Zach hits up Westside, OH SNAP SON.

[ZachG85]

Basics, doing the following westside-based routine:

Monday: DE Squat/deadlift

Box Squat - 10 sets of 2 with 55% max weight
Good mornings - 3 sets of 8
Hypers - 3 sets of 12
Ab work - 5 sets
Standing calf raises - 4 sets of 12

Wednesday: Heavy Bench

Board press - Do triples until a max set, then do singles until a max
Skullcrushers - 4 sets of 8
T-bar rows - 4 sets of 6-8
DB shoulder press - 3 sets of 8
Hammer curls - 3 sets of 8

Thursday: Heavy Squat/Dead

Good mornings - Same idea as board press
Sumo deadlifts - 4 sets of 8
Pullups - 3 sets of however many
One legged squats - 3 sets of 10
Ab work of some sort

Saturday: Dynamic bench

Flat bench - 10 sets of 2 with 55% max weight
JM Press - 4 sets of 8
Barbell rows - 4 sets of 8
Heavy side/rear laterals (probably supersetted) - 4 sets of 8
Some kind of curl: 3 sets of 8

Workouts already done:

WEDNESDAY

Board press: used a pad because I didn't have access to boards quite yet. I think it was thick as a two-board press, possibly 3.
135x3
185x3
225x3
245x3
265x3
275x1
285x1
295x1 - Brutal, but I got it. I think I need to concentrate more on form, though, the bar's path wasn't a straight line.

Skullcrushers:
100x4x8 - I think 100. It was a weirdly big EZ bar, so I'm guessing it was 30 pounds, 35s per side. Gotta work on these.

T-Bar rows: On a machine, with the wide handles. Aimed for an actual lat workout instead of the normal heavy-ass rows I normally do with a freebar in the corner.
45x12
90x6
135x4x6

DB Shoulder press:
65x3x8 - Three quick sets with 65s. Wasn't that hard, and I had to scale back since I'd done shoulders on Monday (made the decision to WS on Tuesday), so I was already kinda burnt. Did triceps as well, no less. Argh.

Hammer curls:
50x3x7 - Just three quick sets. Nothing major.


THURSDAY

Good-mornings: Bent knee type.
135x3
185x3
225x3
245x3
265x1
275x1 - hard as ****. I may have gotten 285, but I could feel my hips starting to drive into it, was afraid I'd do a squat instead.

Sumo Deadlifts: was initially going to do Romanian, but figured sumo made more sense.
275x4x6 - Nothing too terrible. No chalk, though, so I couldn't go any heavier. I really realized how much my posterior chain was lacking.

Pullups: Bodyweight only because I blow at pullups. Well, chins, since I figured the extra bicep involvement could only help me.
3x8 - Yeah. Three ****ing sets of 8.

Hyperextensions: Like an idiot, I did these instead of single-leg squats. Should I just reverse 'em now? Argh.
50x3x12 - 50 pound DB for three quick sets. Got outta there.

Ab work: Nothing specific. Meandered from cable machine to swiss ball. No reps and sets here since it was more just going heavy.

Comments? Huge problem with my doing hypers instead of single leg squats? Should I just continue along how I had MEANT to do it or switch the exercises around? Or am I being an idiot entirely?

[b~rad]

looks pretty good. I'd switch around the exercises a bit so you dont hit a wall like i did for a month. I change probably every two weeks, but thats just me.

[ZachG85]

Right, I forgot to mention that. I'm going to be switching stuff up constantly. Board press will change to Floor Press. That'll become maybe close-grip or incline. After that, chains if I can get some by then. Every 3 weeks on average.

Good mornings will go to partial deadlifts or pulls while standing on a plate, then to zercher squats or something similar.

Everything will change when I don't progress.

[ZachG85]

RIGHT! Forgot to put up the last workout. Augh.

SPEED BENCH:
170x10x2 - I lowballed my bench to 285 for this since I ain't maxed out in a while, nor even used a bar since I pushed 315 a while ago, figuring it best to guess too low since it's 10 sets of 2. Used three different grip widths. Difficult as hell to keep things at full speed by set #10.

JM PRESS:
135x4x8 - Again, chose a lower weight than I could have used, but I found out my longevity from set-to-set is ****. I can do fantastic on set 1, by set 3 I'm done. Set 4 almost didn't happen.

BENT OVER ROWS: Wider grip, more solid form. Given that I get a load of lower back work elsewhere, the focal point this go-round is lat work.
175x4x8 - Once again, light weight on set one, tiring on set 4. The decision to go wide overhand grip made things trickier. Real ego blow since I've done 300 even for two sets on underhand grip rows.

DB SIDE/REAR LATERAL: Supersetted these two exercises, which ended up making the workout a lot better. Saved time, too. I actually think that, unlike the rest of the program, this will end up adding a lot more mass instead of just strength to my shoulders.
35x4x8 - Not much to say. Um. Fun.

BARBELL CURLS: Straight bar on this one.
95x3x8 - Oddly enough, the straight bar wasn't as tough as it normally is. Possibly because I didn't go as retarded heavy. Had a fantastic bicep workout from just those three sets. Hooray.

Random musings: It's weird benching 170 for a while when you're used to being Mr Heavy Weights. Hell of an ego blow to sit there doing set after set with a weight that anyone who's lifted for a month or so could be doing. Fortunately there weren't a lot of people in the gym so I didn't feel too dumb.

[ZachG85]

LOW BOX SPEED SQUATS: Used I believe a 10 or 11" box for this. Was a few inches shorter than knee-height. Using my newfangled wide stance for all of this, no less.
190x10x2 - No belt needed. As before, lowballed my squat to 340, took 55% and rounded up. The weight was easy, and I finally solidified my form. I'm really learning how slow my muscles are, though. It's sad. Don't have nearly the explosive power I should. Probably why I was terrible with oly lifts.

ROMANIAN DEADLIFTS: No straps, just chalk.
335x4x8 - Randomly guessed a weight and it turned out perfect. Threw a 100 and a 45 on either side of the bar. The sets were rough, but do-able. Probably could have handled more, but the point isn't to go to balls-out failure, right? What sucked was having to lift it off the floor and then go into the set. Thus, I counted the initial pickup as my first rep.

SINGLE LEG SQUATS: Did these like lunges, only without going as spread and just doing all the reps on one leg at a time. At least how I learned 'em. A friend of mine says put the back leg on a bench, but that's hard to get depth with.
45x3x8 - Three quick sets with 45 pound dumbbells. Harder than I'd expected. Apparently the 14 sets of squats and deadlifts tuckered me out. Damndest thing.

ABS: No a splanation necessary. Used a machine.
130x4x12 - After trying it on the rope machine, I said fuggit it and did the crunch machine. Worked a lot better. Burn City, population: my stomach.

STANDING CALF RAISES: On a smith machine, after failing to do seated because it hurt my knee.
225x4x15 - Well, 225 if you count the bar. 4 quick sets to get them outta the way, I was ready to pass out and soaked with sweat by this point. Argh.

Random Musings: I think my deadlift is going to be my strongest lift, squat in second, bench kinda distant. I don't think I'm built to pull, but I seem to be oddly good at it, at least compared to most of the people I'm around. My old hernia from 10th grade is feeling a little goofy, which is strange considering I didn't max out on anything. Just gotta knead at it and it should be fine, has never really been a problem.

As before, it feels weird to be squatting 190 pounds for set after set after set. I'd have felt dumber, but I took solace in remembering that I'm squatting on a box that's far lower than anyone squats at the damn gym. And I don't use the pussy pad.

[ZachG85]

BOARD PRESS: Got my form better this time. Less awkward.
135x3
185x3
225x3
245x3 - Stopped here for triples. Didn't want to burn out early.
265x1
285x1 - Last week's record. It popped up a LOT faster than I was expecting.
295x1 - Wasn't sure if I'd get it, but again it went right up.
305x1 - Broke the 300 pound barrier, thus a little nervous. Once again, did it without as much struggle as I'd expected.
315x1 - The mystical three plate mark. Slow on the negative, full (but fast) pause at the bottom, and exploded up. It took a few seconds, but I didn't let the spotter touch it. **** yeah.

SKULLCRUSHERS:
110x4x8 - 4 sets. Found out I didn't do enough last time. So... 4 sets. 7 reps again on the last one. Don't think I'll up the weight next week.

T-BAR ROWS:
155x4x6 - Tossed 2 extra 10s on the bar for this 'un. No warm up, just right into it. Which, I think, was a good idea.

SHOULDER PRESS: Used dumbbells this go round. I know I did shoulders on Monday, which probably screwed up the whole workout, but hey.
70x3x8 - I was tired by this point, but plugged away regardless. Last set was 7 reps. I felt it stick and didn't struggle to finish it. That was enough.

HAMMER CURLS: Whee biceps.
55x3x6 - Little tougher than last time. I think everything save the max out move will stay the same next week.

**** yeah, though! Personal record 30 pounds over what I got last time. And now there are witnesses who can say I pushed 315. Granted it wasn't to my chest, but I also didn't bounce it at all, and even ****in' paused it at the bottom. After I did it, I got off the bench, took my belt off, jumped for joy... and hit my head on some air ducts. :retard:

A friend asked me what my goal is. I say: 2000 total. I know I can do it at some point in my life. I'm a big dude, I'm only 20 and this is my first week doing WSB. I know I can get there someday.

[BigDerek]

Awesome board press! I be doin a 3 board tomorrow and I cant wait. Should be interesting since itll be my first time

[P0W3RLIFT3R87]

Great work on the board presses. 30lbs. is a very nice PR.

[ZachG85]

Thanks, fellas. I'm pretty sure the 30 pound hop was thanks to a) adjusting to the exercise, and b) last week I did a heavy-ass shoulder workout on Monday, then ME bench on Wednesday. Got a feeling that kinda tired me out.

Only thing that bothers me is that near the top of the lift my elbows turned outward so it was a more chest-ish again. Of course, that's probably not a huge problem near the lockout, so I don't know.

I'm also still not positive on what size board that equates to, since it's a pad with a little bar on it. At most it's 5" tall, so I suppose that'd be a 2.5 board press.

[Darracq]

Nice lifting. 3 boards are 4 1/2 inches tall. each 2x6 is 1.5 tall

[BigDerek]

Actually I think each board is 1.75"

[Darracq]

mine are 1.5