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Coming Back Strong. Three men of the ... Log in or Register to comment ... Ryan Kwanten's Workout · The New Best Exercises for Every Guy

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Thanks, Nicholas - just keep at it, things get better and you'll keep getting stronger in due time!

Quick "greasing the groove" doubles day for shoulders and lower back work -

Deadlifts - 25x2 @ 315 lbs.

Standing strict overhead BB press - 20x2 @ 190 lbs.

Warmed up with a few light sets first, then alternated lifts with no more than 30-60 seconds max rest between sets, done in 60 minutes exact once the working doubles sets started up (which was the goal). Wanted to play around with some new starting pull positions for the DL, found that I was feeling better going wide again, so I may stay that route for a while to work on it a bit. Overhead pressing was easy until set 18 when I was just starting to fatigue a bit, hoping that by early November I can hit the same volume with 200 on the bar, which means I'll definitely be back in the game for overhead strength (will test max strict press around that time, hoping for 230 or so!)

Wrapped up with 3 sets of back extensions @ 25 per set, then did some seated overhead press lockouts in the rack, bar starting 1" above top of head height -
1x2 @ 205
1x2 @ 255
1x2 @ 285
3x15 @ 205

That was it, felt good, in and out in 1:15 which is pretty short for my usual time training. Want to do a bit of event training and upper back stuff tomorrow or Saturday, weather will decide which day I get back to the gym!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Got in with the plan to do legs and chest tonight, QL was feeling pretty tight so I opted to do chest/back and will do legs Monday or Tuesday instead. Was a good day, though, even with the change!

Kirk finally opened the wall up to the new half of the facility, so I got to play around with the Hammer Strength plate-loaded stuff that he acquired, which was a nice diversion. Decided to make it mostly vertical pulling for upper back day today -

Hammer Strength plate-loaded 45 degree pulldown machine -
1x10 @ 230 lbs.
1x10 @ 280
1x10 @ 320
1x10 @ 370
3x8 @ 420 lbs., realized that with the leverages, it was really easy to pile on the weight for this one!

Hammer Strength plate-loaded pulldown (nearly vertical plane for pulldowns) -
3x15 @ 140 lbs. plus thick orange bands for added resistance, start of pull would be fast but resistance kicks in big-time after the first 6-10" of ROM, then the weight feels like it nearly triples instantly.

Sled rows out in alley -
1x20 each arm @ 250 lbs.
" " @ 275
" " @ 300

Medium grip flat BB bench with 2" diameter axle (55 lb. empty weight) instead of standard bar -
1x5 @ 165 lbs.
1x2 @ 215
1x1 @ 255
Felt better than when I bench with a normal bar, put on the Slingshot and had a go at it -
3x8 @ 260 lbs. - was hoping for 6s, but 8 felt like it was no problem. I then realized that the axle really keeps my bad shoulder from cocking out sideways, as you NEED to have your hands perfectly set with the axle on the wrists just right or you'll never get a decent rep with it. This helped a lot, so I decided to push it a bit more -
1x1 @ 285, smoked it like it was nothing
1x1 @ 305, figured I'd break last week's 300, went up fast with no stalling
1x1 @ 320, wanted to see if I could break my PR of 315 for a close-grip (still using the Slingshot, but felt nice to hold that much weight), another pretty easy rep
1x1 @ 330 lbs., finally hit a rep where I stuck about 3" from lockout, but pressed it out to completion for a nice PR with the Slingshot. This means that I could probably hit a raw 300 touch-and-go with the axle on a good day, which gives me some nice confidence. Shooting to get to 350+ with the Slingshot before year's end, which should put me at 315+ for a raw bench again. Took off the Slingshot, went for some normal reps to wrap up -
2x10 @ 215 lbs.
2x20 @ 165
Totally fried after that, wrapped up with some Hammer Strength plate-loaded shrug machine work -
1x25 @ 340
1x20 @ 390
1x15 @ 430
1x50 @ 290

Did 3 quick sets of rear delt band pull-aparts with the rubber cables and that was good for now.

I never liked benching, but perhaps I will finally take the time to learn how to do it properly and see where it takes me. Who knows, maybe I'll play around with a single-ply bench shirt next year and see if I can hit 400 in a comp - if the Slingshot and axle work can bump me up another 25-35 lbs. so I'm over 350, I'm sure learning a shirt could get me to 400 in no time. We'll see!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Leg day last night!

ATG squats, short 90 second to 2 min. max rest time between sets -
1x5 @ empty bar
1x5 @ 135 lbs.
1x5 @ 225
10x5 @ 275, just focusing on going as deep as possible and keeping all reps in perfect form.

Stone lifting to 48" tall platform -
4 singles @ 170 lb. stone with 60 seconds between each rep
4 singles @ 230 lb. stone w/ 60 seconds between each rep
1 attempt @ 270 lb. stone, arms shredded, lost it due to feeling like I lost all my forearm skin
Arms torn to shreds, the 230 stone just arrived a few weeks ago and is rough as hell, arms were bleeding after the first lift. Gotta get some sleeves for stone lifting for now, the skin just isn't happy with being torn up so much.

1-legged RDLs -
3x20 each leg @ 50 lb. DB

Glute/ham raises -
2x15 w/ 15 lb. plate held in front of face
1x20 @ bodyweight

That was it, in and out pretty quick (squats were done in 30 minutes flat), sore as hell today, but should be hitting some overhead work tomorrow!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Moderate intensity upper back and shoulder work last night -

Standing strict barbell overhead press -
1x5 @ empty bar
1x5 @ 135 lbs.
1x3 @ 165 lbs.
10x5 @ 175 lbs.
All sets fairly easy until final set, probably could have squeezed out 2-3 sets more before it would have been impossible to keep the same rep scheme.

Got in a new chest supported row setup where it's like a T-bar row, except you can rack a bar on the pins underneath the chest pad vs. using a machine-type setup. Grabbed the cambered bar so that I could get a full ROM on the rows and tried it out -
3x12 @ 200 lbs.
Had to grab extra wide, hands about 3 feet apart because I couldn't grab the camber part of the bar, and the racking pins are quite widely set. Still, felt good, no lower back strain, but also, no way to cheat on those reps, so everything had to be perfect.

After the rows with the cambered bar, I took a regular bar and set it in the rowing rack, looped some bands around it, and did some speed rows with it -
2x15 @ empty bar plus bands (felt like about 100 lbs. total weight at bottom position, around 150-160 at top)
1x15 @ 50 lbs. added (felt like around 150 at bottom position, around 200ish at top)

Hammer Strength 45 degree angle plate-loaded pulldown machine -
3x20 @ 320 lbs.

Set the 2" diameter axle in the rack at nose height, did some last sets of seated strict pressing -
3x15 @ 150 lbs., shaved the first 5-6" ROM off starting at nose height instead of at clavicles

Wrapped up with some band pull-aparts, 3x25 with narrow black band and that was it.

Today is rest, should be getting in some lower back work tomorrow!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Were you lifting those Brewer's Beers last night in celebration?

Hope all is well. Get some of those new Vega sports products in to keep rocking those late night workouts!

Nice seeing you in Baltimore and catch up next time around. I won't be at Expo West for the first time ever since Vega started going to those shows because I'll be on the vegan cruise, but whenever the next time is.

Hit it hard!

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Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

Hey, Robert!

No celebrating the Brewers' win for me, spent the day running errands before heading to a wedding so I never had the chance. Hopefully we'll be celebrating victory in the World Series soon enough! New Vega stuff is in, should be online by Tuesday or Wed. at latest, then we'll be rocking the promo for lots of free stuff to give away!

Chest and deadlift night tonight, definitely not bad at all.

2" diameter axle flat benching in the rack -
1x5 @ 145 lbs. (axle is 55 lbs.)
1x3 @ 195
1x2 @ 235
Put on Slingshot at this point
1x1 @ 265
3x3 @ 295
3x2 @ 305
Wanted to hit some low rep sets just below and just above 300, felt decent, but triceps were a little worn out from the overhead work a few days ago. Next week, I'll be lower back down to around 275 for 8s if I feel up to it!

Deadlifts, working on new technique again, felt MUCH better today. Almost zero lower back strain with the wider stance (I'm trying to start the pull with my feet about shoulder width where I squat), torso stays upright better, more work on glutes/hams than making it a 90% lower back effort -
1x5 @ 135 lbs.
1x5 @ 225
5x10 @ 295, all sets easy as cake, endurance the only thing that will be holding me back.
Felt very good, I think it's better for me now that I pull belted as when I widen my stance, the belt doesn't cut off my belly full of air, so I feel more stable on the start of the pull. Will continue to increase slowly until I get to 315 or so for sets of 10, then may bump up and cut down to 5x5 for a bit.

Incline (about 30 degree) bench with axle in the rack -
5x2 @ 200, 1-2 second pause on chest each rep
2x1 @ 220, 1-2 second pause on chest
1x1 @ 225, 230, 235 touch-and-go
3x15 @ 145 lbs., touch-and-go each rep

Finally seeing more progress with chest/triceps strength, which should help keep that overhead press to get better.

Tomorrow is rest, upper back stuff on Tuesday!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Upper back work last night -

Barbell rows on chest-supported row bench -
1x10 @ empty bar + bands (80ish lbs. bottom tension, 130ish at top)
1x10 @ 30 lbs. + bands (110/160 lbs)
1x10 @ 60 + bands (140/190)
1x10 @ 90 + bands (170/220)
1x8 @ 120 + bands (200/250)
3x5 @ 140 + bands (220/270)
Last set was really tough, start of row wasn't bad feeling around 220 lbs., but every few inches the tension increases on the pull, it was definitely the upper 200s at the full ROM.

10" diameter steel log rows -
1x10 @ 210 lbs.
1x10 @ 220
1x10 @ 230

Hammer Strength plate-loaded 45 degree pulldown -
3x12 @ 380 lbs.

Barbell shrugs -
1x25 @ 330 lbs.
1x25 @ 340
1x25 @ 350
1x50 @ 225

Shoulder/lat DB raises, lying face down on incline bench set at about 35 degree incline -
1x12 @ 15 lb. DBs
1x12 @ 25
1x12 @ 30

That was it, keeping things simple still, leg day tomorrow!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Leg and shoulder day today!

ATG squats, deep as I can go -
1x5 @ empty bar
1x5 @ 135 lbs.
1x5 @ 225
11x5 @ 285 (plan for next three squat days is 12x5 @ 295, 13x5 @ 305, 14x5 @ 315, 15x5 @ 325, then a change to higher weight for doubles for a month). I feel MUCH better squatting rock-bottom than I do cutting squats short, no more knee pain, lower back feels great, so screw the box squats and all that crap for a while, I'm going back to my roots! Once I complet this cycle, I aim to reverse the volume while increasing weight - if things go well for this run, plan is to start up in mid November going 15x2 @ 350, adding 10 lbs. weekly while dropping a set off the total count down to 10 sets total. Providing the body keeps liking how things are going, I'm aiming to be able to knock out 400+ for plenty of doubles by year's end, then the quest for 500 is back on again!

Standing overhead strict barbell press -
1x5 @ empty bar
1x3 @ 135 lbs.
1x2 @ 165
1x2 @ 185
1x3 @ 200 - original plan was 10x3 @ 200, but was still a bit fried from the chest work (triceps not fully recovered, front delts still a touch sore), changed plans a bit at this point -
4x2 @ 210 lbs.
4x10 @ 150 lbs. using 2" diameter axle
Good on endurance today, bad on overall brute strength for overhead work. Next time, I'll leave another day or two in there between sessions, sometimes I need 4-5 days between shoulders/chest if I'm hitting both of them hard and heavy.

Wrapped up with 4x20 glute/ham raises @ bodyweight and I called it a day.

Definitely seeing progress from eating considerably more - now that I'm consciously getting more calories during the day prior to training (instead of eating most of my food at night afterward), I'm better recovered and feel much better in the gym. Been consistently staying between 3700-4200 cal/day on lifting days and around 3000 on rest days (will be cutting that back to about 2700 soon to help ward off fat gain as well as cutting carbs down on rest days to a more moderate level), looking to keep gaining strength and a bit more size until year's end. I'm back up to 239-240 now in the morning, so I've managed to put on about 8 lbs. in the past 2.5 months, not too bad. Once I get to about 245, that'll be where I want to cap out for a while, so then it'll be a plan to cut down slightly to keep around 240ish.

Will be training back and maybe getting some tire flipping in this weekend, depending on the weather!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Beast.

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Darth Vader from Sandlot once said, "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." Then he later died.
https://www.facebook.com/BigMeeeeech

Definitely working on becoming a beast, give me a year and if I don't get hurt, I think it'll become reality

Upper back and chest day today -

Weighted pull-ups, narrow grip -
1x3 @ bodyweight (244 lbs. clothed and bloated)
1x3 @ 25 lbs. added on
1x3 @ 45 lbs. added on
3x3 @ 72.5 lbs. added on (we have some shop-lathed 71.5 lb. plates, that plus rope to tie it on waist = 72.5 lbs. total)

2" diameter axle flat bench press -
1x5 @ 145 lbs.
1x3 @ 195
1x2 @ 245
Put on Slingshot -
3x8 @ 275 lbs., met goal for that one this week
Took off Slingshot -
1x3,5,7 @ 250 lbs.
First set, had bad setup, stopped at 3 despite feeling like I could do more. 2nd set, lost my hand spot a bit on 5th rep, felt good for more but stopped. 3rd set, got 6, then got pinned under the bar (safety pins set where bar will sink just about 1/2" into chest), rested 10 seconds, pressed it out from dead stop fairly easily, called that rep # 7 I don't think I did more than 5s with 250 when I was pressing years ago, so to get to that spot and better already with only a few months' bench work is a good sign that things are on the right track.
1x25 @ 150 lbs. to rep out some light weight to finish, was easier than it used to be for 20 @ 135 lbs, definitely learning how to press better after all these years. So, let me say there is hope for those who have old injuries, had poor form that haunted them for years, etc. - just keep at it, try new approaches, and you might just surprise yourself

Chest-supported barbell row on row rack -
1x10 @ 225 lbs.
1x10 @ 235
1x10 @ 245
1x20 @ 205 (done as 15, rest 10 seconds, 5 to finish)
DEFINITELY getting much more upper back strength now, for so long my lower back weakness has been holding me back, but trying new lifts and working to finally get that damned lower back stronger without going too far too fast has been good to me.

Horzontal bench press machine, no weights, Elite FTS bands wrapped around for tension (around 100 lbs. starting tension, around 200 lbs. lockout tension)
3x20, palms-in pressing, all sets speed reps done fast

Hammer Strength plate-loaded vertical pulldown machine -
2x15 @ 250 lbs.

Face down on incline bench DB raises in "Y" position -
2x15 @ 20 lb. DBs

That was it, a good day indeed, but I managed to smash my index finger in our crappy DB rack, so that might bother me for a few days. Good thing I've got deadlifts coming, I can just strap in and not worry about it. Should be lifting again tomorrow or Tuesday!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Took today off, was energtic but considering the side of my index finger is quite blue and red today from the smash in the DB rack, I figured it best not to get back to training immediately

Looking forward to deadlifting tomorrow, though! If my lower back can just keep coming up to meet my upper back strength, I expect some great things come 2012!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Wow, way to go on bench! Sorry about your smashed finger, though. Hopefully it's nothing serious.

Hey, Adena! Nothing too serious, must have slammed the vein in the side something fierce as it was pretty nasty looking for a few days, but is pretty well back to normal now.

Lower back and shoulder work last night -

Standing strict overhead BB press -
1x5 @ empty bar
1x5 @ 135 lbs.
1x3 @ 165
1x2 @ 195
1x1 @ 205
3x1 @ 220, first time going this weight in ages, wasn't easy but just wanted to see how it would go.
3x8 @ 165

Deadlifts, still using new technique and working to make it feel better each time -
1x5 @ 135
1x5 @ 225
1x3 @ 275
5x10 @ 315
Back still feeling great, no pain, all sets felt good for 12-15 if I'd pushed it, but I will keep showing restraint for as long as I can while rehabbing.

Hammer Strength plate-loaded shrug machine -
3x50 @ 300 lbs.

That was it, wasn't super energetic last night and didn't want to train for too long, so it was a short one.

Should be lifting tomorrow for some upper back work!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Yesterday was rest, felt extremely burned out from the quick change of weather in the 70s down to 50s during the day, so a long sleep-in was necessary rather than training. Got into the gym tonight just as the other guys were on their way out, rare I cross paths with anyone much these days but at least got to chat for a bit with other lifting dorks

Just upper back and a bit of biceps work tonight, went fairly heavy and felt good -

Barbell row on rowing rack (I swear, this thing is a godsend, can row heavy and never have any lower back strain as the chest support pad really helps, except I lose my wind early from the pressure on the abs that doesn't let you get much breath after a bit) -
1x5 @ 135 lbs.
1x5 @ 185
1x5 @ 225
1x5 @ 255
3x5 @ 285
2x8 @ 255

Hammer Strength plate-loaded 45 degree angle pulldown machine -
1x10 @ 360 lbs.
1x10 @ 390
1x10 @ 420
1x8 @ 450, started to really get heavy at that point, last 2 reps weren't so hot

Barbell Hise shrugs in the rack, to get used to some actual weight on my back again -
1x10 @ 325 lbs. (used 55 lb. non-flexing powerlifting bar, added 10 lbs.)
1x10 @ 415
1x10 @ 505
1x20 @ 415
1x50 @ 325, amazing how light 325 feels after having 500 on your shoulders for a minute

Some light biceps work to keep 'em healthy to wrap up -
1x10 @ 50 lb. dumbell hammer curls, strict
1x15 " ", slight cheat on last rep
1x20 " ", cheated on last 5 reps with a little body English to swing when I was worn out

That's it, might try to get in earlier tomorrow to do some light event training for something different, otherwise, it'll be squatting on Sunday. Got my twice-yearly eye surgery coming up next Wednesday, so I'm hoping to get at least 2-3 more sessions training before I have to take my usual 4 days off!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous