Black_Spit's training Journal

[Black_Spit]

And slightly off-topic, but I just saw what a Dimmel DL's are and how to do 'em (courtesy of Dave Tate) and I think I will incorporate them a bit next coming months...just to switch it from GM's....

I like them. They still work the lower back but at an angle that keeps the weight closer to your body. Probably working a lot more hamstrings than GM's, and slightly less low back than GM's. So far I've only gone light with them. Like 3x10 with 135. If my back doesn't heal up completely real soon, I'll probably drop all lower body accessories for a week or two, and only do squat, bench and deadlift for a few weeks and see how that treats me.

Bench PR's always put a smile on my face. Good work.

Me too. Maybe I can pick up a 3 rep PR tomorrow on DL's also. 470x3 sounds pretty tough considering the already fatigued/beaten up state of my lower back. In fact it may not be smart at all. Maybe I should do 3 singles. We'll see how I feel in the morning.

I'd hate to aggravate this back thing even worse.

It's feeling really good today, about like it did before Monday's squat session lol... And here I am about to go in and booger it up again.

[Black_Spit]

Well, I had a pretty shit workout today. I think my lower back issue is forcing my upper back and hamstrings to compensate and take on more of the load. Anyway, 470 shouldn't really be as hard as it was. I may have to reset my Deadlift training max back down to 480 or 500 so. I don't know yet. Maybe after a 100% deload with no lifting at all and focus on ice/Epsom Salt baths, my back can get back to 100%. If I was a touch-n-go'er, I believe I could have gotten 3 today, but I didn't want to do something that I haven't been doing and maybe hurt my back more...

If I do reset, it would be the first reset for Squat or Deadlift in 12 months. I guess it was bound to happen.

Deadlift-
135x3
225x1
315x1
365x1
405x1

470x1 90%
470x1 90%

Shrug-
135x10
225x10
315x26

I spent like 20 minutes in the sauna sweating like crazy...

/Feelsgoodman

[Black_Spit]

Good workout today. When I first watched my squat video, I was pissed @ myself for cutting my reps a few inches short, but, I paused and looked closely and I think it was just an illusion created by my baggy shorts. I think they were pretty good. So I'm happy with that. Not buried or anything, but certainly good training reps.

Squat-
45x3
135x3
225x3
315x2
365x1
405x1

435x3 <<<3 Rep PR>>> 95%



Dimmel DL (light)
3x3

Band Standing Abs-
5x10

I have a new shoulder warmup I've been doing. It's a circuit. And I just do however many circuits as feels good.

Dislocates x10
Pull Aparts x10
BTN Band Pulldowns x10

Bike-
10 min

[martin_mathers]

pardon my honesty but they look high to me...but they also look very easy so im sure you can do it to proper depth.

[Black_Spit]

pardon my honesty but they look high to me...but they also look very easy so im sure you can do it to proper depth.

Yeah, I don't think they're so high that I can't fix it with a little extra focus...

[Juggernaut0]

Unfortunately, I agree with martin on this one B_S. Little high.

Still strong though brah.

[B1GinNY82307]

admiring shoes.

And as you mentioned...easily fix-able...from the looks of it, you can bury them with not much of an issue.

[Black_Spit]

Thanks for the honesty guys (srs).

Bench today. 2nd rep was TOUGH. But I got it. Old PR was 325, so I'd say getting it twice is pretty good lol.

Bench Press-
45x3
135x3
185x3
225x3
275x2

325x2 <<<PR>>> 95%

Press-
5 sets

Triceps-
5x10

Bike-
10 min

Sauna-
I'm still on the bike now.

[B1GinNY82307]

+1 rep...HELL YEAH A PR!!!

fcuking A broski!

[ArchDukeOfTops]

sorry haven't been doing the journal thing too much lately. Man you are really getting some great strength gains bro, gjdm.

I'm still gonna pick on ya when you don't do your cardio/gpp though :P

I gotta get something figured out for winter, I'm not doing the Rocky IV workouts all winter like last year.

[Black_Spit]

+1 rep...HELL YEAH A PR!!!

fcuking A broski!

Thanks man. That's the first time in quite a while that I didn't get 3 reps on week 3 though. My training numbers are exceediing my old maxes now on every lift. The next decision is, what do I want to do with my training numbers heading into my last full training cycle leading into a meet? Aggressive increase or keep it the same and work on getting a few more reps this time... Not sure yet.

sorry haven't been doing the journal thing too much lately. Man you are really getting some great strength gains bro, gjdm.

I'm still gonna pick on ya when you don't do your cardio/gpp though :P

I gotta get something figured out for winter, I'm not doing the Rocky IV workouts all winter like last year.

Good to see you man. How is everything?

Maybe you should pick on me for my poor excuse for cardio I've been doing ie; 10-15 min exercise bike.

[ArchDukeOfTops]

Thanks man. That's the first time in quite a while that I didn't get 3 reps on week 3 though. My training numbers are exceediing my old maxes now on every lift. The next decision is, what do I want to do with my training numbers heading into my last full training cycle leading into a meet? Aggressive increase or keep it the same and work on getting a few more reps this time... Not sure yet.


Good to see you man. How is everything?

Maybe you should pick on me for my poor excuse for cardio I've been doing ie; 10-15 min exercise bike.

I've been doing good broski. I've actually been going back to my old fight team and sparring and rolling some. I thought I kept my cardio up, but its gonna take me a bit to get my wind back on the mat. I been taking my son with me after school, he's having a blast. So now its not like I disappear from the family for 4 hours, its something we can do together.

get of that exercise bike and hit the heavy bag

[Black_Spit]

^ You just nailed why I get up @ 4:30 to go to the gym.

I'm thinking pretty soon, I'm going to teach my son (who I'm sure you remember is a wrestler) how to squat, clean and press with a broomstick. He's only 8. Let him do a few hundred thousand BW Squats over the next couple of years and then let him use some weight maybe.

[B1GinNY82307]

Thanks man. That's the first time in quite a while that I didn't get 3 reps on week 3 though. My training numbers are exceediing my old maxes now on every lift. The next decision is, what do I want to do with my training numbers heading into my last full training cycle leading into a meet? Aggressive increase or keep it the same and work on getting a few more reps this time... Not sure yet.
.

I am sharing the same predicament as you. For me, I decided that I will continue to increase it but less aggressive (i.e. 5lbs for lower body) and continue to incorporate singles.

I don't want to kill myself prior to the meet and mentally continue to make progress and mentally "hone" in on my goals...

[Black_Spit]

I am sharing the same predicament as you. For me, I decided that I will continue to increase it but less aggressive (i.e. 5lbs for lower body) and continue to incorporate singles.

I don't want to kill myself prior to the meet and mentally continue to make progress and mentally "hone" in on my goals...

I may do that, or I may just keep them the same.

I think this is the perfect time to utilize the 3/5/1 + singles scheme, too.

How are you handling the two weeks leading up? Mine falls on week 3, 2 cycles down the road. So I'm thinking just take week 3 off completely. That's the week I'd be doing high %'s and singles anyway.

[B1GinNY82307]

I may do that, or I may just keep them the same.

I think this is the perfect time to utilize the 3/5/1 + singles scheme, too.

How are you handling the two weeks leading up? Mine falls on week 3, 2 cycles down the road. So I'm thinking just take week 3 off completely. That's the week I'd be doing high %'s and singles anyway.

I actually planned it out appropriately...I skipped a deload week and now my deload week falls on the week of the meet.

[ArchDukeOfTops]

^ You just nailed why I get up @ 4:30 to go to the gym.

I'm thinking pretty soon, I'm going to teach my son (who I'm sure you remember is a wrestler) how to squat, clean and press with a broomstick. He's only 8. Let him do a few hundred thousand BW Squats over the next couple of years and then let him use some weight maybe.

speaking of kids wrestling, I've got a bud who's a wrestling coach that's trying to get pee wee wrestling going around here so I've got my fingers crossed.

Both my kids play outside while I workout in the garage gym and sometimes they doing something resembling exercise just messing around. My son deadlifts with the curl bar and my daughter has used my small weights to build a castle, lol.

I like they fact that working out and exercising seems just like a normal thing to them. I let them do whatever while I workout, as long as its fun and safe. Its one of those things where I want them to have access to sports and exercise with out pushing them towards it.

[Black_Spit]

**** **** ****

Not good. I'm obviously not recovering between deadlift workouts anymore. Never had this problem before. It's been 4-5 lackluster Deadlift workouts in a row since I tweaked my back. But I think I would have failed and likely re-injured myself if I had pulled 500x2 this morning as planned...

First solution; Zero squatting, DL'ing, GM'ing, etc next week on deload. Only workouts will be restorative.

Second solution will end up being more drastic. I might end up having to separate heavy DL and Squats from sharing weeks. I've talked about it before, but I may not have a choice now. There are two logical ways I can think of to accomplish that. One is 5/3/1 for old folks. The other is a Conjugate approach.

Anyway-

Deadlift-
135x3
225x3
315x2
365x1
405x1
455x1

Light/Quick Sumo-
3x10

Shrug-
3 sets 100 reps (135/135/185)

Bike-
15 min

[B1GinNY82307]

5/3/1 "for old forks", you are refencing 2x a week, correct?

[Black_Spit]

5/3/1 "for old forks", you are refencing 2x a week, correct?

Yeah. Maybe.

Or I could reset my weight, focus on improving my form, and keep doing what worked for almost a year.

I have a week to think it over.

[Black_Spit]

So I went to Dick's to get one of their generic 'prowlers' called 'Protocol Power Sled.'

Supposedly they were recalled. So, I made a sled lol.

I present to you "White Trash Prowler" (the name given by one of my buddies I sent the picture to). Anyway, I have a nice incline in my back yard. So as long as it lasts, it will actually be pretty useful I think. At LEAST 3x a week from now on. No excuses.

[Black_Spit]

Sled Drags-
x10

Probably about 25-30 yards or so. 5 trips, there and back.

On some, I did a rowing/upright rowing motion, and others, I held the handles at my chest and just walked.

I was breathing pretty heavy at the end.


Not the greatest video in the world, but you get the idea. The rowing I really felt in my upper back and traps, but my lungs were feeling it the most as I got closer to finishing. Not from the rowing ones as much as the ones where I took off at a faster pace.

[ArchDukeOfTops]

excellent use of a pallet to create workout equipment. 5 star post would read again

[Black_Spit]

I just realized I've hit a milestone. 12 cycles, or a year on the 5/3/1 program. So I thought I'd lay out my progress.

I actually was thinking about how I've reached a point now where I've far exceeded 90% of my maxes, and I read something where Wendler was saying "it blows me away when people won't take 2 steps back when it means taking 12 steps forward from there."

So anyway, it was when I wrote down where I started, then where I'm at now, and where I'd be if I reset my deadlift and bench press 10% (I feel like my squat is already about 90%), it dawned on me how far I've come.

Starting training max 10-2010:
Squat 365
Deadlift 365
Bench Press 270

Cycle 12. 9-2011:
Squat 460
Deadlift 520
Bench Press 340

If I choose to reset to app. 90% (take 2 steps back):
Squat 455
Deadlift 455
Bench 315

[Black_Spit]

Dislocates 3x10
Pull Aparts 3x10
BTN Band Pulldowns 3x10

Neck Harness 2x20 (4 ways)

Some lower body stretching.

[Black_Spit]

Here's the training numbers for cycle 13. I did reset DL for the first time.

Squat- 470
Bench Press- 342.5
Deadlift- 470

Squat was hard work today, mostly bc I decided (in my effort to get in better shape) to stop disregarding the first two work sets as I've been doing for the past 2 months now. But, it felt good. My wrist feels better, my lower back feels good. So, I nailed it today. So I was able to go deep with no issues at all. Only sour note is I felt a weird twinge in my shoulder doing presses, so I abandoned ship real quick on that. I know where that road goes. I was going to add Presses back in my 5/3/1 programming again, but, that was my warning not to. Back to 3x10 or something like that @ 95-115 lb's. So, I did some restorative shoulder stuff that I normally just do one set or so for a warmup.

Squat-
45x3
135x3
225x3
315x5 65%
365x5 75%
405x5 85% <<<PR>>>


Press-
1x5 @ 135

Shoulder circuit- 4x15 (including warmup)
Dislocates
Pull Aparts
BTN Band Pulldowns

Farmers Walks

Neck Harness
2x20

[B1GinNY82307]

I may not have noticed (or simply overlooked it) but how did you "disregard the first two sets"?

Do you mean by doing the 2x2?

[Black_Spit]

So I'm just going to stick to the basics this cycle. The real difference is I'm going to start doing conditioning on off days for time reasons. I may even follow BBB for the first time if my ADD will allow it.

Squat 5/3/1 -470-
Squat 5x10
Shrug 5x10

Bench Press 5/3/1 -342.5-
Bench Press 5x10
Triceps 5x10

Deadlift 5/3/1 -470-
Deadlift 5x10
Barbell Curl 5x10

-Tue/Thu/Sat- Conditioning

[Black_Spit]

I may not have noticed (or simply overlooked it) but how did you "disregard the first two sets"?

Do you mean by doing the 2x2?

I missed this. That wasn't what I meant.

Most days I didn't do 65%x5, 75%x5, then 85%x5 for example week 1.

I would warmup up maybe like:
135x3
225x3
315x2
365x1

405x5 <<<85%>>>

But I'm going to stop doing that.

[Mike.Moore]

Yeah I think if you are going to do 5/3/1, you should stick to the prescribed sets. Not that I think it is bad to do one good work set, thats what I do alot, though it usually takes me about 8-9 sets to get there. But if you're using a program, you should stick to it. Otherwise, you can't expect the results you should get from it.