Iron619's Strength Training Journal

[iron619]

Beltless Conventional Squats: 215x9, 215x9, 215x9, 215x9

Max Effort - Pin Press: 275x1

Touch N Go Flat Bench Press: 195x9, 195x9, 195x9, 195x9

Hanging Knee Raises: 9 sets of 10

Leg Press Machine: 245x12, 245x12, 245x12, 245x12

Dips: BWx15, BWx15, BWx15

Seated Machine Rows: 125x12, 125x12, 125x12

Standing Alternating Dumbbell Curls: 40x5, 40x7, 40x6

Smith Machine Shrugs: 225x10, 225x10, 225x10

GPP: Prowler Push Walk / 200 lbs / about 85 feet per lap / 2 laps

Comments: Man this was a tough but excellent workout! For the first couple sets on squats, my right IT band/hip area was feeling pretty sore and stiff. This has been an ongoing issue for the past few weeks. I am wondering if training squats and deadlifts on different days/back-to-back days is causing an inflammation in this area. I also often stretch when I get home from working out. Anyway, the rest of the workout was excellent. It was fun doing pin press for max effort work because I haven't done this exercise variation in years. The pin is set to the lowest setting to allow the maximum range of motion similar to a regular bench. In other words, the pin press wasn't set to just hit the lockout of the range of the motion. When resting on the pins, the barbell is only about an inch (maybe less) above my chest. At the end of the workout, a couple of my coworkers were pushing the prowler with a different style than we have been doing lately, and that is loading up a lot more weight, going slow and shorter in distance. For the past couple months, I've only been using 90 lbs for prowler pushes, which allow me to push the prowler at jogging speeds, which I do for about 175 feet. With 200 lbs loaded on the prowler today, it was significantly harder and had me breathing harder than when I was using just 90 lbs. Even though it was only for about 85 feet, man, these were killer. I am definitely liking the heavier prowler work, so I will use more weight for a shorter distance for future prowler work.

[iron619]

Max Effort -Beltless Push Press: 185x1 <---weaksauce

Standing OHP: 105x9, 105x9, 105x9, 105x9

Beltless Touch N Go Conventional Deadlifts: 295x9, 295x9, 295x9, 295x9

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 100x6, 100x6, 100x6, 100x6

Power Snatch to Overhead Squats: BARx8, 65x3, 65x3, 65x3, 65x3

Pullups: BWx5, BWx6, BWx6, BWx6, BWx6, BWx6

Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raises: 30x10, 30x10

Situps: 14 sets of 22 (308 situps)

Comments: Typing this summation a few days later, it appeared I did a bit more volume than usual. It had probably been a couple years since I've last done Push Press, so it felt a little awkward. My best 1RM PR on Push Press is 260 lbs, so I'm definitely way off this mark. I can't believe how challenging a modest 185 lbs felt on Push Press. Either way, I figure I can only improve (hopefully ). Other than that, looking at this workout, everything looks pretty good to. I am probably going to incorporate my situps in my training because this is what I am tested on in the military and I am kind of weak on 'em.

[iron619]

Comments: During the past month, I haven't done much cardio. This is because I had successfully completed a military test. It was nice not focusing on cardio so much, but now that I am scheduled to attend a lengthy military course, I need to pick up on the running a little bit more. Anyway, this cardio session was solid. What made this cardio session challenging was the weather: hot and humid. I took it pretty easy on the pace and distance, and I plan on progressively increasing both time and distance.

[iron619]

Max Effort - Beltless Front Squats (W/Clean Grip - 1st time): 225x1

Beltless Conventional Squats: 305x3, 305x3, 305x3 @10 RPE, *skipped fourth set due to hip pain

Paused Flat Bench Press: 255x3, 255x3, 255x3, 255x4 @9.5 RPE

Leg Press Machine: 265x10, 265x10, 265x10, 265x10, 265x10, 265x10

Situps: 12 sets of 20 (240 situps)

Seated Machine Rows: 137x10, 137x10, 137x10

Dips: BWx16, BWx16, BWx16

Smith Machine Shrugs (W/Hook Grip): 275x5, 275x5

GPP: Prowler Push Sprints / 180 lbs / about 175 feet per lap / 3 laps

Comments: Aside from the annoying right IT Band/Hip pain, this workout was awesome. I tried doing Front Squats for the first time with a clean grip. I wanted to see how different and difficult it would feel. The clean grip is definitely not my preferred style, but if I want to eventually learn the olympic lifts, I need to develop that flexibility and tolerance of technique. I still like the addition of the leg press machine instead of doing leg extensions and leg curls. I think the leg press allows me to get some more pressing volume to my quads, which may carryover more to my squats. To support my recent interest in olympic lifts, I also used the hook grip on shrugs, which will definitely take some time to adapt to.

[iron619]

Snatch: BARx5, BARx5, BARx5, 65x4, 65x3, 65x3, 65x3, 65x3, 75x3



Comments: I focused on the snatch technique today. I have no ego issues keeping the weight very light until I learn the proper technique. I mainly watch various youtube videos and online resources to learn how to do the olympic lifts. I am debating whether or not I should try to find a certified coach to teach me the olympic lifts, but until then, I'll work with what I can. What I can tell is that I have a bad habit of doing "power snatches" vice "snatches". I need to learn to drop down to get under the barbell. Overall, I am pretty slow, but hopefully I can improve correctly.

After the practice, I went for a great job. It was still fairly warm out, but not too bad. I was pretty happy with this distance, though I was a little slower than I would have liked to be.

[iron619]

Max Effort - Beltless Below Knee Rack Deadlifts: 455x1

Beltless Conventional Deadlifts: 395x3, 395x3, 395x3, 395x5 @9 RPE

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 100x5, 100x5, 100x5

Beltless Front Squats: 190x5, 190x5, 190x5

Situps: 10 sets of 25 (250 situps)

Dips: BWx17, BWx17, BWx17

Chinups: BWx8, BWx8, BWx8

Dumbbell Front Raises: 25x8, 25x8, 25x8

Comments: Physically, this workout was pretty good, but mentally, it sucked. I did not have the drive or motivation for this training session, but I still grinded it out and it turned out pretty good. I am thinking that it may be time to deload soon. It was cool to do below knee rack deadlifts again, which is something I haven't done in years. Now that I switched primarily to pulling conventional style, I think doing below knee rack deadlifts can help with my overall pull. I was kind of dreading the deadlift worksets, and I was close to cutting the volume down to 3 sets, but my workout partner was motivated to do four sets, which was what was originally planned. I'm still pretty weak on front squats, and I'm gonna put a little bit of blame on my twingy right leg/hip issue.

[iron619]

[iron619]

Max Effort - Beltless Push Press: 195x1 @10 RPE

Standing OHP: 115x8, 115x8, 115x8, 115x8, 115x8

Beltless Conventional Squats: 225x5 (Stopped due to IT Band pain)

Situps: 13 sets of 30 (390 total)

Touch N Go Flat Bench Press: 205x8, 205x8, 205x8, 205x8

Leg Press Machine: 285x8, 285x8, 285x8, 285x8

Dips: BWx17, BWx17, BWx17

Supinated Grip Lat Pulldowns: 150x12, 150x12, 150x12

Comments: Awesome!

[iron619]

Paused Flat Bench Press: 225x5, 225x5 225x5, 225x5, 245x3

90 Degree Barbell Rows: 185x5, 185x5, 1855, 185x5, 185x5

Standing OHP: 135x5, 135x5, 140x5, 140x5, 140x5

Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns: 130x8, 145x6, 145x6, 145x6, 145x6

Hanging Knee Raises: 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 10, 10, 10

Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns: 120x10, 130x8, 130x8, 130x8

Standing EZ Bar Curls: BAR+50x10, BAR+60x8, BAR+60x7, BAR+60x7

Comments: Another solid one. No complaints.

[iron619]

Beltless Conventional Squats: 225x5, 225x5, 225x5, 245x5, 275x5, 295x3

Beltless Conventional Deadlifts: 315x5, 365x5, 365x5, 365x5, 405x3

Decline Situps: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15

Leg Press Calf Press: 130x10, 130x10, 130x10, 130x10, 130x10, 130x10, 130x10

Good Mornings: 95x8, 100x8, 105x8

Leg Press Machine: 175x15, 190x15, 205x15

Comments: Everything felt pretty good. Pretty tiring workout.

[iron619]

Touch N Go Flat Bench Press: 225x8, 225x8, 225x8, 225x8, 225x8

Standing Overhead Press: 115x8, 115x8, 115x8, 115x8, 115x8

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 70x10, 70x10, 70x10, 70x10

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 45x10, 45x10, 45x10

Flat Dumbbell Flys: 40x12, 40x12, 35x10

Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns: 90x12, 100x12, 100x12, 100x10

Single Arm Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 20x12, 20x12, 25x12

Decline Situps: 16 sets of 10 (total of 160)

Comments: Having these "push" days is fun because I am able to get in a bit more volume. I definitely feel more sore than when I do an "Upper" day. Great workout!

[iron619]

90 Degree Rows: 155x8, 155x8, 155x8, 155x8, 155x8

Seated Neutral Grip Machine Rows: 115x12, 130x12, 145x12, 130x12, 130x12

Dumbbell Shrugs: 50x15, 55x15, 60x15, 60x12, 65x12, 70x12, 75x12, 80x10, 80x10, 80x10

Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns: 100x15, 115x15, 130x10, 130x10, 130x10

Dumbbell Pullovers: 50x8, 50x10, 50x10, 50x8

Seated Preacher Curls: BAR+50x6, BAR+40x10, BAR+40x10, BAR+40x10

Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raises: 30x10, 30x10, 30x10

Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 30x10, 30x8, 30x10

Hanging Knee Raises: 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 5

Comments: Not a bad workout. I was out of town for work during this time, so I trained at a gym that was available at the work site. I remember just having a great pump from this training session, and it was a great "pull" day.

[iron619]

Cardio: Treadmill running

Duration: About 25 minutes

Speed: 5.0 mph

Incline: 5.0%

Comments: Really good cardio work. I haven't run on the treadmill in a very long time because I have enjoyed and preferred to run outside. I decided to run on the treadmill today because I wanted a way to work on progressing with incline work. The 5% incline kicked my butt! Also, I annotated that it was "about" 25 minutes because shortly after I glanced down to review my stats, I accidentally pulled off the emergency stop string/magnet, so I had to start over.

[iron619]

Paused Flat Bench Press: 245x4, 245x4, 245x4, 245x4, 245x4, 245x4

90 Degree Barbell Rows: 195x4, 195x4, 195x4, 195x4

Standing Overhead Press: 145x4, 145x4, 145x4, 145x4

Weighted Chinups: BW+65x4, BW+65x4, BW+65x4

Weighted Dips: BW+70x6, BW+70x6, BW+70x6

Dumbbell Shrugs: 70 lbs, 8 sets of 15

Situps: 17 sets of 30 (Total of 510 situps)

Comments: Great workout! Pretty happy with the intensity and volume today.

[iron619]

Beltless Conventional Squats: 250x4, 250x4, 250x4, 250x4, 250x4, 300x3

Beltless Conventional Deadlifts: 385x4, 385x4, 385x4, 385x4, 385x4, 435x2

Lying Leg Raises: 12 sets of 10 (Total of 120 raises)

Good Mornings: 105x8, 105x8, 105x8

Leg Press Machine: 305x8, 305x8, 305x8

Leg Press Calf Presses: 185x12, 185x12, 185x12

Comments: This was a great lower body workout. I went a bit heavier this time (finally). Of course these numbers look weak, but I have regressed in strength since incorporating more cardio. The good mornings and leg press machine were supersetted, as per usual. I remember my legs were pretty darn sore after this one. Lastly, beltless lifting FTW!

[iron619]

Comments: Great cardio! This was actually a rare "morning" cardio session. I have to attend a 7-week military course in the near future, and one of the things they commonly do is physical training in the morning. To help prepare for this, I am going to try to run in the morning three times a week. This is definitely going to be challenging because I'm not much of a morning person.

[iron619]

Touch N Go Flat Bench Press: 225x8, 225x8, 225x8, 225x8, 225x8, 225x8

Standing Overhead Press: 120x8, 120x8, 120x8, 120x8, 120x8, 120x8

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 75x10, 75x10, 75x10

30-lb Overhead Ammo Can Lift: 60 reps, 50 reps, 40 reps

Flat Dumbbell Flys: 40x10, 40x10, 40x10

Single Arm Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 30x10, 30x10

Dips: BWx12, BWx10

Situps: 20 sets of 25 (Total of 500 situps)

Comments: An excellent training session! These push days are turning out pretty great. I was most pleased with hitting 6 sets of 8 with 225 lbs on bench press. This was really tough. I plan on sticking with using 225 lbs for my "high rep" day, but will focus on increasing reps per set. Doing standing OHP after the high-volume bench work is definitely fatiguing, so I will probably never do this exercise fresh. Either way, all lifts were challenging today. To clarify what the 30-lb overhead ammo can lifts are, it is to help specifically prepare for a military test that is coming up. We are tested to see how many times we can lift a 30-lb ammo can over our heads in a two-minute time period. We are allowed to use leg drive, which essentially turns this into a push press. I can probably knock out 40 or so before fatigue starts setting in. I've never been a fan of this particular test because I think it is ridiculous. I simply don't see this being a functional test in garrison or combat. By the time I started on dips, my triceps were so fatigued that I barely got 12 and 10 reps with just my body weight. Also, since incorporating situps with the majority of my sets (as supersets), my abdominal endurance has definitely improved.

[iron619]

Cardio: Treadmill running with various incline

Duration: 20 minutes

Speed: 6.0 mph

Incline: 2%-5%, varied throughout the session

Distance: 1.96 miles

Comments: This was actually very, very tough! Earlier last week, I started working on the incline treadmill at 5.0%, but also ran at 5.0 mph. This time, I kept the speed constant at 6.0 mph and manipulated the incline every minute or two. Man, incline work is tough, but I hope this helps me with getting faster and building endurance.

[iron619]

Max Effort Work - Touch N Go Flat Bench Press: 315x1 @10 RPE <weak!>

Touch N Go Flat Bench Press: 255x5, 255x5, 255x5, 255x5, 255x5

Seated Machine Rows: 150x8, 150x8, 162x6, 162x6, 162x6

Standing Overhead Press: 145x5, 155x3, 155x4, 155x4, 155x4

Supinated Grip Lat Pulldowns: 176x6, 176x6, 176x6, 176x6, 176x6

Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns: 150x8 150x8, 150x8

Hanging Leg Raises: 15 sets of 8 (Total of 120 reps)

Dumbbell Shrugs: 80x10, 80x10, 80x8, 80x8, 80x8, 80x8, 80x8

Comments: Man it's crazy how weak my bench press has gotten. I BARELY hit 315 lbs for one rep!! Other than that, the workout was awesome.

[iron619]

Max Effort Work - Beltless Conventional Squats: 315x1, 335x1

Beltless Conventional Squats: 275x5, 275x5, 275x5, 275x5, 275x5

Beltless Conventional Deadlifts: 365x3, 405x3, 405x3, 405x3

Good Mornings: 95x8, 115x8, 115x8

Leg Press Machine: 305x8, 305x8, 305x8

Situps: 17 sets of 15 (Total of 255 reps)

Leg Press Calf Press: 225x15, 245x12, 265x12, 285x10, 305x8, 285x10, 285x8, 285x8, 285x8

Comments: This was an all-around solid and excellent training session. It took a bit longer than expected, but I was happy with everything. Much like my weak bench press from the day prior, the max effort work on squats revealed my pathetic squat strength as well. I'm not beating myself up over the strength loss because I am not currently training to be competitive; rather, I have focused on improving my cardio work. Ideally, I would be able to adapt to the additional stressors and be productive in both strength and cardio, but this may be very tricky. The 5x5 with 275 lbs on squats felt tough but was satisfying -- had my legs pretty sore for days!

[iron619]

Comments: Solid run today! Great to get some sun and fresh air. Took it a little slower than usual, but all was good.

[iron619]

Cardio: Treadmill running

Duration: 14 minutes
Speed: 6.0 mph
Incline: 5.0%
Distance: 1.38 miles

Leg Press Machine: 130x12, 145x12, 160x12

Lat Pulldowns: 100x12, 110x10, 120x10

Shoulder Press Machine: 100x12, 110x12, 120x12

Chest Press Machine: 130x15, 145x12, 160x12

Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 35x8, 30x8, 30x8

Comments: This workout was done at the small, basic gym provided within my apartment complex. Of course nothing today was done planned, bu more or less to get some good active recovery. The cardio itself was awesome. Lately, I've been focusing on running on an incline and getting used to the "hills", as I will have to deal with this type of cardio when I attend my military training course next month. Overall, I ended up having a pretty decent pump. It's good that I can make the most out of the simple machine-based gym located nearby.

[iron619]

[iron619]

Paused Flat Bench Press: 255x3, 255x3, 255x3, 255x3, 255x5 @9.5 RPE

Seated Neutral Grip Machine Rows: 175x5, 175x5, 175x5, 175x5

Standing Overhead Press: 165x3, 165x3, 165x3, 165x3

Weighted Chinups: BW+70x4, BW+70x4, BW+70x4

Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns: 126x13, 138x12, 151x10

Standing Cable Curls: 101x12, 113x10, 126x10

Dumbbell Shrugs: 80x10, 80x10, 85x10, 85x10, 85x10, 85x10, 85x10, 85x10, 85x10

Situps: 18 sets of 20 (Total of 360 reps)

Post-Lifting Cardio:


Comments: A very, very good training session. I enjoyed this one because I went pretty heavy on a few exercises, wore myself out, and still knocked out a good cardio session after. I'm still shocked at how weak my standing OHP strength has become. I used to easily overhead press 185 lbs for reps, but now, I seriously struggle with just 165 lbs. I'm not worried about this at all because I have focused much of my energy and recovery towards cardio/running, so this was bound to happen. Despite this, I will continue to push myself in the gym each and every session.

[iron619]

Beltless Conventional Squats: 295x3, 295x3, 295x3, 295x3, 295x6 @9.5 RPE

Beltless Conventional Deadlifts: 425x3, 425x3, 425x3 @10 RPE

Kneeling Cable Crunches: 175 lbs, 10 sets of 8 (Total of 80 reps)

Leg Press Calf Press Machine: 265x10, 265x10, 265x10

Post-Lifting Cardio: Treadmill running

Mode: Rolling Hills
Level: 1
Duration: 20 minutes
Speed: 6.0 mph
Incline: Various, between 0.0 - 3.0%

Comments: An excellent heavy session. For my lower body workouts, I decided to simplify my workouts by cutting out most of the accessory exercises. I'm gonna give this a try for a bit, but for lower body workouts, both heavy and light days, I will stick with just squats, deadlifts, abs, and calves. I superset abs with every workout, so that is always a constant. This will allow me to focus more of my energy on the lifts that actually matter; plus, with the time and energy saved, I can do a short cardio session at the end of my lower body days. For post-lifting cardio, I might do treadmill work, prowler work, or other forms of GPP. In regards to the treadmill mode, the "rolling hills" mode is a preset mode that varies the degree of incline. To establish a baseline, I will most keep the speed constant at 6.0 mph, but will gradually increase the level on rolling hills. The levels range between 1-10. As I increase the levels, so does the degree of incline. Good stuff!

[iron619]

Touch N Go Flat Bench Press: 225x9, 225x9, 225x9, 225x9, 225x9

Standing Overhead Press: 125x8, 125x8, 125x8, 125x6

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 85x8, 85x8, 85x8

30-lb Overhead Ammo Can Lifts: 70, 60, 60

Cable Crossovers: 50x12, 50x12, 50x12

Hanging Leg Raises: 16 sets of 8 (Total 128 reps)

Cardio: Treadmill running

Mode: "Rolling Hills"
Level: 2
Duration: 15 minutes
Speed: 6.0 mph
Incline: 0.0% - 4.0%

Comments: Sweet workout! I was most stoked about hitting 5 sets of 9 at 225 lbs. This was really tough, as fatigue built up after 3 sets. These "push" days are really exhausting. The ammo can lifts is specifically being trained to prepare for a military test called the Combat Fitness Test (CFT). I'm just trying not to suck at this event, so direct practice with the movement should help. The ammo can lifts are essentially done like a push press. After the workout, I again tackled the "rolling hills" mode on the treadmill, but this time, I increased to level 2. For these post-lifting cardio sessions, I will probably keep the duration short -- typically around 15 minutes at the most, but increase the intensity.

[iron619]

90 Degree Barbell Rows: 185x5, 185x5, 185x5, 185x5, 185x5

Weighted Chinups: BW+55x5, BW+55x5, BW+55x5, BW+55x5, BW+55x5

Seated Machine Rows: 137x10, 137x10, 137x10

Dumbbell Cross-Body Dumbbell Curls: 40x8, 40x8, 40x8

Dumbbell Rear Delt Raises: 40x10, 40x10, 40x12

Dumbbell Shrugs: 100 lbs, 8 sets of 6

Situps: 13 sets of 25 (Total of 325 reps)

Cardio: Treadmill running

Mode: Rolling Hills
Level: 3
Duration: 10 minutes
Speed: 6.0 mph
Incline: Various, between 0.0 - 5.0%

Comments: Another awesome workout. Man, although my strength has really dropped, these workouts have been pretty satisfying. My lats and upper back were pretty darn sore for a few days following this workout. Much like how I decided to simplify my lower body workouts by cutting out various accessory work and sticking with the main lifts, I might do something similar for my push and pull days. I believe I am a simple dude, and basic, simple workouts is what I kind of prefer. For instance, I might be able to get away with done just barbell rows, chinups/pullups, and barbell curls, and rear delt raises for my pulling days. This means I would simply need to manipulate the set/rep/volume. We'll see where this goes. Following the workout, the cardio was tough! I kicked up to level 3, and I sure felt it.

[iron619]

Beltless Conventional Squats: 275x6, 275x6, 275x6, 275x6, 275x6, 275x6

Beltless Touch N Go Conventional Deadlifts: 315x10, 315x10, 315x10

Leg Press Calf Press: 285x10, 285x10, 285x10

Situps: 9 sets of 20 (Total of 180 reps)

Comments: I continued my plan of simplifying my lower body workouts and just hit the meat and potatoes -- squats and deadlifts. I didn't do very much work on abs, but I decided to cut down on the volume on abs because I was simply sore. The calf presses were supersetted with the deadlifts and abs as well. I was most stoked about the 6 sets of 6 on squats in that I didn't feel any IT band/quad pain. Instead of doing leg press, leg extensions, leg curls, lunges, and other possible lower body accessory work, I will focus on simply doing more squats. Same goes for deadlifts. Training both squats and deadlifts in the same workout can be draining, but I will learn to manage the appropriate volume for both. It's fun doing touch and go deadlifts. I fully de-weight the barbell on the ground for deadlifts on heavy days, but for the light/volume days, the touch and go works well.

[iron619]

Comments: I will admit, I've been eating like a fatass lately, so to help counter these numerous cheat snacks and meals, aside from controlling my food urges, I need to do more cardio. Anyway, this was an awesome run that was greatly needed. I may have been dehydrated or something because my lunges were hurting after only 2 miles...strange.

[iron619]

Paused Flat Bench Press: 265x3, 265x3, 265x3, 265x3, 265x4 @9.5 RPE

90 Degree Barbell Rows: 185x6, 185x6, 185x6, 185x6

Standing Overhead Press: 135x6, 135x6, 135x6

Weighted Chinups: BW+70x6, BW+70x5, BW+70x5

Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns: 163x10, 163x8, 163x8

Situps: 15 sets of 25 (Total of 375 reps)

Dumbbell Shrugs: 100x8, 100x8, 100x8, 100x8, 100x8, 100x8, 100x8

Cardio: Treadmill running

Mode: Rolling Hills
Duration: 10 minutes
Speed: 6.0 mph
Level: 4 (out of 10)
Incline: Various, between 0.0% - 6.0%

Comments: An excellent training session to kick off the start of the week! Today was a "heavy upper" day and was pretty satisfying. I keep my rest periods to around 3 minutes between sets, unless I feel like I really need a little bit longer. Everything was supersetted with situps, and this has been the norm for a while now. At around the 13th or 14th set, my abs finally started getting fatigued to the point where I was going a bit slow on the situps. The chinups was very tough today, and I barely hit the 5th rep on the last two sets. The chinups were supersetted with the cable pushdowns. The cardio at the end was tough as well. I kept it short - just 10 minutes, but increased the "level" to 4. I will continue to increase the level until I reach the maximum of 10. Once I reach level 10, I will work on increasing the duration.