Synthetickiller's Skeiko

[thejosef]

Cardio was hell. I am simply a large whale attempting to fly.

Lol. Nice job.. I didn't know you ran at all. I'm a big fan of 100s, 200s, and 400s. Trying to fit them into my schedule as well.

[Synthetickiller]

Extra Work:

Core work:
Crunches x20x2
Core stat hold (45 degree hyper): body weight @ 10 sec, 25 lb @ 10 sec
TRX Ab curl: 10 (these are hard!)

Fat Bar Curls:
bar x8 (37.5 lb)
57.5 x8
Drop set:
50x8
47.5x8
45x8
42.4x8
40x8

Core work is working. I have much less back pain & feel far more stable.
Bicep work is solid. I think I'll eventually start seeing progress from 3 a weeks. I feel a great pump & my arms fee rock solid. I just now need them to look solid. In time, in time.

Lol. Nice job.. I didn't know you ran at all. I'm a big fan of 100s, 200s, and 400s. Trying to fit them into my schedule as well.

I just started these. I'm so out of shape, cardio wise. It's extremely true that your work capacity for weightlifting has nothing to do with cardio.
It's easy to fit them in when you have a high school track within walking distance. When I move, I'll have to drive. Still worth it!

[Synthetickiller]

[QUOTE=Synthetickiller;1434487921]Week 2: Day 3
Deads & overhead pressing
Weight:237.8 after breakfast (still not giving a f*ck)

Walked 1/2 a mile a few hours earlier.

Deads: Raw
75x3x2 (165 lb)
95x3 (209 lb)
125x2 (275 lb)
145x1 (319 lb) poor setup, no belt
145x3 (319 lb) belt, better
145x3 (319 lb) belt, very wide stance, decent leverage
145x3 (319) closer stance, no belt
145x3 (319 lb) conventional, no belt
145x3 (319 lb) conventional, no belt

Workset Tonnage: 2320kg / 5115 lb
Total Tonnage: 3305kg / 7285 lb

Quit (multiple reasons).

I feel as if I have to learn to deadlift all over again. I simply have not been pulling enough in the last year. This was the first deadlift session of the that was "taxing" & that pitiful compared to my squat. The weight moves, I just feel unstable. I'll be working on form & trying to pull 145kg x3x5. The tonnage pulled is a little over the 125kg x3x5. 13 reps would be the same tonnage, so I got in 3 extra reps.

My back was fatigued (including lumbar & stabilizing pain in the low back/hips), so I had to stop. Couldn't move on to Zerchers.
My left elbow feels worse than last week. I can't overhead when it feels this way. I believe it's from curling, so no curling on Mondays. That day will be a dedicated rest day, besides cardio.

At least the volume is good & the recovery should be positive. Otherwise, it's another "on step at a time" scenario. A 20kg jump was probably too big, but again, I wanted to set a baseline. I felt after the first 319 lb single that I was done. It's funny how having mental fortitude can fix things & I didn't expect to pull that much with a conventional stance, which usually destorys my back. It doesn't feel good, but I am not in a chronic cycle of pain from it, so I should heal up & improve.

[Synthetickiller]

Week 2: Day 4
Skipped: Back & left elbow was fatigued from too much deadlift volume.

Week 3: Day 1
Squat
Weight: 231.8 lb


Squat: Duffalo Bar
bar x5x2 (570 lb @ 57lb bar)
80x5 (174 lb) (400kg)
100x5 (220 lb) (500kg)
140x5 (308 lb) (700kg)
170x3,4,5,5,5 (352 lb) (3740kg)

Workset Tonnage: 3740kg / 8,400 lb
Total Tonnage: 5,340kg + 570 lb / 12,340 lb

Double Pause Squats: Duffalo Bar
125x1 (275 lb)
Tonnage: 125kg /275 lb

Quit.
I had sever pain in my lower left abdominal region due to IBS. The work sets felt good after the 3rd set & the pain lessened. Pause squats were impossible at that point, so I just quit. Depsite being lower tonage, I felt that if it wasn't for the IBS related pains, 170kg would have been easy. Sets 3, 4, & 5 were easy. 180kg is doable, especially if I get this IBS pain under control.

Going by the Pareot Principle. 80% of my strength gains come from 20% of the work. I got in most of the worksets, so I feel I didn't lose any strength, but was just hindered by pain. I should be able to handle the 4th week before jumping to triples @ 195kg/435 lb.

Despite being leaner at 231, I felt/looked bloated bloated & the suit fit tighter. I was worried it was a hernia, but if it quacks like a duck & waddles like a duck, it's not a zebra. Hopefully, the pain will subside soon.

[Synthetickiller]

Week 3: Day 2
Bench:
Weight: DGAF

Bench: Duffalo Bar
20x20 (44 lbs)
50x10 (110 lbs)
80x5 (176 lbs)
95x4 (209 lbs)
110x3 (242 lbs)
136x3x5 (300 lbs, really 299.8 lb) All time rep PR

DB Bench:
Flat: 120s x5
10° Incline: 100s x10

Food break

Unilateral Seated Row: 60 total reps
Pronated: 55 x15, x15 (each side)
Middle Grip: 55x15 (each side)
Top Grip: 55x15 (each side)

SuperSet:
Triceps Pushdowns: 50x8,8,8
DB Curls: 40s x10, 30's x10, 20's x10


Interesting session. Although my IBS wasn't as bad, it was still active & effected set up tightness.
Despite that issue, 5 triples with 300 is an all PR for triples as a workset. Reps were not fast at all, but none stalled. This is major progress!
DB presses are weak, considering I was doing 120s x10 while only pressing 330 as a 1RM.
Seated rows were done as a way to get in volume and not max weight. 60 reps is double my normal volume. I will try to do these twice a week, once high rep, once heavy/low rep).
The arm work is better to do on this day. I am getting elbow pain when deadlifting & taking a day off / doing rehab might be the ticket to fixing that.

[Synthetickiller]

Week 2: Day 3
Deads & overhead pressing
Weight:233.2 post pizza (still not giving a f*ck)

Walked 1/2 a mile a few hours earlier.

Deads: Raw
75x3x2 (165 lb)
95x3 (209 lb)
125x3 (275 lb)
135x3(297 lb)
145x3 (319 lb)

Zercher Squats: CSB
Bar x3 (65 lb)
187x3x2

GHR:
6,6,7

Barbell Rows:
75x5 (165 lb) partial rom due to belt
75x8x2 (165 lb) no belt, full room

Food break

OverHead Press: Fat Bar
Bar x10x2 (37.5 lb)
65x5
105x5
135x5x5

Side Raises:
10s x10x2
20s x10

Rear Delt Raise: 10° incline
5s x10
10s x10
Dropset:
20s x10
10s x10
5s x10

Pulling 319x3 w/o a belt is an improvement, but the volume is overall down. The IBS made this pulling session different. I couldn't get out of the way of myself.
Zerchers confirmed that the bloat from IBS is the cause for poor setup. I couldn't stay upright during the movement at all or get into a proper groove. At least the volume is there. GHRs are slowly improving. There's a noticeable difference in posterior chain strength. Rows went just ok. They'll improve over time.


OHP was a significant improvement. I didn't expect 135 to actually be light enough. I'll work up to 150x5x5, then triples for the next 4. Hopefully, 185 for triples. I will have to see. All other shoulder work was solid.

[Synthetickiller]

Week 3: Day 4
Auxiliary work
Weight: DGAF

Warm up: Hip Circle

Olympic Squats: Raw
bar x5x2 (44 lb)
75x5 (165 lb)
100x5 (220 lb)
140x4 (308 lb) PR

CG Bench: Swiss Bar
bar x10x2 (35 lb)
45x10 (99 lb)
85x5 (187 lb) Med Grip
85x5 (187 lb) Wide Grip
95x5 (209 lb) Med Grip
95x5 (209 lb) Wide Grip
105x5 (231 lb) Med Grip

GHRs:
7,7,8

Triceps Push Down:
50x12
75x8,8

Upright Rows:
bar x10 (44 lb)
45x8,8 (99 lb)

Seated Row:
55x20

Banded Adductor/Abductor:
Doubled Mini band x10 each leg (each movement)

Solid workout.
140kg x5 is a PR. Not a max by any means. I'll at least do 145kg, possibly 150kg. No IBS pain!
CG Bench went much better, as well. I might try to work up to 115kg or 120kg, I'll just have to see.
GHRs felt great. Push Downs were a lot stronger; good pump. Adductor/abductor work will help. This is was just a test.
Upright rows seems to take the crick out of my neck & loosen me up. I'll work with these. Burning out on seated rows helped as well.

Good session. It'll keep evolving over time.

[thejosef]

Man you do a lotta different types of squats. Good stuff. Nice to see you have a relatively pain free workout.. Keep up the good work

[Synthetickiller]

Week 4: Day 1
Squat
Weight: Try me, bisch.


Squat: Duffalo Bar, suit bottoms
bar x5x2 (570 lb @ 57lb bar)
80x5 (174 lb) (400kg/880)
110x5 (242 lb) (550kg/1210 lb)
145x5 (319 lb) (725kg/1600 lb)
180x5,5,5,5,5 (396 lb) (4500kg/9920 lb) (rest, 4,5,5,5,6)

Workset Volume: 4500kg/9920 lb
Total Volume: 6175kg + 570 lb / 14182.5 lb

Back is fried. Called it a day.
Attempted to come back & do pause squats & GMs. My back was having none of it.
Went on a half mile walk in the heat. Calling it a day.
Squats felt solid. Obviously better than last time. IBS-like pain at the beginning, but nothing affecting my squat. 25 reps @ 396 just kills my back. I'll have to continually up the core work. Solid session despite not doing all movements.

Man you do a lotta different types of squats. Good stuff. Nice to see you have a relatively pain free workout.. Keep up the good work

Thanks man.
I really only do what's necessary. I squat in suit bottoms due to my SI, just I feel I need to do something for my raw squat. That's why I incorporate pause squats & oly style. I'm week with a closer stance, so that's why I do the latter. 400+ for 5 by the end of the year. I feel these will skyrocket my squat by getting used to heavier weight in the hole w/o any support.

I'll eventually be incorporating a SSB & even a use for the CSB beyond zercher squats.

Oh, it's also nice to do something different. It prevents mental stagnation. On top of that, variety helps me see where I am failing & what I need to improve on. Squats used to be my worst lift. I just kept doing more & more of what I hated & that fixed the issue. There's no substitute for more work.

[Synthetickiller]

Week 4: Day 2
Bench
Weight: DGAF Crew 2016

Warm up: ShouldeRok & some stretching (stretching should be on the post workout agenda!)

Bench: Duffalo Bar
20x10,10 (44 lbs)
50x10 (110 lbs)
80x5 (176 lbs) Pauses start here
95x4 (209 lbs)
110x3 (242 lbs)
135x2x2 (297 lb) Easy
142.5x2 (315 lb) I believe this is a PR or matches a previous PR for a double.
1472.5x2 (325 lb) All time Double PR

Stopped here.

Bench went amazingly well.
Stretching is not good, although I was helping my mother with rehab & had to show her how to stretch properly. I will keep that in mind next time.
Pressing went well. Sets felt heavy up until 135kg/297 lb. Those reps felt solid. 142.5kg/315 felt very, very easy. My arch was solid (I don't train with that extreme of an arch till heavy doubles like this) & I didn't need a belt. These reps just moved fast, considering how close that is to my 1RM. I know I was good for at least 3, maybe 4 if I wanted that to be my top set. In comparison, 135kg w/ that arch would be good for probably to 5 to 6 reps. I bumped the weight, knowing how well 315 moved. 147.5kg/325 moved well on the first rep & almost stalled on the second rep, but did not stop. I'll keep on pushing the rows & back work to help with off the chest strength. In case anyone is wondering, all reps at 80kg and beyond are paused, so the 325x2 were both paused reps.

[Synthetickiller]

Accessory work
Core work:
Crunches: 10,10
Superset:
45° hyper static holds: 10sec, 25x10sec
Rainbows: 16, 16

Cardio:
Walk: 1.25 miles, last 3 laps were brisk walk

Week 4: Day 3
Deadlift
Weight: 232.4 (adjusted to 231 lb)

Deadlifts: Raw
75x3x2 (165 lb)
125x3x2 (275 lb)
145x3x2 (319 lb)
155x3 (342 lb)

Zercher Squats: CSB
bar x3 (65 lb)
187x3
187x3
198x3

GHRs:
8,8,8

Food break

Seated Overhead Press: Fat Bar
bar x10 (37.5 lb)
65x5
45x5 (99 lb)
65x5x5 (143 lb)

Seated Overhead Press: Dumbbells
30s x8,x8,x8 (20 second rest)

Reverse Flys: Incline
10s x10x2
20s x10x2

Solid Workout:
Deadlifts went well. The weight is still low, but being able to hand 155kg (342 lb) w/o a belt is good. First 2 reps were pull, then touch & go. 3rd was dead stop, re-seat & pull.
Zerchers were a huge improvement. ROM was good & knees didn't feel as bad. 90kg/198 was easy, so the weight will continually increase.
GHRs are getting easier, but I still cannot do the full movement without assistance. I'll work with 8s till I can do them without a push off.
OHPs were solid, but more of a struggle. This still was not a max effort workout, but I got a killer pump out of it.
OHP DB press w/o only 20 sec rest periods is hell. Crazy pump. I will up the weight & cut reps as I move to triples.
Reverse flys felt better with a little bit of an angle to the bench. Holding the 20s by one end instead of in the middle of the handle works a lot better.
Gains all around!

[Synthetickiller]

Cardio after deadlift: 1.25 mile walk (0.75 mile speed walk)

Accessory Work:
Core work:
Rainbows:
16, 16, 16

45° Hyper:
10 sec static hold
25 x 10 sec static hold
75 x10 (reps not for time)

Bicep work:
Incline Dumbbell Curls:
20s x10x2 (good contraction, good stretch)

Zotman Curls:
10s x10
20s x10

Cardio:
0.5 mile walk

So, I officially accepted a "Bench Press Challenge" from my buddy Synthetickiller.

By the end of 2016, my new goal is to bench press 245. It's definitely gonna be a challenge to get there, but that's the point. My best bench press was a 210 x 2 last year, but I think I'm making good progress on Texas Method, and 182.5 x 5 (on week 5) was pretty easy last week.
SK is shooting for 375, also by the end of 2016. He just lifted 325 x 2 (paused reps) last week.

Let's do this!

This is going to be interesting. Hope I didn't bit off more than I can chew!
Only 8 months to go!

[thejosef]

Gees man. You're killing me with this stuff.. I had to youtube two of your exercises! Rainbows & Zotman Curls. Everytime I feel like I'm get the hang of this weightlifting stuff, I realize I am still so new to the game. Lol.

Looking forward to seeing your bench video of 375 on your new Rogue rack.

[Synthetickiller]

Gees man. You're killing me with this stuff.. I had to youtube two of your exercises! Rainbows & Zotman Curls. Everytime I feel like I'm get the hang of this weightlifting stuff, I realize I am still so new to the game. Lol.

Looking forward to seeing your bench video of 375 on your new Rogue rack.

I have a ton of tricks up my sleeve!
I picked up rainbows in college while reading about core training for olympic weightlifters. I tried it & I was hooked. Not only does it really strengthen your core, it limbers you up in the process. Lots & lots of popping!
Zotman curls were something I was aware of, but never really tried. I came across a video recently of Rich Piana talking to Furious Pete about it. I was in a mood to leave humanity behind, so I figured I'd try them. They are a great finisher for the incline dumbbell curl. Between the two of them, holy hell. I've had bicep pumps, but nothing like this. I highly recommend that combination!

[Synthetickiller]

Week 4: Day 4
Auxiliary Work
Weight: It's raining today, so no scale on earth works.

Oly Squats: Raw, Ivanko bar
bar x5x2 (44 lb)
75x5 (165 lb)
105x5 (231 lb)
150x5 (331 lb) PR

Hip Thrusts:
75x8,8,8 (165 lb)

GHRs:
8,8,8

Food break (food breaks are king).

CG Bench: Swiss Bar, Release at bottom, dead press
bar x10x2 (35 lb)
45x5 (99 lb)
75x5 (165 lb)
95x5 (209 lb) Medium Grip, start dead presses here
95x5 (209 lb) Wide Grip
105x5 (231 lb) Medium Grip
105x5 (231 lb) Wide Grip
115x5 (253 lb) Medium Grip


Triceps Push Down:
75x8
75x8 + mini band (tension at top)

Fried, done.

Good workout.
Squats were solid. I to either parallel or just below parallel. Yes, I know it's not ass to grass, but I don't care lol. The carry over is there. The 150kg set was just below parallel, except rep #5 was about half way to ass to grass, if not deeper. Felt good for 331, especially for a stupid 100 lb jump. Never again, lol.
Hip thrusts created a great pump (there's a joke in there somewhere). It's almost a reverse pump action in that it took away a lot of the pressure/stress on the SI joint. Win, win!
GHRs are progressing, but still no where near as strong as they should be. I still cannot to a proper rep... soon though, soon.

CG Bench was solid. I figured I'd try a dead stop, loose pause, since the bar spreads the weight out. This way, I have to generate force quickly. No where close to a PR, but I'll keep pushing.
Push downs were good. The added band burnt out my triceps & that's all she wrote.

[Synthetickiller]

Accessory Work:
Core work:
Rainbows:
16, 16
Clocks:
8 clockwise
8 counterclockwise

45° Hyper:
10 sec static hold
25 x 10 sec static hold
75 x10 (reps, not for time)

Bicep work:
Incline Dumbbell Curls:
20s x8
30s x8

Zottman Curls:
20s x10x2 (no rest, alternating hands)


Cardio:
0.5 mile walk
100m x3 jogs.


Core work is working. I feel far more stable & experience less chronic pain. Core work is king.
Bicep work is going well. Although I won't get a peak anytime soon, my biceps just feel solid. It's a nice feeling. This combination is just killing my biceps & gives me a pump. Zottmans today were off the hook. Alternating right to left to right to left with no rest is a killer.

Cardio is going well.
Today was the first time i've tried to really jog/run in 3 years. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. I feel really out of shape. 100m is about all I can do without laying on the ground panting for 5 minutes. The first run felt rigid & just all around bad. The second two felt far more fluid & the speed doubled. I'll be doing these once a week until I either drop weight or be a solid 231. The stress of running on my hips has me a little sore tonight & that's not good before a heavy workout. I'm hoping 10mg of glutamine will help me cheat.



In the meantime, I'm considering adding in back, bicep/tricep & other "lost" bodyparts I have with volume work from a youtube channel called VintageGenetics. I'll be adding this stuff in slowly. Luckily, Sheiko has conditioned me to take a ton of heavy volume & keep on ticking. I'm hoping because I "only" squat heavy once a week & do moderate close stance, along with deads, benching twice a week & overhead/shoudler work, I can also work in some of his super & ultra sets as finishers, especially since they only tack on 10 to 20 minutes at the end of the workout. This way, as long as I can feed myself properly, recover, stay healthy, I should lose fat without having to cut calories as much as just expand my calorie burn quotient.

[Synthetickiller]

As a reminder, I write my sets: weight x reps x sets

Week 1: Day 1
Squat
Weight: DGAF

Warm up: Hip Circle

Squat: Duffalo Bar, suit bottoms
bar x5x2 (570 lb @ 57lb bar)
80x5 (174 lb) (400kg)
125x5 (275 lb) (625kg)
145x4 (319 lb) (580kg)
170x3(374 lb) (510kg) heavy
195x3x5 (435 lb) (2925kg)

Small break.

Double Pause Squats: Duffalo Bar, raw, wide stance (feet next to/under rack)
125x5x3 (275 lb)

Standing GMs:Lone Wolfe Squat Bar Knees Slightly Bent
Bar x5 (55 lb)
45x5 (99 lb)
75x5 (165 lb)
95x8 (209 lb)

GHRs:
6,6,6 Far more control per rep

Totally Nuked.

Squats were hard. 170kg/374 felt heavy. It shouldn't have. Tightening up fixed all stability issues with 195kg/435. Those first 3 sets were ugly. My stance was too wide & I had issues hitting depth. The last 2 sets were narrower (slightly beyond shoulder width) & they were easy & hit depth properly. I will set up narrower next week & bump to 200kg. I'm sick of repeating 195kg and making no progress. Weeks 3 and 4 should be 210kg (462 lb) & 222.5kg (490 lb) respectively vs 205/217.5.

Pause squats felt good. I didn't expect to even get more than a single set of 5. The sets got easier as I progressed.
Standing GMs were awesome. 95kg/209 lb was not very hard. I will be bumping this. I want at least 145kg/319lb x8 by the end of the year, if not higher.
GHRs are getting stronger. The reps dropped, but the push off is easier. I am using finger tips now & most of the movement is done on my own. I'm almost there. If I was wasn't 230, this would be easy!

[thejosef]

435 lbs. 3x5.. Strong stuff bro!! Keep up the good work.

Also, I see you say Week 1, Day 1.. You doing a 4 week cycle or you just starting over with a reset?

[Synthetickiller]

Week 1: Day 2
Bench
Weight: 231.0

Bench: Duffalo Bar, raw
bar x10x2 (57 lb)
50x10 (110 lb) (500kg) open handed
80x5 (176 lb) (400kg) pauses start here (2 min rest)
100x4 (209 lb) (400kg) (2 min rest)
115x3 (253 lb) 2 min rest)
130x3x5 (286 lb) (Rest: 2,2,2,2,3)

DB Press
75s x10x3

Seated Rows:
55x15
65x12
75x10

Double D Pulldown:
50x10
50x10
75x10

DB Pullover:
30x15
55x15

Wide Grip Curls: 25mm training bar
25kg x10x3 (55 lb)

Kind of a weird workout.
I had 2 lunches before this & due to the weather, could not warm up with the shoulder rock.
Presses did not feel as smooth as they should have been. 130kg/286lb still moved well, but I was getting some stress in my right pec near the shoulder.
DB Presses were shifted to lighter weight for more reps. 75s for 30 total reps was good, since I wasn't feeling 100% this workout.
Seated Rows were hard. I tried adding in volume to produce more of a mind-muscle connection. My lats felt twice as big. Mission accomplished.
DD Pulldowns were great too. Due to the close grip, I can pull my elbows in like a bench & simulate more of the pressing movement compared to a bar or other attachment.
DB Pullovers created a good stretch in the pec (no pain) as well as in the back. Two sets of 15 was enough.
Wide Grip curls was simply to offset all pulling movements & for ego.

Beyond DB Presses, the rest of the workout was a mix of back work & things I wanted to try from VintageGenetics (see youtube). I'm just seeing how I can accommodate more volume, along with running while not burning out. Baby steps...

435 lbs. 3x5.. Strong stuff bro!! Keep up the good work.

Also, I see you say Week 1, Day 1.. You doing a 4 week cycle or you just starting over with a reset?

The TL;DR version is yes, starting over.
The long version is this:

While the 5x5 on bench has helped, the cycles between bench & squat/deadlift are off, so I have to "restart" at some point. 5x5 did not help me with squatting. I can recover better, but arguably, that's due to diet change & walking/running. I noticed 4 weeks on, 1 week off for squatting worked really well & let me recoop without losing strength. I'm going to run another 4 weeks of everything, take a week off. Then come back & see how a single cycle (4 weeks) at 80% for triples & higher percentages works out (basically the old routine). This is why I took off a week after a cycle. 80% to 90% just burns you out & I don't want to burn out like a lot of the guys from Westside Barbell.

I might bring back the 8 cycle bench routine at some point, but I want to see how I am handling things now.

[Synthetickiller]

Week 1: Day 3
Deadlift
Weight: 231.6

Deadlifts: Raw
75x3x2 (165 lb)
75x3 + chains (165 lb)
95x3 + chains (209 lb)
125x3,3,5 + chains (275 lb)


Zercher Squats: CSB
bar x3 (65 lb)
85x3 (187)
105x3,3 (231 lb)


GHRs:
6,6,6

Food break

Seated Overhead Press: Swiss Bar
bar x10 (35 lb)
45x5x2 (99 lb)
75x3,3,3,3,5 (165 lb)

Seated Overhead Press: Dumbbells, drop set
55s x8
40s x8
30s x8
20s x8

Reverse Flys: Incline bench
20s x12,10
10s x10x2
Band pull apart x5 (high tension), x5 (low tension)

PullDown: Swiss Fat Multi-Grip
75x10 wide
100x10 wide
100x10 mid

DB Curls: Standing
20s x10x2

Another solid workout.
Deadlifts are finally coming along. Unfortunately, I have to accept the fact that I just cannot deadlift with the volume that I use on bench or squat day. I know I can still make gains with triples, so I'm not concerned. Chain weighed about 40 to 45 lb. Entirely deloaded at the bottom, at least 3/4 of it is off the ground at lockout. I'm hoping to hit 125/135/145/155 over this cycle. I'll up the weight next cycle w/o chains. If this works, I'll alternate chains/ no chains.
Zerchers were much better. These will get to 300+ well before the year ends.
GHRs went very well. The 3rd rep of 2nd set was done without a push off. I'm still not there to bang out sets, but the work is starting to show.
OHP with the swiss bar went better than expected. Originally, I planned on 154lb/70kg, but bumped it to 165 to give it a go with triples. These got better as the set went on. I should see some growth this cycle, strengthwise.
Overhead DB Press was hell. 55s were not bad at all, but getting all 32 reps was difficult. The pump was awesome.
Reverse flys went well, but they became difficult by this point in the workout.
Pulldowns weren't hard, but bringing in my grip started hitting biceps/pecs, so I will stick with a wider grip. It's a nice attachment to use.
DB curls were just to add a reversing movement to all the tricep/pulling work.

[Synthetickiller]

Week 1: Day 4
Auxillary work
Weight: ???

Skipped.
Spent all day walking around, working on laying out studs for the house. My SI was too burnt out to even attempt to squat. My elbows are feeling a little burnt out, so I think taking a day off of pressing is ok. I can't squat today (friday) as that'll just interfere with heavy squats on Saturday. Considering I didn't skip a week & I'm basically doing week 5 (or longer, depending on if you're talking about bench or squat/deadlift), the break is much needed for joint health.

[thejosef]

Spent all day walking around, working on laying out studs for the house. My SI was too burnt out to even attempt to squat.

So you're doing the framing now? Tough to find good help these days..

[Synthetickiller]

So you're doing the framing now? Tough to find good help these days..

Oh no, no, lol.
I was going over everything w/ the framer. I'm in no way qualified to frame. You need a crew & tools; even though it's not hard, there is some know how (framers make it out to be far harder than it is, though). I just spent all day out there fixing issues due to issues w/ how the foundation was formed (on side wasn't square). I had to cut the 2x4 (really 1.5x3.5) down to fit. The wall is becoming a sheer wall, so it'll actually be stronger than if it was a 2x4 wall. Also, I changed from 2x4 to 2x6 external walls (R value of closed cell foam goes from 20 to 31 by adding 2"), at least 90% of the walls are 2x6, but some small spans (2' or so) are 2x4 and one 10' wall is 2x4. Not a big deal, but it has to be dealt with. Same with windows (discussing sill height & top of rough opening for header installs). Other things like closets & stuff. It just takes some time.

I can talk to you about all the details sometime. There's just too much to write down.

Oh, due to not lifting today, feeling beat up, etc, I'm taking this week off instead & rolling the cycle back. I don't like 8 week cycles running at 80% or higher the whole time. It's been a good learning experience & I might end up using the 5x5 stuff at times when I won't have a full month to train (or if I will be forced to go for 1 week, then stop, then start again).

[thejosef]

Ha, I guess I needed a after my framing remark. I was hoping you weren't framing the house (that'd be impressive!).. just glad you finally found a guy to do it. 2x6 for exterior walls is pretty sweet.

Good luck with the training. A week off sounds glorious.. I should do that soon. Lol. Oh, I hit a Bench PR today.. 215 x 1. It was just a spontaneous attempt that went well. Take it easy.

[Synthetickiller]

Ha, I guess I needed a after my framing remark. I was hoping you weren't framing the house (that'd be impressive!).. just glad you finally found a guy to do it. 2x6 for exterior walls is pretty sweet.

Good luck with the training. A week off sounds glorious.. I should do that soon. Lol. Oh, I hit a Bench PR today.. 215 x 1. It was just a spontaneous attempt that went well. Take it easy.

Nice bro! How'd it feel?
225 is right around the corner!

Yeah, the cost is crazy for framing. There was someone who's supposed to be amazing who runs about $15 sq/ft. Going rate is $7 or $8 & I found a good for significantly cheaper who comes recommended, personally. The funny thing about all of this is that everyone toots their horn about how they are the best (everyone's the best, apparently). It's nailing pieces of wood together. Once you get the hang of codes & how to build, anyone could do it. You just need a crew, good back & tools. I told my framer that he does have wiggle room & it's not like we're talking about NASA/aerospace levels of accuracy & precision... he told me it's close.... LMAO, how cute.

[Synthetickiller]

Week 1: Day 1
Squat
Weight: DGAF

Warm up: couldn't find hip circle, just skipped around the yard, lol.

Squat: Duffalo Bar, suit bottoms
bar x5x2 (570 lb @ 57lb bar)
80x5 (174 lb) (400kg)
125x5 (275 lb) (625kg)
150x4 (331 lb) (600kg)
175x3(385 lb) (525kg) heavy
200x3x5 (441 lb) (3000kg)

Ugly. Felt bad.
200kg just looked bad. I doubt all reps were below parallel. It took all of my mental determination to just finish the worksets.
Through the first workset of 200kg, I was wearing some compression shorts that allowed the suit to slide & just ruined my stability in the whole. Moving to the last 4 sets, it got better, but still not ideal.


Week 1: Day 2
Bench
Weight: DGAF

Warm up: Shouldrok: 5kg

Bench: Duffalo Bar, raw
bar x10x2 (57 lb)
50x10 (110 lb) (500kg) open handed
80x5 (176 lb) (400kg) pauses start here (2 min rest)
100x4 (209 lb) (400kg) (2 min rest)
115x3 (253 lb) 2 min rest)
130x3x5 (286 lb) (Rest: 2,2,2,2,2)

Had a migraine last night that did not go away until about 8:30 this morning. I think that paints a picture of how I felt. I'm just exhausted.
I managed to get through all worksets. The weight wasn't bad from set 3 to 5. I focused on tucking more & it felt solid. I will have to continue to work on my form & keeping my elbows from flaring. Stopped here as I just have too much to do on Monday & I think getting more rest is more important vs getting in another exercise or two.

Can't go 100% all the time.

[Synthetickiller]

Week 1: Day 3
Deadlift/OHP
Weight: I don't have time to weight!

Warm up: Hip circle

Deadlift: Suit Bottoms
75x3x2 (165 lb)
125x3 (275 lb)
125x3 (275 lb) + chains
145x3x5 (319 lb) + chains

Zercher Squat: CSB
Bar x3 (65 lb)
85x3x2 (187 lb)

Food break

Overhead Press: Swiss Bar
barx5x2 (35 lb)
45x3 (99 lb)
60x3 (132 lb)
80x3 (176 lb) 3 min rest
75x3x3 (165 lb) 3 min rest
75x5 (165 lb) 5 min rest.

Cut it there.
This week has been difficult, so I simply get in what weight I can handle. Deads went well with the suit. I pulled the first work set super wide & brought my stance in a bit. The suit is helping keep the SI joint stable, so it's working out well.
Zerchers were heavy. I just attribute it to being an off week.
Overhead press also felt heavy & somewhat unstable. 176 lb felt too heavy. 165 was even on the heavy side. I took 165x5 for a finisher, just to get in volume.

I did have a chance to try out the sling shot compression cuffs. These really took away all the elbow pain I was getting. So far, so good!

[Synthetickiller]

Week 1: Day 4
Auxillary movements
Weight: Ain't got no time to wait.

Warm up: hip circle (when am I not abusing this thing?)

Olympic Squats: Raw, Ivanko OBX-20kg
bar x5x2 (20kg/44 lb)
75x5 (165 lb)
95x5x4 (209 lb)
135x5 (297 lb)

Feet Together Squat: Raw (this really needs a name)
75x5x3 (165 lb)

That's it.


Oly squats went alright. My back has been fatigued, so I wasn't expecting miracles during this workout. 135kg moved well, although I didn't feel as stable as I should. I'm betting I can hit 160-165kg this cycle for a set of 5. We shall see.

Due to my back fatigue, I did not try hip thrusts or GHRs. Instead I decided to dable with feet together squats. While the balance is a little harder, it's not a bad movement. This is supposed to really hit the teardrop of the quad. We shall see. These might end up replacing leg extensions for me in the future & will allow me to put a different piece of equipment in the gym. If anyone has any input on these, I'd like to hear it. I'm guessing higher reps, lower weight, but who knows!

No time to do any pressing movements. I think my elbows will thank me. I don't need the tricep work anyways.

[thejosef]

Nice bro! How'd it feel?
225 is right around the corner!

Hope so. 215 wasn't too much of a struggle. I'll probably try 220 or 225 very soon, depending on how my 5x1 Intensity day workset feels this week.

I see you're adding more exercises I've never heard of: "Feet Together Squat?!" You making this stuff up, aren't you? Ha. That one sounds pretty tough.
Also when you say Olympic Squats, I'm assuming you're doing low bar? Or do you also do some high bar squatting? Just curious.

[Synthetickiller]

Hope so. 215 wasn't too much of a struggle. I'll probably try 220 or 225 very soon, depending on how my 5x1 Intensity day workset feels this week.

I see you're adding more exercises I've never heard of: "Feet Together Squat?!" You making this stuff up, aren't you? Ha. That one sounds pretty tough.
Also when you say Olympic Squats, I'm assuming you're doing low bar? Or do you also do some high bar squatting? Just curious.

I forget that 5 lb jumps are just as big at 215 as they are at 315. I'd venture 225 is there if 10 lb lighter wasn't a high effort press.


Well, my back was fried. I didn't feel comfortable doing GHRs or hip thrust. I was worried about setting off my SI. I had come across this squat on some youtube videos & figured I'd give it a whirl. I think because I'm probably sitting closer to 400 on a raw squat, 165 was manageable. I used to do leg extensions & I had really awesome quads, but they just kill your knees. I'm hoping this will help. If anything, my knees felt better & I have a feeling that the time under tension is much longer. I'd like to move to sets of 8 or just work up the weight to something closer to 250ish. I'll be using these for hypertrophy more than anything else. Also just to get in more volume.

Oly squats are done high bar. I only break parallel, as I get bent over like a low bar squat. It doesn't tax my back, though. Sounds strange, but it doesn't bug it too much. I try to at least get a single rep that's @$$ to grass. The mobility is there, but it's an entirely different movement from low bar squats. My SI also don't like that depth as I can feel a sharp, momentary pain in my SI in my left glue where the injury is. It's no biggie. I just have to keep up the core work & work on very, very minimal stretching/mobility work till there's no pain. Jumping in & doing crazy stretches will only cause the injury to get worse. It's an uphill battle, but I'm not worried. Most people in good health can't even do an ass to grass squat or feet together squat.

I use this day for close stance/quad work. I throw in more glute work that doesn't fatigue my hips (hip thrusts don't stress the body in the same way wide stance squatting does). It'll probably move it to 4 exercises in total (I've been meaning to do this forever & this might be the trick): Oly squats, feet together squats, hip thrusts & GHRs. I also have lock out & tricep/bicep work, too. I just didn't have time that day.