Love the Pain -- Make the Barbell Cry!

[billp392]

Nice journal dude. Keep it up.

[tommy4life]

Came to check out your journal, strong lifts.

Why you doing bench with Dumbells?

[ECGordyn]

Came to check out your journal, strong lifts.

Why you doing bench with Dumbells?

Thanks, still working on stronger.

DBs feel better on my arms. Barbell bench hurts my inner elbows like hell, around the brachialis.

[ECGordyn]

Squat
305 x 10
310 x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

DL pause
328 x 8, 8, 8
Used kg bumper plates because all this gym has is hex plates, and I just can't DL with hex plates, annoying as f*. Estimated weight in pounds.

Leg extension
54 (kg?) x 10, 10, 12

GHR
bw x 12, 12, 12

Standing calf raise machine
130 (kg?) x 10, 14, 14

Usual gym is closed for 3 days.

[ECGordyn]

Squat
315 x 10
305 x 10 x 3 with 60 secs. between sets. F*king hell.

RDL
275 x 8, 8, 8

Calf machine
360 x 12, 11, 11

Was programmed to do 5 pounds less on all squats, but I decided to push it a little. Will decide later if I'll keep the 5 pound bump for the rest of the cycle.

[tommy4life]

Hey, that's a motivational video.
Today's also my squat 10×3 day and with pretty much the same weight.

[ECGordyn]

BB bench
205 x 10, 10, 8

Pendlay
210 x 10, 8, 8

OHP
150 x 10, 8, 8

Pulldown HS machine
230 x 10, 8, 8

Pec deck
160 x 12, 10, 8

Facepulls
57.5 x 12, 12, 12

20 min cycling

Trying BB bench again, it's starting at poverty level. OHP with belt seemed to help, back up to 150 x 10. In the squat rack again bcz gym put up signs to stop throwing the weights after I started throwing the weights, lol. No worries.

[ECGordyn]

BB bench
205 x 10, 10, 10

Pendlay
215 x 10, 8, 8

OHP
155 x 9, 7, 7

Pulldown HS machine
235 x 10, 8, 8

Pec deck
160 x 12, 12, 12

Facepulls
57.5 x 12, 12, 12

[ECGordyn]

Squat
330 x 6, 6, 6

DL
370 x 5, 5

Calf raise machine
360 x 14, 14, 14

[ECGordyn]

DB bench
100s x 6, 6, 6

Pendlay
225 x 6, 6, 6

OHP
160 x 6, 6, 6

Pulldown HS machine
250 x 6, 6, 6

Back to DB bench because BB hurts my arms too much. Pendlay went well, good to be back to rowing 2 plates. Wanted 170 for OHP, but not this time. Warmups felt heavy so I called it at 160.

[ECGordyn]

Squat
335 x 6, 5

DL pause
335 x 8, 8

Calf raise machine
360 x 14, 14, 14

Only 1 set of the compounds is prescribed but I always do 2. DL form looked like s*, I thought it was improving.

[ECGordyn]

DB bench
100s x 8, 8, 8, 8

Pendlay
225 x 6, 6, 6

OHP
160 x 7, 7, 7

Pulldown HS machine
250 x 7, 7, 7

Good workout considering I'm sick and slept bad last night. Surprising progress on bench. Pendlay felt good, might have had extra reps but didn't push it. Forgot to belt up for press until the last set, not sure what difference it made. Week 3 finished.

[ECGordyn]

Squat
340 x 3
345 x 3
350 x 3

RDL
285 x 6, 6

Leg extensions
90 x 10, 10, 10

GHR
bw x 12, 10, 1
Felt a grinding and popping in my ham tendons at right knee on last reps of second set. One rep of third set was a sharp twinge, so figured it best not to f*k around.

[ECGordyn]

DB bench
100s x 9, 9, 8, 7

Pendlay
215 x 10, 10, 8, 6

OHP
145 x 12, 11, 8, 5

Pulldown HS machine
230 x 12, 11, 10, 8

Concentration curls
35 x 8
30 x 10

Too much volume. Felt like a bro so did some curls.

[ECGordyn]

Squat
350 x 3
365 x 2

DL
385 x 3
405 x 2

Leg extensions
90 x 10, 10, 10

Lying ham curl
170 x 12, 8, 10

Calf raise machine
360 x 12, 8, 10

DL was set to 400 x 2 but I just loaded 4 plates. Might or might not keep the 5 extra lbs for max test day next week. Ham tendon still hurts a bit so I didn't push that accessory.

[tommy4life]

Just curious, how much has your squat and dl increased by in this 9 cycles? Based of your week 4 lifts you've gained a fair bit.

Have you also gained BW?

[ECGordyn]

DB bench
100s x 8, 7, 7

Pendlay
225 x 8, 7, 6

OHP
160 x 6, 5, 5

Pulldown HS machine
250 x 8, 6, 6

Facepulls
57.5 x 12, 12, 12

Pec deck
160 x 12, 10, 10

Was supposed to be another volume day, but by the 3rd set of bench I'd already made up my mind it was not gonna be. Will go traveling with gf over the weekend, so I didn't want to wear myself out. Was a little tired anyway for some reason. Did facepulls before pec deck because the machine was taken, and it felt great on my shoulders.

[ECGordyn]

Just curious, how much has your squat and dl increased by in this 9 cycles? Based of your week 4 lifts you've gained a fair bit.

Have you also gained BW?

I finished the first cycle about 4th of February last year with SQ 285 x 4, and DL 345 x 4. BW was about 185, now I'm about 195-200 pretty consistently. My maxes next week are set at SQ 375 x 4 and DL 410 x 4, if I make them.

It hasn't been smooth sailing the whole way through. I failed max days in a few cycles on either SQ or DL. I'd hit one and fail the other, then next cycle fail one and hit the other. Just part of being intermediate I guess. One idea I've been throwing around is to deload completely after every second or third cycle. Haven't tried it yet, but never taking a full deload might be one reason why my lifts were inconsistent in some cycles.

[tommy4life]

That's some impressive gains.
So a deload every 2/3rd week (meant cycle lol) huh. What have you usually been doing for week 6?

[ECGordyn]

That's some impressive gains.
So a deload every 2/3rd week huh. What have you usually been doing for week 6?

A deload after every 2nd or 3rd cycle. I would run 2 or 3 full cycles and then deload completely.

I always skip week 6 and start next cycle.

[ECGordyn]

Max squat day
375 x 3

DL
285 x 4
295 x 4
305 x 2

Bicycle 30 min.

Tried a 4th rep on squat but it wasn't there. Not sure if mental focus was off or what. Still on track for 4 plates x 4 in early April.

[ECGordyn]

DB bench
100s x 8, 8, 6, 7

Pendlay
225 x 10, 8, 8

OHP
150 x 10, 10, 9

Pulldown HS machine
230 x 12, 8, 8

Bicycle 20 min.

[ECGordyn]

DL max day
410 x 3

No vid, phone ran out of storage. :/

DL
365 x 5

Leg extensions
90 x 10, 10, 10

Calf raise machine
360 x 12, 10, 12

Bicycle 30 min.

[ECGordyn]

Start of 10th cycle

Squat
320 x 6, 6, 6, 6

DL
345 x 6, 6

Leg extensions
90 x 10, 10, 12

GHR
bw x 10, 10, 6

[ECGordyn]

DB bench
100s x 10, 9, 8, 7
Good progress up to the plateau again. Let's hope I can hold it there, lol.

Pendlay
215 x 10, 10, 8, 6

OHP
140 x 12, 10, 7, 6

Pulldown HS machine
240 x 12, 8
220 x 8, 8

Pec deck
160 x 12, 10, 8

Facepulls
57.5 x 12, 12, 10

Bicycle 20 min.

[ECGordyn]

DB bench
105s x 7, 6, 6, 6

Pendlay
225 x 10, 10, 8

OHP
150 x 10, 8, 5

Pulldown HS machine
230 x 10, 10, 8

Bicycle 25 min.

Form on Pendlays started breaking down, then I was gassed for OHP. Not in the mood for accessories--next time.

[ECGordyn]

Squat
280 x 8, 8, 8, 8

DL
305 x 8, 8

Leg extensions
90 x 10, 10, 10

GHR
bw x 10, 9, 6

Bicycle 15 min.

[ECGordyn]

Squat
320 x 10
325 x 5 x 3 with 60 seconds between sets.

Pause DL
340 x 8, 8, 6

Bicycle 15 min.

Didn't eat enough today, just 2 small meals after breakfast. F*ing gassed during pause deads. Will refeed like an elephant until next volume squat day on Thursday.

[ECGordyn]

DB bench
105s x 8, 6, 4

Pendlay
205 x 10, 8, 8

OHP
155 x 7
145 x 6
135 x 8

Pulldown HS machine
230 x 10, 8, 8

Pec deck
160 x 12, 10, 8

Facepulls
57.5 x 12, 12, 12

Bicycle 30 min.

[ECGordyn]

Squat
325 x 10
315 x 10 sets of 3 reps with 60 secs. between sets. I say this every time and I'll say it again: f*ing hell.
Normally the 10x3 kills me but today the MR10 did it. Looking forward to next cycle.
Last year about this same time I did this day at 230 for MR10, and then 220 for the 10x3. So, it works, but it f*ing hurts.

RDL
285 x 8, 8, 8

Calf machine
360 x 12, 12, 10

Bike 15 min.