GainsMD Log

[GainsMD]

Hey guys,

Although I am a new member here I've been a longtime lurker. Starting lifting freshman year of soccer when I was considered too small to make my varsity soccer team. Now I am a senior year in college and have been lifting relatively consistently since then. Since I am done with college soccer I am going to focus much more on lifting. I am hoping that this log will help me lift consistently over these next few years.

Stats (Early-August)
BW: 160
Bench: 275x1
Deadlift: 315x8
Squat: 265x5
supplements: creatine, beta-alanine

Those stats were before my season began. Going to be running PHAT for a few weeks to see how I like it. I've already run three sessions and will list them below. As you can see my weights are pretty low compared to what they were before my soccer season. That is because I haven't been on creatine and haven't lifted in so long. Going to be focusing on working the muscle rather than caring about weight as I have previously been guilty of.

Thanks for viewing my log.

*asterisks signify supersets

Upper Power 12/11/15
bench - 135x5, 155x5, 185x5
pendlay row - 95x5, 115x3x5
ohp - 65x5, 95x3x5
pull-up - bwx2x10,6
dips - +25x2x10, 9
curl + skull - +15x3x10
seated row - 120x10, 115x10

Lower power 12/13/15
squat - 135x5, 155x5, 185x3x8
deadlift - 135x3, 185x5, 225x2, 245x1, 275x3x5

Chest + back hypertrophy 12/15
*pull-up - bwx8,8,4
incline bb bench* - 135x3x12,11,6
*pendlay row - 115x3x8
incline db bench* - 50ex3x10,8,8
dips - bwx12,10,8
db row - 50ex3x12e
flyes - 3 sets
pulldown - 85x8,6
seated row - 110x12,10

[GainsMD]

Wasn't able to get to the gym the last few days because finals were taking up way too much time. Felt good to lift today.

Legs hypertrophy
lying leg curl - 80x2x12 - just to get legs warmed up. made squats feel better
front squat - 115x8, 135x3x12 - put heels on some 5 lb plates just to get that extra flexibility. these definitely tired out my core
rdl (deficit) - 135x3x10,8,8 - stood on a thick 45 pound plate. first set I couldnt' feel them too much. lowered weight allowed me to get a real good stretch in my hams.
leg press - +45ex20, +90ex2x20 - didn't feel these too much. going to go up in weight next week. i think i may lower the reps to 15 as well.
leg extension - didn't do b/c knees were hurting. will switch with lunges/split squats next week
lying leg curl - 80x2x15 - just some extra hamstring work. i feel these good. didn't notice that my gym had a seated leg curl until I left. now i can do both seated and lying leg curl so that I can hit my hamstrings from different angles.
leg press calf raises - +45ex4x15 - tried to focus on holding the rep at the top and bottom while emphasizing the eccentric portion of the extercise. feel that I got a good stretch. will increase weight if my ROM doesn't seem better next week.
donkey calf raises - bwx3x15 - didn't feel these too much. going to have to refine technique next week

abs (circuit)
hanging leg raises - bwx12,8,8 - first time doing these. definitely cheated a bit. going to try to do much more controlled reps next week. arms were tired as well probably b/c of rdl's and work previous in the week.
ab machine - 80x12, 100x12,12 - felt these in abs but still think that I can feel them better. might substitute cable crunches or decline crunches for these if i don't get these right.
ab wheel - 3x12 - felt good. slow and controlled reps.
plank -3x1 min - shaking at the end of these.

looking forward to shoulders/arms tomorrow. normally phat has bac/shoulder and chest/arms but I think that would tire out me too much before my upper power day. doing chest/arms after the power days allows the bigger muscles to recover longer. also gives me some direct arm work for those aesthetics

will start posting a song of the day when I can post links (50 posts).

[GainsMD]

Shoulders hypertrophy
standing overhead press - 95x4x8,8,6,6 - first two sets were good. second first sets i started to cheat because my core and shoulders were tiring out. didn't go for reps 7 and 8 because i was arching my back too much.
*db lateral raise -10ex10, 15ex3x10 - did these sitting down and made sure I wasn't going too high.
rear delt fly* - 10ex3x15 - superset these with the db lateral raises. went face down on an incline bench. high reps were a killer. i dont know how poeple do 30+ rep sets of these!
cable lateral raise - leaned away for that extra ROM. to not cheat on these i tried to keep my arm as straight as possible and emphasized the eccentric portion of the movement

Arms hypertropy
*cgbp - 135x4x8,8,7,6 - still trying to find best hand placement. brought bar down to slightly below my pecs and kept elbows close to my body.
preacher curl* - +10ex8, +15ex3x8 - haven't done these since high school but they felt good. i think i prefer them to barbell curls since these force you to stay strict. emphasized eccentric portion of movement
*decline skullcrusher - +15ex3x12,12,10 - great stretch. went dead stop on these.
one arm cable curl* - +25ex3x12
*one arm tricep cable pushdown - +15ex3x12 - first time doing these. definitely felt interesting. may substitute these for tricep dips b/c of their better output.
high cable curl* - +15ex3x15 - first time doing these. think i was engaging my deltoids too much. couldn't feel biceps too much but that may be due to my poor MMC.

workout took an hour and a half. long time was due to me trying to really focus on technique and setting up equipment. will be shorter next time.

day off tomorrow, then upper power!

[GainsMD]

First time in the gym since I got back from school. Looking forward to 4+ straight weeks of lifting, eating (my parents are the most amazing cooks), sleeping, and relaxing. Joints felt stiff and just felt weaker than normal... definitely due to the sleepless nights and dunkin donuts only diet I had during final.

[Upper Power
bench press - 135x8, 155x3, 190x5, 185x2x5 - technique was a little off because stabilizers just weren't used to the lift. should improve with subsequent workouts
pendlay row - 95x5, 130x3x5 - definitely going up in weight next week. these were real easy and had good form. focused on pulling with elbows so I wouldn't cheat
dips - +25x2x10 - have to do these on a roman chair because my home gym (YMCA) lacks a dip station. so I am really doing these as a slight forwards decline. still feel the muscle working though
pull up - bwx10,6 - hard to progress on these. definitely can't wait to see these numbers go up. I think i may do a few reps of pull ups between certain exercises on days I'm not working my back.
seated db shoulder press - 25ex10, 40ex10, 45ex2x10,8 - haven't done these in awhile. generally prefer standing ohp, but I realize it is better to do those when I am fresh rather than after already working chest. need to get better technique on these b/c hard to feel in shoulders.
db row - 60ex2x10e - kroc row. not too difficult. focused on keeping the shoulders above my hips. I really emphasized pulling my scapula as far back as possible at the top of each rep, and fully extending my arm at the end of each rep
skullcrusher - +15ex3x10 - going up in weight next week
barbell curl - hadn't been feeling these before so I tried the Gironda perfect curl where you start the rep with a slight lean back and then finish the rep leaning forwards. boy were those fibers tearing! felt so much better. this cycle i am definitely trying to emphasize working the muscle rather than just trying to do maximal weight

Lower tomorrow~

[GainsMD]

Lower Power
squat - 135x8, 155x5, 185x3x8 - still pretty low weights. these will be going up fast though, once I get my hip flexibility and weight back up a bit
deadlift - 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 275x3x5 - all my sweatpants were dirty so had to wear shorts while doing these. couldn't hold bar as tight to my body as I would like
reverse barbell lunge - +10ex2x10, +25ex2x6 - first time trying these. used a cleans grip with straps. I feel that it is better to do these with lower reps because heavy weights will eventually fatigue your shoulders, abs, and back. going to stick with 6 reps now.
seated leg curl - 85x10, 100x10, 115x10 - these felt good. home gym doesn't have lying leg curl so going to have to use these for a few weeks
ghetto ghr - bwx10 - placed feet under a leg extension machine and put knees on a bosu pad. definitely focused on the eccentric portion of the lift. gave myself a slight push to get back to the top of each rep. hopefully as I get stronger with these I will be able to do reps without any assistance.
leg press calf machine - +70ex3x10 - 1/1/1 tempo for each part of the lift. i feel that |I should ramp up the reps on these because I feel like the heavy weight is limiting my rom. form > weight

weight was 155-156 according to two scales. hopefully when I get back up to 160 my lifts will go up!

day off before I hit chest and back.

[GainsMD]

Chest/Back Hypertrophy
Incline bench - 135x4x8,8,8,8 - Changed my technique during this. Rather than arch my back as I did before, I kept my back as flat as possible against the bench while trying to pinch my scapula together. Also took 1-2 seconds to lower the bar before taking a second to raise it. The exercise was much more controlled as I did not just bounce it off my chest. Definitely felt the muscle working
wide-grip pull up - bwx10,7,3,3 - For some reason I am still struggling with these. Hard to progress on. I think I may just have to start doing more of these. Thinking about doing 50 total (with different grips) at the beginning of back day.
incline db bench - 45ex10, 50ex3x10 - felt good. not coming too far down.
db row - 60ex3x12e - pulled at an angle and started the movement slightly forward. really tried to retract scapula as much as possible. used a little momentum but still felt them in lats which was awesome. definitely trying to perfect kroc's technique
pendlay row - 25ex4x8 - light weight because I did these after db rows today. tried to minimize momentum.
dips - +25x3x12,10,4 - felt good. chest was burning.
straight arm lat pulldown - 4 sets - these felt weird. going to research technique for these more in-depth

unfortunately got to the gym late and was unable to do face pulls and low-to-high cable flyes. good thing they aren't the most important exercises

Legs tomorrow! Then 5 hour drive to see girlfriend for New Year's!

[GainsMD]

Was at girlfriend's house for the last week or so... felt good to get back in the gym. actually got back yesterday but went out to hang with my friends. figured that the beers i drank would not maximize gains. i'm done drinking alcohol because the hangover this morning was unreal...

was a good lift overall. All of my lifts improved despite not lifting for a week. I think it may have to do with my weighing a few more pounds or my body just getting used to the weights again. I'm liking how I'm gradually increasing the weights in slow increments to get my joints used to them again

Upper Power
Bench - 135x8, 155x3, 185x1, 190x3x5 - felt easy tbh. means my body is getting used to the movement again. can't wait to hit the 225x3x5 although that is a few weeks away
pull up - 2x10,8 - slight improvement from last week's, but still a long way to go.... hopefully I can hit the bwx2x10 so I can start adding weights to these
pendlay row - 135ex3x5 - felt real good. retracted elbows as much as possible.
dips - 30ex2x10 - felt good. went parallel. gotta do some more research to see the appropriate depth, but I think the more depth the better so I will shoot to have my forearms touch my biceps next time.
db shoulder press - 40ex3x10 - still need to work on technique for these. not feeling these in shoulders much, which I know is weird. may swap these with incline bench or military press if I still can't feel them.
db row - 65ex2x10 - easy. good technique w/ full ROM. raising weight for next week.
skullcrusher - +25ex3x7 - did these on a bench with a dead stop. definitely felt these.... I know my arms will be super sore tomorrow and I wasn't even overemphasizing the movement's eccentric portion
barbell curl - +25ex3x8 - form on these was meh. since it is power day I was just focusing on moving the weight with a full ROM. didn't care that I was cheating a little bit

lower tomorrow!

[GainsMD]

Lower Power
front squat - 135x5, 155x4, 175x2x5, 155x5 - used straps for these. however the 175 was definitely hard to hold up and towards the last few reps of each set my form went missing. tried to keep my elbows as high up as possible but the bar was still slipping onto my arms. need to figure this out
deadlift - 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 275x5, 295x5, 315x5 - strength definitely coming back... these felt good. going to try 3x5x315 next week.
split squat - 30ex2x10e - haven't done these in awhile so guessed the weight. I think I am going to do these with a deficit on my lower hypertrophy day. prefer these to lunges.
seated leg curl - 115x10, 130x10 - love them.
ghetto ghr - bwx2x10 - these were set up really ghetto. Need to figure out a better way to do them because my feet weren't staying planted during the eccentric and knees were hurting.

this was a real good workout. did the last 3 exercises fast since I was crushed for time. I think I am going to keep front squats and deadlifts on lower power day and then squat and rdl on hypertrophy day. need to hit gym earlier so I can do abs as well. may do them tomorrow and go for a little jog.

[GainsMD]

Solid workout.. was strong on all lifts. definitely got some weight increasing to do for next week

Chest/Back Hypertrophy
Incline Bench - 135x4x8 - two pins up. felt good, nice and controlled touching each rep to upper chest. going to increase weight next week.
Pull up - bwx4x6 - I've started to do these with ROM and a medium width pronated group. I realize that the only way to improve in these is by doing them more often and with better form so I might start adding them to other days. Put the ego to the door and if lower reps means better form then that is what I'm doing
slight incline db bench 50ex4x10 - one pin up. felt good and strong. increasing next week.
barbell row - 95x3x8 - first time doing these since I normally do pendlay rows. don't think I had any body english. these felt good, increasing weight next week.
chest dips - +25ex3x12 - definitely improving on these. weight up next week. still trying to figure out perfect technique since I do feel these in shoulders, although that might be inevitable?
db row 60ex3x12 - increasing weight next week. did kroc rows and rather then placing my knee on the bench I did these standing and leaned over with one arm on an incline bench. felt good.
low-to-high- cable fly - +12.5ex3x15 - cables kept constant tension on pecs. used to do cable crossovers, but I am liking these. going to keep doing and try to perfect technique for that better MMC.
lat pulldown - 85x12, 100x12, 115x8 - did these on a lifefitness machine which I am just not used to. I figure if I want to improve on pull ups then getting stronger at lat pulldowns might help?
face pulls - +27.5x2x30 - did these rushed because gym was closing.

good lift overall. chest and back real tight. legs tomorrow

[GainsMD]

real solid workout.... high intensity with some great strength increases

Lower Hypertrophy
squat - 135x8, 155x3, 185x5x8 - These felt great. Warming up with a few sets of leg extensions and wearing compression pants made these feel awesome...going to use the motto "heavy and high reps" when training legs.
rdl - 135x10,8,8,8 - lower back pump was insane... made sure I was emphasizing the hip hinge and trying to move those hips as far back as possible. straps were necessary because wrists and forearms tired from the week's previous workouts. need to improve flexibility because I think I can go back even further
split squat - 30ex3x12e - these felt good. in order to maintain tension I didn't completely lock out between each rep. I love this exercise because I feel it hits the spot between your glute and hamstring...
seated leg curl - 115x4x15 - lengthened each rep in the middle two sets. these felt great. recoveries were short.
leg press - +95ex3x15, +140ex15 - need to go heavier in these next week.
leg press calf machine - +95ex3x15 - felt good. held top of lift for 3 seconds and eccentric portion for a second. rest was <1 minute

aesthetics aka shoulders/arms day tomorrow.

[GainsMD]

had an insane pump today...

Shoulders/Arms
OHP - 95x4x8 - these felt good. strong and controlled, kept break less than 3 minutes as well. going up in weight next week
db lateral - 20ex4x10 - increased weight from last week and boy did I feel these in the lat delts. did these seated to reduce body english. up in weight next week.
*rear delt raise - 10ex3x20
face pulls* - 27.5ex15, 29ex15, 30.5ex15 - superset these with rear delt raises and had an insane pump!
*cgbp - 135x4x8 - focused on touching bar to upper chest. going to go up in weight next week.
perfect curl* - +25ex4x8 - focused on leaning back at beginning of rep and then leaning forward on second part of rep. didn't feel these as much as I did when I did them a few weeks ago. may have to reduce weight or emphasize eccentric portion of rep to feel these.
*cable overhead tri ext - 3x12 - forget weight I used with these. so I just brought an incline bench over these and did seated tricep extensions using a cable. used to do these and got crazy DOMS. will see if that is the case tomorrow. wanted to do these instead of skullcrushers just to switch things up.
incline db curl* - 15ex12, 25ex2x12 - wasn't sure what weight to use for these. 25s werent too difficult but i felt like I was cheating too much on these. have to perfect weight for next time
*tri pushdown (rope) - 52.5ex2x15 - originally was going to do dips but my pump from the shoulders made those too hard...
preacher curl (machine)* - 2x15 - drop sets.
cable lateral raise - 12.5ex30e

fit a lot of volume into this workout... wondering if it might be better to reduce volume but increase intensity

[GainsMD]

Upper Power 1/14/16
bench - 135x8, 155x3, 185x2, 205x3x5 - felt good. controlled eccentric and made sure not to bounce (something I've been guilty of in the past). normally wouldn't do a 15 pound increase from the previous week but I was eager. now I will do 5 pound increases to ensure joints and tendons have time to get used to the new stress.
pendlay row - 95x5, 115x3, 135x1, 145x3x5 - good form. pulled with elbows and touched to mid-pec.
pull up - +10x8,6 - did each rep from a deadhang and tried touching chest to bar.... I like adding weight. hopefully this will help me get the pull up count up.
dips - +35x2x10 - nice and strong. went as low as possible
db shoulder press - +45ex3x10 - these were way more controlled than last week. starting to like these
kroc row - 70ex2x10 - love this exercise. been focusing on pulling it at an angle as far back as possible. can't wait to see how these feel as my MMC develops
*deadstop skullcrusher - +25x10,8,8 - these are a killer at the end....definitely had some body english for the last few reps of each set. noticed imbalance in my arms with the right being stronger. going to try to even that out.
ez bar curl* - +25x3x10 - need to increase weight with these.

saw improvements in each lift... loving phat. cant wait to see how body responds to this workout. Lower Power tomorrow!

[GainsMD]

Lower Power 1/15/16
front squat - 135x5, 155x3, 175x3x5 - felt good. fixed my technique on front squats and making sure I am pulling the straps throughout the lift.
deadlift - 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 275x1, 295x1, 315x2x5, 275x5 - slight pain in scapula on the heavy pulls. decided to backoff for the third set. going to be incorporating some prehab before every day to make sure I don't get injured.
reverse lunge - 95x2x10e - got the heart rate up. need to go heavier and do lower reps. changed things around and placed the bar on my back rather than in straps, which made the lift way more comfortable as my ability to hold up the bar was no longer the limited factor.
seated leg curl - 145x2x10 - easy.

rest day tomorrow, going to be doing a lot of prehab.

[GainsMD]

did a real thorough warmup that had plenty of shoulder prehab and mobility work.

Chest/Back Hypertrophy 1/17/16
incline bench - 135x4x8 - controlled eccentric and didn't bounce weight. this weight is easy now. going to go up in weight next week.
pull up - couldn't do. felt some pain/uncomfortableness under my right scapula, which I think is attributed to all the prehab I did yesterday and today, which worked muscles that normally aren't fatigued. decided to not push it and just do lat pulldowns instead
*incline db bench - 55ex4x10 - these felt good. had more in the tank but decided to stick to the workout routine. will go up to 60s next week
kroc row* - 65ex3x12,12,15 - put hand on an incline bench and kept back almost parallel. starting the pull at a slight angle gave me some pain so I moved the weight in a straight line and started with a little body english.
*chest dips - 35ex3x10 - good weight to use next week. did these because they didn't aggravate my shoulder. saw a vid that people tend to shrug during these, which makes the movement emphasize anterior delt activation. in order to minimize delt recruitment scapula have to remain down and back, which I tried to do during the movement.
lat pulldown* - 100x12, 115x12, 130x12 - very minimal pain in comparison to pull ups. made sure I packed my shoulders at the bottom of each rep. tried to minimize body english.
overhead db shrugs - 10ex3x10 - first time doing these. saw plenty of well known lifters suggest these as a great trap stimulator. boy were these good... used 10 pound dbs and swung up dbs from my sides by contracting the traps. held top contraction for 2-3 seconds. boy was the burn insane....
low-to-high chest fly - 12x5ex3x15 - cables set low and brought them up in a hugging motion while keeping neck down. felt good chest stretch. need to figure out if there is a way to minimize trap activation during these.

legs hypertrophy tomorrow!

[GainsMD]

Legs Hypertrophy
Squat - 145x8, 155x3, 185x3, 215x1, 205x5x5 - these felt good. 2 minute break between each set. paused slightly at bottom to eliminate stretch reflex
RDL - 135x4x10 - had been feeling a major low back pump from these before. barbell rows yesterday didn't help. tried a new trick where I pushed out my stomach and squeezed butt. also started the movement with a slight bend and kept knees in the same position throughout.
split squat - 35ex3x12
leg curl - 160ex4x8 - read that these are better in low reps so switched it up from the 12-15 reps I was doing.
leg press - +4ppsx4x8 - 1 minute rest between set.

great session, shoulders and arms tomorrow.

[GainsMD]

Shoulders/Arms
ohp - 95x8, 105x3x8 - didn't bring bar as low and touch chest because I've been reading that this is unnecessary and just strains your shoulders. going to use same weight next week.
lateral raise - 20ex4x10 - did these seated. going to use same weight and hold contraction for a second next week.
*reverse fly - 15ex3x15 - did these instead of lying rear delt raise.
face pull* - 35.5ex3x12 - held contraction for a second. pump was great.
*cgbp - 135x2x8, +155x2x8 - brought bar a little above chest to avoid straining shoulder.
ez bar curl* - +25ex2x8, +30ex2x8 - tried to do these strict but need to find something that gives me a better MMC....maybe I just lack the MMC for biceps
*dips - +25x3x12 - getting an insane shoulder pump from these... need to still tweak form to emphasize triceps. did stay as upright as possible
incline db curl* - 20ex3x12
*tricep pushdown (rope) - 55.5x2x15
hammer curl* - 2 sets (25, 35)

rest day tomorrow. after a few more weeks of this I may switch to a upper lower.

[GainsMD]

great workout... did it faster than normal which was awesome. shoulder prehab exercises definitely helping

Upper Power
*Bench - 135x8, 155x3, 185x2, 210x3x5 - nice and controlled. up to 215x3x5 next week.
pull up* - bwx2x10 - neutral grip prevented scapula pain. lats pump was insane, think I prefer these to pronated grip.
*pendlay row - 155x5, 145x2x5 - first set form wasnt too good so dropped weight. much better after that. definitely weaker when I do these after pull ups. going to keep switching order of exercises for strength gains.
dips* - 35ex2x10 - didn't go as low as possible to avoid shoulder pain. went parallel and felt good and strong. decided to use same weight as last week.
db shoulder press - 45x10, 50x2x10 - these are feeling good. only bringing arms parallel to avoid shoulder issues.
kroc row - 75ex2x10 - slowly becoming my favorite exercise. insane pump. as kroc says there is no way your not working your lats if your moving a heavy weight, regardless of whether or not your form is perfect.
deadstop skulls - +25ex3x10 - finally going up in weight on these next week. did these from floor instead of a bench.
strict curls - +25ex3x10 - could have been stricter. stood against wall but was hard to keep upper back against the wall with the weight I was using. going to try again next week and do them 100% strict regardless of the reps I get.

lower tomorrow! deadlifts baby

[GainsMD]

great workout..took my time with rest periods. couldn't do yesterday because I was moving back into school

Lower Power
front squat - 135x5, 155x3, 185x3x5 - felt good. definitely getting stronger technique because of my upper back getting stronger
deadlift - 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 275x1, 315x3x5 - paused at bottom of each rep, didn't touch and go. felt good. 4 min rests between sets.
reverse lunge - 135x2x6e - back loaded. still trying to perfect technique on these. i've realized that bending the standing leg important for balance.
lying leg curl - 130x2x8 - love lying leg curls.
ghr - bwx2x10 - felt good to do these again... anchored feet underneath an ab machine and put pads under my knees.
leg press calves +45ex3x10 - good stretch and slow tempo.

[GainsMD]

good workout... didn't take as much time with shoulder prehab because was crunched for time. need to make that a priority. session was split in two because joined into a pickup soccer game. feeling so strong man weights just jumping up

Chest/Back Hypertrophy
incline bench - 135x8, 155x4x8 - did these controlled. was surprised I cold hit target reps for all 4 sets
*incline db bench - 60ex4x10 - good, strong and controlled. two pins up from flat setting
pull up* - bwx10,10,8,5 - fixed pull up barb etter than the cable machine pull up handles. didn't have pain doing these pronated which was awesome. got to get into gym earlier so I have time to hit 50 reps.
*barbell row -135x3x8 - starting to love these.
dips* - 35x3x12
db row - 75ex3x12 - kroc style. loving these
fly machine - 90x15, 110x3x15 - loving the squeeze on these. prefer this to cables right now.
seated row - 135x3x12 - good to do these for the first time in awhile.
overhead db shrug - 10ex4x15,10,10,10 - crazy pump

overall great workout. hit some strong numbers. legs hypertrophy tomorrow.

[GainsMD]

Great session... hit some strong numbers

Legs Hypertrophy
Squat - 135x8, 185x5, 205x2, 225x5x5 - did these with 2-3 min rest. went low and didn't feel too heavy. pretty big jump from last week but I felt confident I could do these. traps clearly growing as racking the bar is essentially painless now.
rdl - 135x4x10 - going to start adding weight to these next week and lower reps to 8. did them with toes elevated on some 5 lb plates.
split squat - 40ex3x12e - love them.
lying leg curl - 110x4x8 - love going heavy on these. feel my hams working so much more with the lying leg machine in comparison to the seated leg curl machine

shoulders/arms hypertrophy tomorrow

[GainsMD]

solid workout. been getting mad compliments from people on my gains

Shoulders/Arms
ohp - 95x8, 115x7,8,8 - going to raise weight next week and go for lower reps. hard to progress on these.
db lateral raise - 20ex10, 15ex3x10 - form was too sloppy with the 20s. think I'm going to switch to cables next week.
*reverse fly - 20ex3x15
face pull* - 60x10,12,10 - killer superset
*cgbp - 155x4x8,8,10,12 - super strong on these...
preacher curl* - good for gaining strength at bottom of the curl movement, but I think I prefer normal curls to these.
*incline db curl - 25ex3x12 - loved these. great MMC
dips* - 30ex3x12 - upright for triceps emphasis.
*deadstop skullcrushers - +25ex3x12 - feeling strong on these. did them from floor.
z8hammer curl - 35ex3x12 - need to improve technique on these. too much arm swinging

much needed day of rest tomorrow

[GainsMD]

had a great lift today... lifted right after classes so wasn't rushed for time as I usually am when I lift after dinner. took my time with a thorough warm-up, pre-hab, and post-workout cool down. had PRs in everything despite not lifting since last wednesday. rest definitely helped.


Upper power
*bench - 135x8, 155x3, 185x2, 205x5, 215x3x5 - originally was going to only do 2 worksets but felt so good that I did a third. confident I can hit 220x3x5 next week.
pull up* - bwx2x10 - finally hit all reps of these with pronated grip. adding weight next week
*pendlay row - 95x5, 135x4, 155x3x5 - felt good. snatch grip. minimal body english. i think these are really helping my strength in other exercises.
dips* - 40x2x10 - did these on an assisted pull up machine. all the way down, all the way up
kroc row - 80ex2x10 - love them
db shoulder press - 50ex3x10 - nice and controlled.
*deadstop skulls - 30ex10, 35ex8, 30ex10 - lowered weight back down for final set.
ez bar curl* - 30ex3x10 - not too worried about perfect form on these.

lower power tomorrow... front squats and deadlifts

[GainsMD]

Great workout today... played an hour of soccer before and was surprised I improved on all of my lifts.

Lower Power
front squat - 135x5, 155x3, 185x3x5 - going to stick with this weight for another week or so. definitely much more challenging when done after running around for a bit. once I hit 185x3x8 I'll move the weight up.
deadlift - 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 275x1, 305x1, 315x5, 325x2x5 - I love deadlifts. definitely think my 5RM is higher but I'm taking my time increasing the weight on these. next week I'll do 335x
reverse lunges - 135x2x8e - still trying to perfect form on these. increased the stride length which definitely hit the posterior chain better.
lying leg curl - 140x2x8 - simple but great exercise. love going heavy on these
ghetto ghr - 2x8,12 - killer pump. can't wait until I have the strength to do one of these without a push from the bottom.

rest day tomorrow. going to catch up on some school work and then chest/back on Friday

[GainsMD]

Great but long workout.. Spent half an hour warming up and doing some prehab. By the time I started my cool down clock was at 2 hours. Was just feeling so motivated today and hit some great numbers

Chest/Back Hypertrophy
Incline bench - 135x8, 155x8, 155x8, 165x8, 175x8, 185x4 - normally wouldn't do this many sets but dam I was on a roll and didn't want to stop.
Pull up - bwx10,10,10,6,5,5,8 - neutral grip because pronated was giving me pain. I actually think that my lats get worked better with this grip... Great mmc
Incline db bench - 45ex8, 65ex3x10, 8 still need better mmc on these. Doing at 30 degrees to minimize anterior deltoid recruitment.
*Barbell row - 135x4x8 - minimized body English by keeping hips back. Way harder
dips* - 40ex3x12
*Kroc row - Wu, 70ex20e, 80ex15 - form not strict but that's the point. No way lats aren't working during these heavy high rep sets
Chest fly machine* - 110x2x15 - love the squeeze.
*Seated row - 130x12, 110x2x12 - first 8 reps of last 2 sets were 2/1 style with an eccentric.
Overhead db shrug* - 10ex10, 3x15

Intense workout definitely going to be sore. Don't know how I'll do legs tomorrow I'm sure I fried my lower back

[GainsMD]

Great workout... loving them squats. been switching up my rep schemes for the main compound lifts. rather than just straight sets I may ramp, add backoff sets, etc. loving the variety

Lower Hypertrophy
Squats - 135x8, 185x5, 205x2, 225x5, 235x5, 245x5, 225x2x10 - had a good warmup before these and was surprised I got those high reps for the last 2 sets. loving high rep squats. next week I think I'll do like 245x3x5 and then 2 sets at 225.
RDL - 155x4x8 - lost a strap lol.
split squat - 45ex3x12 - feel these working my hams so much
leg curl - 135x2x8, 130x2x8 - these are a killer after everything else. going to keep the weight the same and start controlling the eccentric more
leg press - +3ppsx4x10 - very slow eccentric. felt good. liking low(er) rep leg presses.

arms/shoulders tomorrow aka aesthetics day

[GainsMD]

Good workout... for some reason went longer than normal even though I didn't do more than usual.

Shoulders/Arms
ohp - 95x8, 115x5, 125x5, 135x5, 125x5, 115x8 - first time doing these with a pyramid rep scheme. love it. felt awesome to ohp with 135. going to try to work up to 3x5 for that weight.
db lateral raise - 20ex4x10 - think I am going to switch to cables. Just not feeling these that well. I feel like if I jump up in weight I will just have terrible form.
*rear delt machine - 70x3x15 - pretty good superset. think I prefer supersetting one of these with face pulls.
reverse fly* - 25ex3x12
*cgbp - 135x8, 155x8, 165x8, 175x8, 185x8 - these killed my triceps!
ez bar curl* - +25ex4x8 - not too heavy weight but definitely working the muscles well.
tricep dips - +45x3x12 - dips have been improving a ton lately. gotta keep it up
SA preacher curl - 25x3x12 - loved the mmc with these.
*tricep pushdown (rope) - 90x3x15,12,12 - took a break from skulls. variety is good and forgot how much I like doing these.
hammer curl* - 45ex3x8 - still struggling with the proper technique on these... gotta fix it

rest day tomorrow then going for that 225x3x5 bench on wednesday!

[GainsMD]

hey guys, sorry about the lack of posts for the last few days. had some decent workouts but have been feeling pretty sick.

Upper power
bench press - 135x8, 155x3, 185x2, 205x5, 215x5, 225x7 - surprised I hit this. I truly think I could have had another 1-2.
pull up - bwx2x10 - pronated.
pendlay row - 95x5, 135x3, 155x3x5
dips - 50ex2x10 - loving dips.
db shoulder press - 50ex2x10
kroc row - 85ex2x10 - way too much cheating. may have to go back down to 80s.
tricep pushdown - 90x2x12 - light but definitely had a great mmc.
preacher curl - +20ex1x10 - only felt like doing 1 set.

Lower power
squat - 135x8, 185x5, 205x2, 225x3, 235x2, 245x3x5
rdl - 135x8, 175x3x6
split squat - 50ex2x10e
leg curl - 135x2x8

[GainsMD]

finally got over cold. felt good to get back in gym today. pretty light workout

Chest/Back Hypertrophy
*Incline bench - 135x10, 155x10, 175x8, 185x9, 145x6
pull ups (neutral)* - bwx10,10,8,6
t-bar row - +95x8
incline db bench - 70x2x15,10
dips - 50x2x10
chest fly - 110x10, 90x10
db row - 80x2x15e

[GainsMD]

been lifting with a friend who is just getting into lifting consistently. doing lower volume than usual because I also have to teach him technique and find proper weights for him as well.

Lower Hypertrophy
squat - 135x8, 185x5, 225x3x10 - surprised I did these with a poor warmup.
rdl - 45ex8, 60ex2x8 - dbs today just to get friend comfortable with the movement.
split squat - 50ex2x12
leg curl - 130x2x8
calf raise on leg press - +45ex2x10 - 1311 tempo. killer burn in calves.

[GainsMD]

good workout, about an hour long. been getting a lot of compliments recently, especially on my arms

Shoulders/Arms Hypertrophy[/b]
ohp - 95x8, 115x5, 135x3x5 - last set technique was definitely not optimal, but still felt good to press a plate overhead.
lateral raise - 15ex2x10, 20ex2x10 - still not feeling these too well. maybe I should go back to sitting
cable lateral raise - 20ex2x15,10 - felt better than db lateral raises
reverse fly - 20ex2x15
face pull - 70x2x15
*cgbp - 135x8, 165x4, 185x3x8
ez bar curl* - +30ex4x8
*SA preacher curl - 30ex2x8e
deadstop skulls* - +30ex2x12
*tricep pushdown (rope) - 100x2x15
pinwheel curls* - 40ex2x10e - first time doing these and they felt awesome. definitely working a part of my arm that I usually don't work