2023 Collaborative Training Log and Discussion

[coachcalande]

I haven’t worn a belt in decades. Nothing against them, just seem fine without them too.

Last night I trained on all my upper body compounds.

Bench
Incline
Rows
Latpulls
Narrow latpulls
Seated press
Upright row

Bench…well I’d hoped to hit 365 last night but my warmups just felt heavy so I just stayed at 315 for 4 sets.
Everything was done heavy. The only thing done around 8-10 reps was upright rows. All of the other stuff was 3-8 reps at most.

Took in approximately 3400 cals yesterday. Doing my best to track and relate it to body weight and strength.

[BeginnerGainz]

Lost 2 reps on my top set of bench, 1 rep off my 90% AMRAP and 1 rep off my 80% AMRAP vs last week. Which sucks. Stupid elbow wasn’t having it.

225x2, 205x4, 185x6

But…

Increased the weight of chest supported rows and didn’t lose that many reps.
172.5 x 11,9,9


Pullovers felt harder than normal so I maybe tried to increase weight too quick. Gonna drop back down and increase reps next week.
110 x 7,6,6

Lu raises went well.
20 x 15,12,10

[BeginnerGainz]

Trap bar jumps 145x3,3,3

RDL 205x10,9,9

Split squats 70x10,10,9

Reaaaaally not vibing with split squats at all. Balance is too much of an issue to really push my massive legs to near failure. Even with hand support on my working side ( I hold the dumbbell on the non-working leg side).

But I suck at them so I probably need to do more of them. Practice what you preach and all that.

Suitcase barbell carry 3x1 @ 105

Decided to do 3 trips instead of 5.

Found a barbell with center knurling, so it sucked slightly less.

3 sets of random curls, today was hammer curls with 40 lbs.

Done.

[MyEgoProblem]

So...

Putting the 60kg dumbells back on the rack i missed a little.. Overshot the slot and crushed my wrist.

Broken wrist. Could be worse 😂
Only one or two of the small bones in my wrist, not the big ones.

Still got to train but it hurt.

330 Tempo Tshirt bench
105kg*4 (x8)
3ct ecc
3ct pause
Explode
Last rep of each set was 5ct hold

Few hundred rear delt band sets.

[EliKoehn]

So...

Putting the 60kg dumbells back on the rack i missed a little.. Overshot the slot and crushed my wrist.

Broken wrist. Could be worse ������
Only one or two of the small bones in my wrist, not the big ones.

Still got to train but it hurt.

330 Tempo Tshirt bench
105kg*4 (x8)
3ct ecc
3ct pause
Explode
Last rep of each set was 5ct hold

Few hundred rear delt band sets.

That sucks! Hope that heals as quick as possible...

--

Flat Bench (T&G):
2 x 10, 1 x 8 at 225 @8-9, 9, 10

Tried out my new gym at work and overall it's pretty good! I was going to do one or two more sets but walked away for just a couple of minutes, then some women had taken it by the time I got back and I decided it wasn't something to make an issue about.

Cons:
- I have to go through an emptied-pocket, metal detector security checkpoint every time because the whole complex is a secure facility.
- Only one bench, squat, and deadlift setup each...

Pros:
- It actually has a dedicated deadlifting platform with that impact flooring where the plates rest!
- Old school metal plates that rattle.
- It doesn't seem to be very busy after 5 (whereas my other new gym is almost unusably crowded at seemingly all hours...).
- There's a powerlifting scoreboard which an employee officiates! You can vie to be the strongest lifter in the company.

[SaviorSelfJT]

Wanted to workout yesterday but I drank so much caffeine I seemed to make myself sick, just going to stick to a cup of coffee now

———

Bad squats:
135x5
185x5
205x5
225x5

OHP:
190x1
175x4

Bad rows:
135x5
185x5
225x5


The “bad squats” are basically an exaggerated powerlifter style squat. Feet a little wider than normal, and keeping my shins vertical. Obviously I can’t go as deep. I’m very quad dominant so these are actually pretty difficult. On one of the reps I started to fall backwards on the way up and had to take some steps backwards to keep myself from falling

Theory behind them, they’ll have some carryover to my deadlift

[CW47]

40 Degree Incline DB Press
45 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps

Rack Pullup
Bodyweight - 3 sets x 10 reps

Single Arm Cross Body Tricep Extension
5 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps

Single Arm Cross Body Bicep Curl
5 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps

Cable Crunch
40 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps

Tried out some new stuff today. It all felt quite nice. Did the cable crunches differently today and they felt much better.
I plan to push all of the accessories harder next time, now that I have a better idea of what weights to use.

[BeginnerGainz]

40 Degree Incline DB Press
45 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps

Rack Pullup
Bodyweight - 3 sets x 10 reps

Single Arm Cross Body Tricep Extension
5 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps

Single Arm Cross Body Bicep Curl
5 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps

Cable Crunch
40 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps

Tried out some new stuff today. It all felt quite nice. Did the cable crunches differently today and they felt much better.
I plan to push all of the accessories harder next time, now that I have a better idea of what weights to use.

I don’t program weight for accessories. Pick a rep range I want to be in, pick an exercise, and get close to near failure.

[CW47]

Eli - Dead Bugs

[jademonkey]

Split squats 70x10,10,

Reaaaaally not vibing with split squats at all. Balance is too much of an issue to really push my massive legs to near failure. Even with hand support on my working side ( I hold the dumbbell on the non-working leg side).

But I suck at them so I probably need to do more of them. Practice what you preach and all that.

Balance definitely gets a lot easier. The burn on these sucks, and then you have to switch legs and do it again. I far prefer barbell version, especially cuz once you have the balance down, it gets tough to hold enough weight in your hands.

[CW47]

Back Raise
95 pounds - 3 sets x 6 reps

Leg Curl
100 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps

Glute Bridge
Bodyweight - 2 sets x 20 reps

Donkey Calf Raise
35 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps

Dead Bugs
Bodyweight - 2 sets x 10 reps

It's been years since I've done back raises with a barbell. I stopped doing them because I was getting major lower back fatigue buildup, and they seemed to be a main contributor to that. Man...I must have been doing them wrong because they never felt anything like they did today. They torched my hamstrings.

[SaviorSelfJT]

Bench
275x1
265x4
245x8

Bad form squats
135x5
195x5
235x5

Reverse grip curls
45x5
65x5
85x5

The squats felt a little more normal than last time but they still don’t feel natural at all

[BeginnerGainz]

Smith incline bench
135x9,9,11

Chin grip lat pulldowns 210x7,6,6

DB shrugs 65x12,11,9

Bent over flys 15x16,15,18

Tried JM presses with 95 lbs on the bar. Might do these on a smith machine as well IF I make them a regular addition.

Some band work for more blood into my left triceps tendon….

Done.

[coachcalande]

My one hour lift:
5 sets bench
4 sets narrow pds

5 sets incline
4 sets wide pds

4 sets OHP
4 sets rows

4 sets upright rows
4 sets side laterals

[MyEgoProblem]

Smith incline bench
135x9,9,11

Chin grip lat pulldowns 210x7,6,6

DB shrugs 65x12,11,9

Bent over flys 15x16,15,18

Tried JM presses with 95 lbs on the bar. Might do these on a smith machine as well IF I make them a regular addition.

Some band work for more blood into my left triceps tendon….

Done.

Love jm press!!

But i gotta do something to warm up to them..
Be it bench, cgbp or strap press downs.
Can't do them first,however much id like to.

Band extensions.. Love them.
Every variation and angle.
Recently - band tate press with band looped behind me for ridiculous high reps

[jademonkey]

Another one hour sesh.

Wife and I did DB bench alternating with DB rows.
Wife did Arnold press followed by tri press down while I alternated leg press and RDL.

We were both pretty fried starting with alternating sets.
She finished with RDL and hip thrust aka booty builder
I finished with a circuit of various isolations

Gotta put the membership on hold in 3 weeks and find a gym in Lisbon for a while after that.

[BeginnerGainz]

SSB squat
305x4
275x5

Leg extensions
130x10,10,11

Seated leg curls
105x12,13,14

High planks 3x30 seconds

Incline curls with 35 lbs…

Done.

[CW47]

Pin Bench Press
140 pounds - 3 sets x 7 reps

Wide Grip Cable Row
50 pounds - 3 sets x 15 reps

Spoon Press
35 pounds - 2 sets x 15 reps

Hammer Curl
30 pounds - 2 sets x 12 reps

Knee Raise
2 sets x 12 reps

Aside from the rows everything was getting somewhat close to failure today, but I managed to get in all my planned sets and reps. I plan to increase weight on everything, so things may get interesting.

[coachcalande]

As you guys know, I train completely instinctively and auto regulate …

I have been contemplating setting all of my resistance numbers and keeping the static for a month and each month, add 5 pounds to that number (60 lbs a year) no matter what performance for the month indicates. For example

June

Bench 275x ?
Squats 315x?

July
Bench 280x?
Squats 320x ?

August
Bench 285x?
Squats 325x?



You get the idea.


I doubt I’ll really do it, but I think about it often.

[SaviorSelfJT]

^^ that sounds like a pretty effective way to train, why not give it a shot?

———

Bad squats:
135x5
205x5
245x5

Deadlift
345x5

Bad rows:
135x5
185x5
225x6

I seem to be getting RSI with my wrists/hands, I’ve dealt with this before in the past before

[coachcalande]

^^ that sounds like a pretty effective way to train, why not give it a shot?

———

Bad squats:
135x5
205x5
245x5

Deadlift
345x5

Bad rows:
135x5
185x5
225x6

I seem to be getting RSI with my wrists/hands, I’ve dealt with this before in the past before

I get bored. Usually I don’t know sets, reps or weights I’ll use until I start training. Sometimes I enter the gym “I’m going for 8-12” and I end up doing singles. Happens after 43 years. Lol

But I agree, it makes sense.

[SaviorSelfJT]

I get bored. Usually I don’t know sets, reps or weights I’ll use until I start training. Sometimes I enter the gym “I’m going for 8-12” and I end up doing singles. Happens after 43 years. Lol

But I agree, it makes sense.

There was a podcast with that Russian Pavlov guy (the guy who coached the Russian Olympic weightlifting team, also the guy who made the Smolov training program)

And he basically recommended a training system that was more or less what you described

Pick a weight that’s about 75 percent of your max. Do a few sets where you get close to failure but don’t hit failure. Keep doing this workout over and over again until it feels lighter (you got stronger) and repeat with what’s now 75 percent again. Repeat forever

[coachcalande]

There was a podcast with that Russian Pavlov guy (the guy who coached the Russian Olympic weightlifting team, also the guy who made the Smolov training program)

And he basically recommended a training system that was more or less what you described

Pick a weight that’s about 75 percent of your max. Do a few sets where you get close to failure but don’t hit failure. Keep doing this workout over and over again until it feels lighter (you got stronger) and repeat with what’s now 75 percent again. Repeat forever

I may end up trying it since I’m also locking in my calories again. I’ve set them at 3000 with 300g protein so far I like it.

[BeginnerGainz]

Got done with a client and did a planet fitness workout.

High rows, chest press, laterals, triceps pressdowns, reverse pec deck and hammer curls.

Sets reps and weight irrelevant. Just pushed each set till I couldn’t.

[coachcalande]

Legs done. Making great gains with all machines…

Smith squats
Leg press (new PR 13 plates x10 reps)
Leg ext, leg curl

Going to use the “5 pounds a month” approach I think and see how it goes. I’ll always try to add reps and beat previous bests but the start of the month means a new challenge.

I can see this being very useful for discipline in terms of not reaching….

[BeginnerGainz]

Larsen press
~185x6,5,6,6

Pronated CSR machine
~180x10,10,10,9

Lu raises
~25x10,9,8

Kid was using the pullover so skipped it.

Did pressdowns for the triceps, then left arm only kickbacks and band work for the left Tricep tendon.

[EliKoehn]

A.S.
Flat Bench (T&G):
3 x 3 at 275
EZ Bar Curl:
3 x 5 at 110

A.S.
DB Lateral Raise:
4 x 8 w/ 30s
Hammer Curl:
4 x 8 w/ 30s

Definite progress on bench re-acclimation. These were difficult and the final rep was a grind, but it's really starting to come back now I think.

[CW47]

SSB Box Squat
185 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps

Walking Lunge
60 pounds - 2 sets x 15 reps

Nordic Curl
1 sets x 8 reps

SSB Calf Raise
215 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps

Dead Bugs
1 sets x 10 reps

Everything was hard today. I expect it's just going to be like that from now on... My recovery has been somewhat poor lately. More volume and more bodypart focused sessions are probably contributing to that. My hamstrings in particular were still not fully recovered today even though it was 5 days since my last lower workout. I would think I'll acclimate to it at some point, but I'll need to monitor it closely.

[coachcalande]

You guys might chuckle at this…at least anyone who’s married or who has a woman cooking now and again.

I set my cals at 3000 and had a great week gaining a PR while also losing 4 pounds..

Yesterday my meals went something like this (I target 600 cals, 60g protein per meal)

1- 556
2-556
3-625
4-625
5- my bride makes the family dinner…BANG 1400 cals.

It does not matter if I go low fat, low carb…her meals are always high everything and man she CAN cook. 😆 Dad bod forever.

[CW47]

Can relate... I can't tell you how many times I've asked my partner not to cook for me when I'm trying to lose weight. When she inevitably cooks for me anyway I smile, eat it, and say thank you.

If I need to choose between having a beach bod and being a jackass or having a dad bod and being a decent and supportive partner, I'll choose the latter every time.