbs
300x2
300x2
300x2
300x2
300x4 @ 9.5 RPE

15.4-lb Ball Situps: 16 (STOPPED AFTER FIRST SET DUE TO ACUTE LOWER BACK PAIN)

Hanging Knee Raises: 5 (AGAIN, STOPPED AFTER FIRST SET DUE TO ACUTE LOWER BACK PAIN)

Seated Leg Curls: 163x10, 163x10, 163x10, 163x10, 163x10

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: (COULD NOT ATTEMPT AS GETTING INTO POSITION TOO PAINFUL)

Chinups: 8, 8, 8, 8, 8

Seated Chest Press Machine: 151x10, 151x12, 151x12, 151x12, 151x12

Cardio: (SKIPPED DUE TO LOWER BACK PAIN)

Comments: Wow, what a terrible start to my third training week. What especially sucks about this is that I only have a few more loading weeks before having to deload for the powerlifting competition on February 6th, 2016. I definitely did not see this coming. Before starting the workout, I felt fine and ready to rock. On squats, I warmed up with the barbell, as I always do. I sometimes load up 95 lbs on the bar as the next warm-up set, but today, I decided to jump right to 135 lbs. I still think this is reasonable because it is still very light, and this is exactly what I did today. So as I descended to the hole on the first rep of the warm-up set with 135 lbs, I felt a sharp strain in my left lower back area. I muscled up the barbell and tried a second attempt, but didn't even squat down a few inches before being pinged with that pain. I then racked the barbell and realized my lower back was strained. I guess these freak accidents happen.

There really wasn't anything I could do at this point, but I decided to complete as much as the prescribed workout as I could. I moved onto bench press, which was next on the program list for the day. Surprisingly, benching didn't hurt my back, at least not too much. The most painful part of benching today was getting in and out of position. I had to use my arms to support my torso to slowly lay down. After finishing the set, I had to again use my arms and slowly pull myself up. I had absolutely no lower back stability or support. I really didn't use much leg drive, but then again, I don't arch much when I bench. I was just glad that I completed all the prescribed bench press sets and even hit a couple extra on the final AMRAP set.

The rest of the workout was accessory work and I did what I could. Since I tried and could not do dumbbell bench, I used a seated chest press machine instead. I also tried doing some abdominal work, but crunching forward, or folding myself up with my legs caused a ton of pain. When it was all said and done, I walked out of the gym like a limping old man. When I got home, I took a lot of Motrin, used an ice pack on my lower back, and got a massage.

[iron619]

Cardio: Elliptical trainer

Duration: 45 minutes

+8 minutes of stretching

Comments: Before hurting my back the day before, I had intended on doing workout #2 today, but of course, this was impossible because of the pain in my lower back. I still felt like I need to do something other than ice, Motrin, and rest, so I opted to do non-impact elliptical trainer at the gym located within my apartment complex. The elliptical trainer did not cause any pain to come up, so that was good. Towards the end, I had a slight sweat started.

[iron619]

Touch n Go Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 2 & 1 set of 2+ @ 320 lbs
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x3 @ 10 RPE

Sumo Deadlifts: BACK WAS FEELING BETTER, SO ONLY TESTED THE PAIN TOLERANCE
65x10
85x5
95x5
135x5
185x5 <--This was pushing it today...

Conventional Squats: BARx2 <----TESTED BACK, TOO PAINFUL, SO STOPPED AT 2 REPS WITH JUST THE BAR FOR THE WEIGHT

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 55x12, 55x12, 55x12, 55x12, 55x12

Pullups: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

Kneeling Cable Crunches: 75x12, 75x12, 75x12, 75x12, 75x12

Cardio: Elliptical trainer / 15 minutes

(Duration of workout: 1 hour, 20 minutes)

Comments: Another sub-par and incomplete training session, but progress with my back issue was seen, so that was good. This workout was supposed to start off with a heavy single on sumo deadlifts, followed with 4 sets of 2 @ 455 lbs. Of course this wasn't going to happen today, as my lower back was still screwed up from Monday's warm-up set on squats. So instead of starting with sumo deadlifts, I started with bench press. I was mostly stoked that my back was feeling fine on bench press, though I still had to support my torso as I laid down and got up from the bench.

The bench press work felt pretty good. This felt very heavy, but I still squeezed in an extra rep on the final (AMRAP) set.

After bench press, I wanted to test my back on sumo deadlifts. I started off very light and worked my way up to 185 lbs. My lower back started feeling twingy on the last two sets, so I stopped after 185 lbs.

After deadlifts, I tried the squats to see how it would feel. I was at least able to complete two reps before stopping due to acute pain. I found it odd that I could deadlift 185 lbs for a set of 5, but couldn't even squat the barbell. At this point, I focused on the positive that I was able to complete my bench press work and knock out a few light set on deadlifts.

Another improvement that wasn't seen on Monday was that I was able to do incline dumbbell bench press work today. I used lighter dumbbells than I otherwise would have used, but I wanted to be conservative on the accessory work. I was also able to do some light cable crunches, so this back issue is moving in the right direction.

[iron619]

Conventional Squats: 4 sets of 2 & 1 set of 2+ @ 365 lbs (This was Monday's squat prescription)
Warm-up: BARx10, 95x5,135x4, 185x2, 225x2, 275x2, 315x2
365x2
365x2
365x2
365x2
365x2

Conventional Squats: 7 sets of 5 @ 325 lbs (This is the squat prescription for the 3rd workout of the week)
325x5
325x5
325x5 (<--STOPPED HERE, LOWER BACK STARTED FEELING STRAINED)

Seated Machine Rows: 125x8, 125x8, 125x8

Hanging Knee Raises: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Comments: How confusing and shocked I was! Yesterday, I was barely able to squat the bar for a couple reps, but today, I felt much better! I have taken a ton of Motrin this week, but this surely couldn't mask the underlying pain that I had strongly felt during the last three days. I was very apprehensive about squatting today, and I actually started out by simply testing myself with the barbell. After I realized it felt okay, I kept working my way up until I reached the point where I realized I could complete the squat prescription that I was supposed to do on Monday! I was very happy about this. I gotta admit, all 5 sets with 365 lbs was an RPE 10 -- very, very, very hard reps.

After I finished Monday's squat prescription, I decided to continue and complete the squat prescription for today (third workout of the week). I was supposed to do 7 sets of 5 @ 325 lbs. I had to stop on the third set with 325 lbs because my lower back started feeling worn out and the pain started coming up.

I cut the volume work down on the accessory work, skipped cardio, and called it a day. At the end, getting the heavy squat work done was a great feeling.

[iron619]

Today's Weight: 183.9 lbs @ 7:35 am

Previous weight check: 185.5 lbs @ 7:30 am taken on 1/5/16.

Comments: So far, so good. I had initially checked my weight 10 days ago, and this decrease in 1.6 lbs is nice and steady for me. I need to continue dropping down to about 181.5 lbs. I really hate having to take harsh measures to make weight, so it would be ideal if I can be as close to my competition weight as possible. For all weight checks, I'm trying to be consistent with checking it upon waking up with wearing only boxers. I will check my weight again on January 25th to see where I am at.

[iron619]

Sumo Deadlifts: 1 set of 1+ @ 480 lbs (<--THIS IS TUESDAY'S DEADLIFT PRESCRIPTION)
480x3 @ 9 RPE

Sumo Deadlifts: 4 sets of 2 @ 455 lbs (<--THIS IS TUESDAY'S DEADLIFT PRESCRIPTION)
455x2
455x2
455x2
455x2

Paused Sumo Deadlifts: 7 sets of 3 @ 335 lbs
335x3, 335x3, 335x3, 335x3, 335x3, 335x3, 335x3

Standing Overhead Press: 4 sets of 2 & 1 set of 2+ @ 180 lbs
180x2
180x2
180x2
180x2
180x2 (All second reps on all sets were RPEs of 10)

Single Leg Press: 125x10, 125x10, 125x10, 125x10, 125x10

Feet-Up Touch n Go CGBP: 205x8, 205x8, 205x8, 205x8, 205x8

Seated Leg Curls: 176x8, 176x8, 176x8, 176x8, 176x8

Pullups: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

Kneeling Cable Crunches: 150x10, 150x10, 150x10, 150x10, 150x10

Cardio: Prowler Push Runs / 90 lbs / 1 lap = 175 feet / 8 laps with 1 minute rest periods

Comments: Overall, an excellent training session to wrap up this week of training. The first few workouts of this week started off terribly, with me hurting my lower back. I had to shift around the workout plan a little bit to adapt to this injury. Today was pretty much another "super session", because I combined the deadlift work that was supposed to be done on the 2nd workout into this workout. I also added in some of the accessory work from the other workouts into this one. My lower back is probably about 90%-95% healed, but it does have a constant soreness. I'm typing this workout summation early Sunday morning, and my lower back still feels tender. Not only my lower back, but my IT band/hip area. I'm pretty sure all the deadlift work I did on Friday added to that, but I wanted to get as much in as I possible can because I am running out of time for my competition.

I was stoked about how my deadlift set felt and went. I worked out with a co-worker of mine, so we alternated sets (we stripped the weight down for his work). He pretty much did every exercise I did, but at a reduced load. The standing OHP was EXTREMELY tough. I supersetted the OHP with the single leg press. I then supersetted the CGBP with the leg curls. Lastly, I supersetted the pullups with the cable crunches. We decided to throw in a few prowler runs, taking turns every minute. I was thoroughly exhausted when we finished.

[iron619]

Conventional Squats: 4 sets of 1 & 1 set of 1+ @ 375 lbs
375x1
375x1
375x1
375x1
375x2 @10 RPE

Paused Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 1 & 1 set of 1+ @ 310 lbs
310x1
310x1
310x1
310x1
310x3 @10 RPE

Seated Leg Curls: 188x6, 188x6, 188x6, 188x6, 188x6

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 95x5, 95x5, 95x5, 95x5, 95x5

Weighted Chinups: BW+25x5, BW+25x5, BW+25x5, BW+25x5, BW+25x5

Seated Leg Extensions: 88x8, 88x8, 88x10, 88x10, 88x10

11-lb Ball Situps: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

+12 minutes of stretching

(Duration of workout: 2 hours, 2 minutes)

Comments: Overall, an excellent training session to kick off Week #4 of the program. I must first mention that my lower back has still not completely healed and that squatting still bothers me; just not as much as last week. It's only on squat that cause the lower back pain. Obviously the smart thing to do is to skip the exercises that causes the pain, but I stubborn on this, and with my competition a few short weeks away, these heavy singles was beneficial. Since I was only doing heavy singles (the last set was an AMRAP), the total volume on squats was very low. It's the higher volume work on squats that bring out the most discomfort. Anyway, these sets were VERY heavy. I have clearly gotten a little weaker on squats, likely due to the recent back injury.

The bench press sets went very well. I was pleased with everything about bench -- my setup, the feel, and last AMRAP set. The bench press work was supersetted with leg curls.

Everything after squats and bench was accessory work. One thing I decided to try to help improve my squats is to incorporate seated leg extensions. I'm hoping this extra isolation exercise will help build muscle in my quads and can help with added volume to stimulate growth. Squats is, and always have been, my weakest lift, so perhaps doing some extra direct quad work with seated leg extensions can serve as a way to not tax my CNS and to give my legs some more work to grow from.

Because of my upcoming physical fitness test, I have decided to do more pullups. On Mondays, I will do weighted (low rep) chinups, which have always helped me with this particular tested exercise. On Wednesday, I will probably do some form of rows, which is part of the program prescribed. I'm only replacing the rear delt work (face pulls) and doing body weight pullups (for higher reps). I have never been a fan of the seated face pulls, so this is a welcoming change that I must adhere to. Because of the back issue that I am recovering from, I had decided to skip the prowler work today. I wrapped up the workout with a longer stretching period.

[iron619]

Cardio: Treadmill running

Duration: 30 minutes

Speed: 5.7 mph

Distance: 2.85 miles

Comments: An excellent cardio session today! Because of the snow and inclement weather, I will be using the treadmill for a while. I was very happy to hit 30 minutes at this speed, and will icrease the speed and drop the duration next time. I still have a long way to go to improve my running. Another bit of good news about this cardio session was that my feet didn't hurt nearly as much from wearing the custom-made orthotics, so hopefully this is a good sign of my feet adapting to the hard insoles.

[iron619]

Sumo Deadlifts: 1 set of 1+ @ 495 lbs
495x3 @9 RPE

Sumo Deadlifts: 3 sets of 2 @ 470 lbs
470x2
470x2
470x2

Touch N Go Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 1 & 1 set of 1+ @ 325 lbs
325x1
325x1
325x1
325x1
325x2 @9.5 RPE

Seated Leg Extensions: 101x10, 101x10, 101x10, 101x10, 101x10

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 95x5, 95x5, 95x5, 95x5, 95x5

Seated Machine Rows: 125x8, 125x8, 125x8, 125x8, 125x8

Kneeling Cable Crunches: 162x8, 162x8, 162x8, 162x8, 162x8

Cardio: Prowler Push Runs / 110 lbs / 1 lap= 175 feet / 5 laps

(Duration of training session: 2 hours, 10 minutes)

Comments: Man, what an excellent training session today! Everything felt and went well, and I have no complaints. I worked out with one of my co-workers. He pretty much did everything I did, but with less weight.

Sumo Deadlifts: I wasn't quite sure how many reps I would get on this, but I knew I wanted to hit at least two reps. Well, I pulled 3 reps and definitely left 1 rep in the tank. No pain in my IT band or hips, so that was cool. My lower back was starting to feel pretty good again - there was slight discomfort, but for the most part, the pain has dissipated. I think my squats are still negatively affected by this recent back injury, so I'm probably going to have to be conservative with my squat numbers at the meet. Anyway, for all sets, I rested an average of 5 minute between each set.

Touch N Go Flat Bench Press: Solid sets here. All reps were smooth and steady. I felt pretty powerful through the entire ROM. Something to note - regardless of whether I'm training alone or with a partner, I always un-rack the barbell for bench press by myself. I then hold it at lockout for a couple seconds, just like I would need to in a powerlifting meet. After I complete the rep, I then lock it out and hold that for a couple seconds before re-racking the barbell. I also do not wear wrist wraps or a belt when benching, even if it's for a 1RM.

Accessory Work/Cardio: Everything after sumo deadlifts and bench was accessory work. Similarly to workout #1 of the week, I again did some volume work on seated leg extensions. Not sure if this will help my squats, but I wouldn't mind working on getting my quads bigger. The prowler work was tough as nails, especially because they are done after the weight training.

[iron619]

Cardio: Treadmill running

Duration: 20 minutes

Speed: 5.9 mph

Distance: 1.96 miles

+13 minutes of stretching

Comments: A solid cardio session. Since I had reached 30 minutes @ 5.7 mph earlier this week, I bumped up the speed and dropped the duration down to 20 minutes. The small increase in speed (0.2 mph) was noticeable, especially since I suck at running. I thoroughly stretched at the end of the cardio work. I'm hoping that this stretching will help with my flexibility and running stride. I'm also hoping that it helps me with my twinges and soreness that I typically feel after squatting.

[lewdog_5]

Can't believe how quick you recover from some of these injuries. Great stuff!

Loving your volume on these lift, multiple times per week. It's amazing what your body can adapt to.

[iron619]

Can't believe how quick you recover from some of these injuries. Great stuff!

Loving your volume on these lift, multiple times per week. It's amazing what your body can adapt to.

Wassup bro! Sometimes I sure don't feel like I'm recovering fast enough. Fortunately, my Wife gives me frequent massages, and I think this helps with recovery.

I hate the volume, but I'm trying to learn to embrace it haha.

[iron619]

Cardio: Treadmill running

Duration: 30 minutes

Speed: 5.9 mph

Distance: 2.93 miles

+7 minutes of stretching

Comments: As most of you know, parts of the East Coast, including Virginia, was hammered with a blizzard. On Friday morning, we were forced to leave work in the morning to avoid the strengthening weather hazard. I wanted to train on Friday, but I was literally forced to leave work (my gym is at work). It was probably the smart thing to do, but I was left with a feeling of anxiousness to train. Well, I wasn't able to train (with weights) on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. The weather was simply too hazardous; the roads weren't plowed, and our vehicles were enveloped with snow.

Because of this, I was only able to go to the gym that is located within our apartment complex, and even doing this was a tough task! Anyway, this cardio session was awesome, and I was stoked to hit 30 minutes @ 5.9 mph. Next time, I will increase the speed and decrease the duration to build back up.

[iron619]

Conventional Squats: 8 sets of 4 @ 325 lbs
325x4, 325x4, 325x4, 325x4, 325x4, 325x4, 325x4, 325x4

Paused Flat Bench Press: 8 sets of 4 @ 275 lbs
275x4, 275x4, 275x4, 275x4, 275x4, 275x4, 275x4, 275x4

Seated Leg Curls: 201x5, 201x5, 201x5, 201x5, 201x5

Feet-up Touch N Go CGBP: 225x5, 225x5, 225x5, 225x5, 225x5

Seated Leg Extensions: 113x6, 113x6, 113x6, 113x6, 113x6, 113x6, 113x6, 113x6

Pullups: BWx7, BWx7, BWx7, BWx7, BWx7

20-lb Ball Situps: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Dumbbell Shrugs: 85x10, 85x10

(Duration of training session: 2 hours 25 minutes}

Comments: Overall, a fantastic training session to FINALLY complete Week #4 of the training plan. Due to the recent inclement weather, I was unable to train on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This workout was supposed to be done on Friday, but there simply wasn't any way, so I knocked it out at the earliest possible time, which was today (Monday).

Conventional Squats: It's always a mental battle when I have to do 8 heavy sets of something, and this is a set/rep scheme that I have done several times during the past year. I really just try to focus on one set at a time. Since the weight is heavy, I needed to take long rest periods. The rest periods ranged between 4-6 minutes per set, with the latter sets taking the longest. When I had finished all the squats sets, approximately one hour had passed. Each set felt very tough. My knees popped nearly on every rep, and this is more of a distraction than discomfort. Towards the last two sets, I felt my bicep area starting to feel a little sore, and this is from the low bar positioning of squats. I widened my grip on the last couple sets to help alleviate this pain. Every time I do high number of sets, the bicep discomfort slowly starts creeping up.

Paused Flat Bench Press: My upper body was a bit fatigued from shoveling snow for 3+ hours on Sunday, so I definitely wasn't at my best; nonetheless, these sets felt pretty good. For these sets, I rested about 3-5 minutes between sets. Each set was supersetted with seated leg curls. I focused on ensuring my head and feet remained flat on every rep. The point of this is to help break the habit that I have of shifting my feet or lifting my head (it's not allowed in competition).

Accessory Work: Everything after the squats and bench press was accessory work. I bumped up the weight on CGBP and it was moderately heavy. The CGBP was supersetted with seated leg extensions. Last week, I had decided to give my quads more volume/work to possibly help my pathetic squat strength. During the last few months, I have often done seated leg curls for hamstrings, but not seated leg extensions for my quads. I guess we'll see how this plays out! Anyway, the pullups were supersetted with the ball situps. I decided to skip cardio because it had already been a long workout and I was anxious to get out of there.

[iron619]

Today's Weight: 183.5 lbs @ 9:30 am

Previous weight check: 183.9 lbs @ 7:30 am taken on 1/15/16.

Comments: This was taken first thing upon waking up. The previous weight check was 10 days ago, and I have only dropped minimal ounces. For this upcoming competition in 10 days, I need to weigh no more than 181.8 lbs; otherwise, I would end up competing in the next weight class. I don't have the luxury of a sauna like I did in previous years (while living in New Jersey), so I will need to make some dietary changes to ensure I drop sufficient weight. This will include water and carb manipulation.

[iron619]

Cardio: Treadmill running

Duration: 30 minutes

Speed: 6.1 mph

Distance: 3.05 miles

+10 minutes of stretching

Comments: Man, what an excellent cardio session! I am FINALLY up to the 6.X mph range, which is great progress. Even though this is good for me, running at 6.1 mph is a failing pace for my military physical fitness test. I need to get up to around 6.5 mph for a very low passing score. My goal here is to continuously improve because this directly affects my fitness score for my career. I'm sure this is adversely effecting my strength progression, but I will most likely be switching gears from powerlifting in the upcoming months, at least for a little while. This will help with my attendance of several formal courses that are planned in the future.

[iron619]

Conventional Squats: 4 sets of 1 & 1 set of 1+ @ 385 lbs
385x1
385x1
385x1
385x1
385x1

Paused Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 1 & 1 set of 1+ @ 320 lbs
320x1
320x1
320x1
320x1
320x1

Seated Leg Curls: 201x7, 201x7, 201x7, 201x7, 201x7

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 95x6, 95x6, 95x6, 95x6, 95x6

Seated Leg Extensions: 126x5, 126x5, 126x5, 126x5, 126x5

Seated Machine Rows: 125x5, 125x5, 125x5, 125x5, 125x5

Kneeling Cable Crunches: 162x8, 162x8, 162x8, 162x8, 162x8

(Duration of training session: 1 hour, 55 minutes)

Comments: Overall, a great training session. I was particularly looking forward to this workout because the main movements involved doing singles, which I prefer. Everything felt extremely heavy today, and it's probably because of the recent cardio sessions that I have been doing more often. I also contribute my weak squats to my recent lower back injury which held me back for a couple weeks.

Conventional Squats: Very, very heavy sets here. Granted, I did run 3 miles the day before so that likely impacted me, so I'm not too concerned with it. I rested about 5-6 minutes between each set to ensure I was fresh. Each set felt like an RPE of 10. At least I didn't feel any pain in my IT Band or hip flexor area, so I guess that's a good thing. When I do squats, I always try to mirror what it would be like in a powerlifting meet. That means I unrack the barbell, lock out and wait a few seconds, squat, lock out and wait a few seconds, then rack. Additionally, there are no mirrors around when I squat or bench, so this will psychologically transition well into a meet. Most gyms are surround the lifters with mirrors everywhere - I don't need to worry about that. If I ever question my form or depth, I simply video record my lifts.

Paused Flat Bench Press: These were solid sets. All sets were very heavy but smooth -- no sticking on any rep. Again, I attempt to mirror how I would lift in a powerlifting competition -- I always do this on paused work. I always unrack the barbell myself, lock out for a few seconds, bench, lock out again, then rack. Lately, I have consciously paid attention to ensuring my head remains on the bench and that my feet remain flat on the floor -- so far, so good.

Accessory Exercises: Everything after the squats and bench press was accessory work, and they were grouped together variously with supersets. I'm still doing seated leg extensions because I simply want to build my quads up a bit. If I have the energy, I might throw in some paused squats -- I miss the feeling of these.

[iron619]

Cardio: Treadmill running

Duration: 30 minutes

Speed: 6.3 mph

Distance: 3.14 miles

+6 minutes of stretching

Comments: Wow, I did not expect to be able to hit 30 minutes at 6.3 mph today, but I felt great and kept going. Very pleased with this performance! I just need to keep on progressing.