Powerlifting and Strongman

[CYTX]

Nice work man. California's Strongest Man looks like a fun contest. I just did my first one and I'm looking forward to Nationals.

Keep it up I'm looking forward to following along.

[HumanHorrorFilm]

Great Journal, glad i stumbled in here.

[SonOfDoom]

Thanks to you both for reading, and hold on to your butts because things are about to get crazy in my training.

[SonOfDoom]

Thurs, ME lower, DE upper

Since I have no discipline or self control, I decided to go heavy today.

Box squats with heavy band tension, 1 inch below parallel box. Ugh even the bar felt heavy like this.
135x2
225x1
315x1
405x1
455x1
495x1 Almost killed me. Had a huge headache after this lift. Prob 700-750 at top. No belt and back didn't hurt one but doing these. I think it was the weird position of doing front squats to a box that screwed me up. That and all the speed lockouts. Lockouts are suicide for my low back.

Step ups to highest box, 4 holes.
135x5 for 2 sets.

Speed bench with heavy bands at top. Triples with 95, 115, 135, 155, and 4 or 5 sets of 185x3.

Messed around outside with the 800lb tire, flipped it 2 or 3 times to show the high school kids how to do it who were watching. One of the strong kids managed to flip it after some coaching, which was awesome.

Pulled out the log for them too. One of them did 170, which is pretty good first time ever touching a 12" log as being in high school.

Roman chair ham raises
10 reps
3 reps, felt like L ham was going to rip off. What an exercise!

Wanted to finish with heavy reverse hypers but I'm honestly afraid my hams might blow off. I might just make a separate training day for heavy hypers since they take so much out of me. Still might do them in a couple hours...

(a couple hours later) Of course I did the RHs.
180x10
270x10
360x12 Felt pinching in L from hip on last couple reps. Time to rest for a week and recover. Next time, Zerchers with bands...

[SonOfDoom]

Mon

Zercher squats, no bands. Starting from top. Never done these before.

140x3
230x2
320x1
410x1
460x1 Popped up
500x0 Not sure what happened here but I was prob good for 475 or 480 and prob blew my load on 460. These feel super hard at bottom of rep but if i get them moving they pop right up. Since I've never done these, I should get better at them really fast. Nick B does 590x3 so that's a mark to shoot for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt9iRKX6Kgg

Platz leg extensions
3 sets of 30, ascending weight. Blew up quads.
Just like these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8PWcGbAvMw

[SonOfDoom]

Tue

Flat bench board press off foam roller.
Bar x 50
135x10
Add foam roller
225x3
315x1
365x1
405x1
455x1
475x0 Got a sh!tty lift off and almost dropped bar on stomach. Fired my spotter....
475x1
495x1

Chest supported rows
2 plates x 20
3 plates x 5
4 plates x 5
5 plates x 5
7 plates for 3 horrid reps with straps, just wanted to totally max out the lats


Overhead bar press with bands
Barx10
65x10
75x10
85x7 Hard as hell with all the band tension.

Lat pulldowns, parallel handles
Warm up: half stack x 15 reps
Full stack x 15

Rear delts on pec dec
3 sets of 10

Log curls, went light, 2 sets of 10

Finished with a couple flips of the 805 tire outside messing around.

[SonOfDoom]

Wed

Reverse Hypers
90x10
180x10
270x20 Could have maybe done a few more
270x15 Could not have done any more. Tried to keep legs pretty straight to hit hams.

Speed box squats to 10" box with double looped bands at bottom.
135x2
185x2
225x2
275x2
315x2
355x2
365x2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQYo0...e=channel_page

GHRs off flat bench with foot pads
3 sets of 3 reps as far down as I could go. Destroyed my hams.

Abs
Decline sit ups, made my low back hurt so I did some leg raises too plus 3x5 of side deadlifts wth DBs. 70x5, 100x5, 120x5

Some grip work to finish with grippers and rolling thunder plus a pullup bar hang as long as I could stand it.

[SonOfDoom]

Sun, Upper body

Prob shouldn't have went in today but did anyway. Trained really heavy upper on Tue so I don't know why I thought I would feel great 5 days later. Usually takes at least a week or more to recover from my upper body stuff.

Seated military press.
Barx30
140x10 Felt like crap, which is a bad sign.
190x1
230x1 Got out of groove
230x1 Felt fine
250x1 slowed down but i popped it up
280x0 Just felt like sh!t today
260x1

Chest supported rows
1 plate x 20
3 plates x 20
4 plates and a 25 x 20 reps. Felt a little pinch in R lat that I've felt the last couple lat workouts. No pulldowns today, didn't feel like ripping my lat off.

Dumbbell flat bench
80s x 10
120s x 12 Missed 13th rep

Dumbbell upright rows
30s x 10
50s x 10
70s x 10
75s x 10 Pretty hard

Had to go outside for a few minutes to get a breath of fresh air. Gym windows were all closed and I didn't feel like I could get any oxygen. Kinda lightheaded.

V-handle pressdowns.
1/3 stack x 10
Half stack x 10 Was kinda hard.
2/3 stack, did 1 rep and it felt like crap so I was done.

Wasn't feeling awesome today but I had a hard ass long day yesterday and am a little overtrained in the upper body.

[SonOfDoom]

3-30-09

Lower back, hamstrings, and abs

Reverse hyperextensions, roller model.

90x15
180x10
270x10
410x5 then plates fell off
410x8
410x5
Not really full reps but really wanted to see how I could manage with a heavier weight than I've ever done on these since I can muscle out 12 reps with 360. Loaded 4 45s a side and an extra 25 on each side with duct tape holding them on. I can tape on a pair of 35s next time which would give me 430.. way heavier than most people would ever go on these, but I want to be stronger than "most people"

GHRs.
Hooked feet under my heavy couch and did 3 sets of 3. Cannot do a full rep yet so I would do the eccentric then push myself back up with my hands and try to fight the rep back up.

Ab wheel
4 sets. Last 2 sets I would go down on one side or the other which really blasted my obliques.

No work for the quads today, knees feeling weird and I was able to do all my training at home.

Felt strong on the hypers and GHRs today. As long as I don't wreck my lower back in a workout, I think I recover alot quicker with lower body training than I do with upper body. I had 5 days rest between 2 heavy upper body sessions and felt like crap but the 5 day rest for lower body seemed to be enough. I have made great progress with upper body work doing it once every 2 weeks! Was hitting a PR every time. Maybe that's what I have to do. With strongman it's 90% leg drive for my pressing but the triceps still have to be strong.

[SonOfDoom]

Wed

Step ups to step up box, bottom position
135x5 (each leg)
185x5
225x5
275x5
295x5

Front squats with triple looped bands (extra 150 or so at top, not sure)
135x1
225x1
315x1
365x1 This was my PR with these bands a couple weeks ago and the fact that I can do it after all the step ups shows I'm getting stronger.

Leg extensions
1/3 stack x 30
2/3 stack x 30
A little more than 2/3 stack x 30 BURNS!!!!

[SonOfDoom]

Thur, Hams, tris, and hip tractioning

Warm up with 2x10 on Roman chair extensions

Poor man's GHRs
Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es4YL...eature=related
3 sets of 5 reps with assistance

Roman chairs, 2x15 bodyweight only

One arm dumbbell tricep extensions
20 x 5 each arm
40 x 5
60 x 3
50 x 5

2x15 pressdowns wide grip on lat pulldown bar

Belt squats with 120lb dumbbell, 20 reps. These help traction and align the hips, plus provide some recovery work for the legs without any loading on the spine.

Reverse hypers
50x10
140x10
270x10
430x10. Could fit 4 45s and a 35 on there with duct tape to hold the plates on there. Hard as hell.

[SonOfDoom]

Sat

Close Grip flat bench
145x10
235x1
285x1
325x1
375x1
385x1 (35lb PR)

12" Log press from rack
185x3
250x13 (Most of the reps push pressed, no double knee bend and touch and go at shoulders) This would be a PR but I've never repped out with 250. I felt super strong though.
195x7 strict pressed, pretty dead already.

One arm dumbbell rows
100s x 10
120s x 10
160s x 10
200s x 10 with straps. PR. Freaking spent after this, totally wiped out. Strange.

Dumbbell upright rows
45s x 10
60s x 10
75s x 10
80s x 10

Pec dec rear delts, 3 sets of 10

Parallel grip curls, just pumping out
100x10 for 2 sets

[SonOfDoom]

Speed box SQs with bands triple looped, olympic shoes

135x2
225x2
315x2
365x2
365x2
315x2
315x2
335x2
335x2
315x2

Roman chairs, bodyweight only
17 reps. Felt like hams were about to blow off the back of my legs and lodge themselves into the ceiling.
13
15, hold at top. Duck walked to the car, hams totally burned out.

Reverse hypers
180x20
180x20
Really letting them stretch and pull far under my face to traction and restore disks.

Ab wheel, 6 sets of 5, side to side to hit obliques more.

[SonOfDoom]

Wed

Speed flat BP with doubled up bands, very high band tension.
45x3
45x3
95x3
95x3
135x3
135x3
135x3
135x3
95x3
135x3

Standing barbell triceps
45x30
95x10
135x10
185x10
205x5 Felt really strong on these.

One arm low pulley rows with rotating handle
1/3 stack x 10 reps per hand
1/2 stack x 10
2/3 stack x 10
Full stack with straps for 2 reps, SUPER heavy!!

Dumbbell triceps extensions, 1 arm at a time
25x10
45x10
50x10, tris GONE.

Dumbbell hammer curls, heavy
45 x 5
60 x 5
75 x 5
90 x 5
110 x 5. These felt solid and great.

2 sets of thick bar wrist roller

Feeling super strong.

[SonOfDoom]

Fri

Max lower body

Reverse hypers to warm up
90x20
180x10
10 steps each leg bodyweight lunges

Zercher squats
135x3
225x1
315x1
405x1
500x1 (40lb PR, not bad) Felt easier with legs a little closer together. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uqp1...e=channel_page

GHRs
3 sets of 5 with bodyweight and forced reps

Belt squats. Hook dip belt around waist and squat with feet on separate benches. Blasts the legs, gives the low back a rest and tractions hips/corrects pelvic tilt.
100x20
150x20
175x20 These feel like nothing during the set but you can't even walk as soon as you unhook the weight. Had trouble walking through the store after training. Legs felt like jelly.

Reverse hypers
180x5
270x5
430x5 then the 35s fell off
430x5 then the 35s fell off again. What a bunch of CRAP. Guess it isn't gonna work duct taping extra weight on there. I'll stick with 360 for sets of higher reps.
360x10

Ab wheel, 3x5

[SonOfDoom]

Mon, heavy upper

Flat bench press
135x20
225x3
315x1
Add single ply shirt
405x1
495x1 touched chest, PERFECT.
555x1, touched chest and EASY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnGGw...eature=channel
575x1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqVEG...eature=channel
585x1
605x1 EASY and touched chest. Finally learned how to blast off chest without dumping bar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_53Bj...e=channel_page

Chest supported rows
3 plates x 5
4 x 5
5 x 5
6 x 5
7 x 5 (PR)
7 plates and a 25 for 2 half reps

Military dumbbells
70s x 10
95s x 10, would have gotten more reps but fell out of groove and didnt do 11
95s x 3 haha just dead now

Rear delts on pec dec, 3x10

[SonOfDoom]

Tue

Speed deadlifts from floor, reverse band tension so bar is 0 lbs at floor and full weight at top. Used a belt too. Going to start using a belt for my pulls.

135x10
355x1
445x1
535x 2 singles
585x 5 singles
535x1

All felt AWESOME. Zero back or leg pain.

Roman chairs
3 sets, 20, 15, 15, just bodyweight. Getting stronger at these. First 10 reps are always easy then at about 13 or 14 they start burning like HELL.

Sit ups on flat bench with foam roller under back.
2 sets, 20, 10. After first set, got a severe lower ab cramp. These things WORK. Abs are TOAST.

Reverse hypers on RH machine at gym (which I didn't even notice existed before)
1/3 stack x 10
2/3 stack x 20
Full stack x 10

[SonOfDoom]

Thurs

Speed strict press with bands. Makes the empty bar difficult
45x3
45x3
65x3 for 3 sets
75x3 for 3 sets
65x3 for 2 sets
45x3

Tricep pressdowns
1/3 stack x 20
More weight x 20
Half stack x 13, then rest 30 sec, 4 more reps, then rest 30 sec and 3 more reps to make 20. Triceps BLOWN UP.

DB Upright rows
45x10
70x10
80x10
90x10, Hard

1 set curls, empty bar x 20

[SonOfDoom]

Friday, Heavy lower

Front squats with doubled over greens, made empty bar SUPER heavy...
135x1
225x1, already hard
275x1 Hard
315x0 Too much!
295x1 Barely http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4zKu...eature=channel

Leg press
310x5
430x5
650x5
830x5
1020x5
1110x5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOTS2...e=channel_page

GHRs
3 sets with bodyweight, 10, 7, 10

Finished with a few sets higher reps reverse hypers, 360.

[SonOfDoom]

Mon

Max upper

Seated log military press from bottom position
95x10
195x1
235x2 Felt super easy
275x0 WTF, not sure what happened here
265x1 Flew up
275x0
270x0. Whatever. I'm terrible at military press anyway especially a bottom start. Triceps might be overtrained. Will back off a little bit.
255x1 Easy

Standing barbell triceps
145x10
195x10 PR These felt heavy too today but I had to get a PR out of anger.

Chest supported rows
2 plates x 10
4 x 5
6 x 3
7 x 10, PR. Not strict but who cares, loose form builds power.

Rear delts on pec dec
100x10
140x10
180x10 PR, usually 150-160 feels really heavy

Log curls
95x10
125x10, felt like crap. Biceps just dead from the rows.

[SonOfDoom]

Tue

Speed lower

Safety squat bar speed box squats with very heavy band tension. Assuming bar is 45.

45x2
135x2 for 5 or 6 sets
185x2
135x2
185x2
135x2

Felt super awkward until I found the right groove. These were awesome.

Roman chairs
Holding a 25 x 20 for 2 sets (PR)
Bodyweight x 20. Way stronger on these now. First 10 reps are always easy but final 10 burn horribly, so I know they're working.

[SonOfDoom]

Thurs, Speed upper

Flat speed bench, doubled green bands
45x3
95x3 for some sets
115x3 for some sets
135x3 Felt like 400 at the top with the strong bands!
for some sets
95x3

Pressdowns, 3x10

One arm low pulley rows, 3x10

Parallel grip bar front raises
45x10
65x10
95x10

Situps on flat bench with foam roller under back
3x10 with a 25lb on chest, pretty hard.

Reverse hypers at gym, half stack, 3x20

Flat DB bench, 100s x 20
Military DB bench, 80s x 12

Preacher curls and reverse preacher curls with light bar 2x10 supersetted with some sets of 20 of pressdowns... total bodybuilding workout. Had a huge pump so I did some shirtless posing to make my training partners uncomfortable. It worked.

[SonOfDoom]

Fri

Max lower

Set of 20 reps reverse hypers to warm up

Deadlift lockouts at knee, no hitching

315x1
405x1
495x1
585x1
675x1
760x1
780x1 Re-learning how to get my legs into the pull without just sliding it up my thighs. If i stuck my butt all the way back I could prob slide 1000+ up my legs but that defeats the purpose of this exercise.
760x1

Bar lunges
130x5 each leg
180x5 "
220x5 (PR)
240x5 (PR)
270x3 each leg, 30 sec break, then 2 more each leg to make 5 each side. (HUGE PR). Not bad putting 70 lbs and 2 extra reps on this exercise in 3 months. Was pretty wiped out after these. Wanted to barf, they turned my stomach. A big challenge to keep bar level with ground during each rep. Slight L knee irritation.

Reverse hypers on machine in gym
Half stack x 10
Full stack x 30. BLEW UP my posterior chain.

[SonOfDoom]

Sunday at Odd's

Low bottom start conan's wheel picks, thick bar.

300x3
350x1
425x1
500x1
570x1
620x1 Easy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wcht...e=channel_page

2 chain drags with 600lb chain uphill 80ft

A few loads to 62" with 265 and 310 stone, no tacky

GHRs, 2 sets of 5-10 reps

2 sets of 20, situps on bench with foam roller under back

[SonOfDoom]

Tue, max upper

Close grip floor press with flat back. Turned out to be WAY harder for me than regular flat bench, I guess that's the point.

135x10
225x1
275x1
315x1
365x1
385x0
370x1

Flat bench dumbbell tricep extensions
30s x 20
45s x 10
50s x 10
40s x 10

Chest supported rows with narrow parallel grip, way harder
2 plates x 15
5 plates x 5
8 plates x 2 or 3 half reps, just wanted to overload everything
6 plates x 5, Just wasn't there today
6 plates x 5. Wanted sets of 10 but just wasn't happening.

Biceps on curl machine, 2x20, super pumped afterwards. Just wanted to get some blood in there.

Rear delts on pec dec, 2x20 medium weight. Big time burn.

15-20 min upstairs stretching lower body and thinking about Jesse. I hope I win in San Diego. I hope he sees me win. I hope I accomplish my dream. I hope...

[SonOfDoom]

Thurs, speed lower

Reverse hypers to warm up

Speed deads, reverse bands

135x20
225x1
315x1
405x1
495x1
545x1 for 3 or 4 singles
495x1
495x1
545x1
495x1 Not quite as explosive as I like but they were still flying up.

Roman chair extensions
10 reps bodyweight
20 reps holding a 45lb plate for 2 sets (PR)
20 reps bodyweight Hams getting a lot stronger.

Belt squats
10 reps bodyweight
30 reps with 190lb dumbbell. Couldn't walk after this for 10 mins. These blow up my legs so bad, especially quads.

Abs on pulldown machine for 2 or 3 sets and some side bands with cables.

[SonOfDoom]

Sunday, Speed bench. Bodyweight 318.

Green bands, double looped
45x15
95x3 for 2 sets
115x3 for 4 sets
135x3 for 2 sets
115x3 for 2 sets

Tricep pressdowns, 4 sets of 10-20 reps

Dumbbell upright rows
30s x 10
45s x 10
60s x 10
80s x 10
70s x 10

1 set of 30s x 20 incline hammer curls to get some blood in the Bis and finish them off. They were wrecked after the upright rows

1 set of 30 reps medium weight pressdowns.

[SonOfDoom]

Tue

Max effort box squats to low bench, below parallel

135x5
355x1
445x1
535x1
585x1
625x1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFcuV...e=channel_page
675x0 Next time...

Hamstrings
GHRs, 4x5 with negatives

Abs
Situps on bench with foam roller under back, 2x20

That's it for today. Will do more quad/glute after speed squats Friday.

[SonOfDoom]

Wed

Max effort upper

Banded strict press with parallel handle bar. Not sure of weight, I'll assume 45.
45x30
Add bands
95x1
135x1 Kinda hard already with the bands
155x1 Pretty much a max press.

Overhead barbell triceps
135x10
205x8 PR Left elbow bugging me a little bit still. Whole upper body feeling kind of ripped up. Time for a few days off blasting it.
185x6 This set was crap, so I stripped to 135 and made up the reps from the last 2 sets (wanted 10 reps on both)
135x6 Triceps and upper body burning

Low pulley rows, 1 arm
1/3 stack x 10 each arm
1/2 stack x 10 each arm R hand opening up a bit...
Almost full stack x 6 each arm. Used straps, SUPER heavy. Felt like shoulders were gonna rip out of the sockets. Didn't want to do another set so I did 6 or 7 pullups to finish off.

Grip hangs on 2" thick bar
Counted time in my head.
About 20 seconds with a 45 hanging from waist
About 30-40 secs bodyweight only. Grip was BUSTED after this.

[SonOfDoom]

Fri

Speed front box squats with heavy band tension

135x2
185x2
225x2
245x2
255x2 for 3 sets
245x2
225x2 for 2 sets. Wasn't paying attention when I unracked it the first time and the band tension literally rammed me down to the box. L knee bothering me some. Wasn't till afterwards that I had one of the safety pins that hold the bands one notch higher than the other, so there was an imbalance of weight. Real smart.

Tried to do some barbell lunges but 135 and 225 felt like total crap and L knee was bugging me, so I stopped. Was about to just call it a day but decided to do some leg extensions to at least burn out the quads and get some productive work in, assuming it didn't irritate my knee.

Leg extensions
1/3 stack x 20
2/3 stack x 20
Full stack x 30. That was fun. No knee pain.

Feel out of energy. First day without my no-xplode pre-workout drink which always helps get me going, but since I'm getting some joint pain in more than one area and just not feeling right, I might need an extra couple days rest.