Getting Serious about Getting Big

[BeansNBroccoli]

My dodgeball team won first place for the lower bracket of our dodgeball league on Friday, so I took Saturday off to rest and recover Sunday I went in and had to change things up a little because I'm not in my normal gym due to spring break. Food and nutrition are lagging a little this week, my head hasn't been totally in the game. I'm still putting up bigger numbers each week, though.

Sunday's Session

Chin Up (12lb assist)
3x6 (superset with)
Wide-Grip Pull Up (18lb assist)
3x5

Front Squat
10x85lbs
5x105lbs
5x110lbs
5x115lbs
5x120lbs
2x5x125lbs

Overhead Squat
2x10x45lbs
2x10x50lbs

Cable Row
3x10x108lbs (superset with...)
Leg Press
3x10x380lbs

Cable Curl
3x10x60lbs (superset with...)
Weighted Decline Sit-Up
3x15x25lbs


Monday's Session

Bench Press
15x45lbs
8x65lbs
5x75lbs
5x80lbs
5x85lbs
5x90lbs
2x4x95lbs (superset with...)
Face Pull
4x10x72lbs

Incline Dumbbell Press
3x10x30lbs (superset with...)
Roman Chair Straight Leg Raise
3x15

Dips (44lb assist)
3x10 (superset with...)
Lateral Raise
3x10x12lbs (superset with...)
Preacher Dumbbell Curl
3x12x15lbs

Straight-Arm Pulldowns
3x10x84lbs
(note: I like these 1000x better than Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns for hittin the lats, I feel the burn way more focused and practically not at all in my arms)

[BeansNBroccoli]

Biggest struggle right now is eating - the hunger just isn't there. I'm hoping this is at least somewhat a result of this never ending winter that we're having, and that when the spring truly breaks and I'm outside more the eating will start coming more naturally. Still sitting ~2200 kcal/day but I know that's not enough right now for anything much more than maintenance. Pushed for some big increases on my snatch grip deadlift today in lieu of squatting big because there was a guy in the rack doing every variation of standing barbell lift I've ever seen and I just wasn't in the mood to bother asking to work in. Next week I'll be back in my regular gym with enough racks and benches for everyone, and I've started writing up some new programming to start integrating a little cluster training into my 5x5 lifts that I plan to start next week.

Snatch Grip Deadlift (4" deficit)
5x115lbs
5x125lbs
5x130lbs
5x135lbs
5x140lbs (started using straps here)
5x145lbs
5x155lbs

Leg Press
10x360lbs
10x380lbs
10x390lbs
10x400lbs (superset with...)
Cable Row
4x10x108lbs

One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curls
4x8x20lbs (superset with...)
Weighted Decline Sit Ups
4x15x25lbs (superset with...)
Straight Arm Pulldowns
4x10x86lbs

[BeansNBroccoli]

Weight back down to 130. What a rollercoaster. I know I need to be eating more. Damn.

Close-grip Bench Press
15x45lbs
5x60lbs
5x65lbs
5x70lbs
5x75lbs
4x80lbs
5x75lbs (superset with...)
Dragon Fly Negatives (done slow as hell)
4x3

Flat Bench Fly
4x10x20lbs (superset with...)
Incline Reverse Fly
4x10x12lbs

Rope Pushdowns
4x10x60lbs (superset with...)
Barbell Rollout
3x10

[EdensDemise]

holy leg press..

[Mini Forklift Ⓥ]

Congrats on the dodgeball win, cool.

Hope you have had a good week, keep up the effort with your training MF.

[BeansNBroccoli]

holy leg press..

Haha thanks! I just started working it back in a bit after having completely abandoning the leg press for squats awhile ago... but I like the extreme quad focus and there's nothing quite like putting up 400lbs in any way possible

Congrats on the dodgeball win, cool.

Hope you have had a good week, keep up the effort with your training MF.

Thanks MF, it was a really fun time! My team is staying together for flag football in a couple weeks, too, so we'll see how that season turns out!

[BeansNBroccoli]

Saturday I went in for a long day. Hit conventional deads for the first time in a month... and it sucked. I'm really disappointed. I felt a lot weaker coming back into conventional deads after going snatchgrip from a deficit for the past month and I really hated it.

...Scratch that. THIS is why I keep a log. I just looked back at the last time I pulled conventional and I hit 2x225lbs then moved up for 1rep PRs. This weekend I pulled 3x225lbs pretty comfortably and called it there. I just need more confidence in myself. Maybe I didn't lose deadlift strength like I thought I did. I'm undecided about whether I'll go back to conventional for the month or if I'll go back to pulling snatchgrip. I'd work deadlifts in more days of the week to work on more pulling styles but deadlifting really takes the gusto out of me for the rest of the day (as much as I love it while I'm in the gym). Maybe I'll consider simplifying my programing a little bit to work in some more deadlifting. We'll see.

Also swapped in pin presses instead of bench presses today, which I think I'll be doing for at least the next month or so. My bench press is so weak, and I feel like I've been stuck for a couple months, so it's time to switch it up a bit. Pin Presses sucked but in a good way - hopefully they'll make me stronger.

Saturday's Session

Deadlift
10x95lbs (3" deficit)
5x135lbs (3" deficit)
5x175lbs (3" deficit)
5x205lbs (from the floor)
3x225lbs (from the floor)

Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
10x15lbs
10x20lbs
10x25lbs
10x25lbs
14x25lbs

Leg Press
10x350lbs
10x370lbs
10x390lbs
10x410lbs (superset with...)
Cable Rows
4x10x108lbs

Kettlebell Swings
15x18lbs
15x22lbs
3x15x26lbs

Straight Arm Pulldowns
5x10x84lbs (superset with...)
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise (on stairs for full ROM)
5x10x35lbs (superset with...)
Barbell Curls
10x45lbs
4x10x55lbs


Sunday's Session
Bikin outside in the wind - 12.42 mi (1:13 time)

Tuesday's Session

Pin Press
10x45lbs
5x65lbs
5x75lbs
5x85lbs
4x85lbs (superset with...)
Bent Over Rows
5x6x95lbs

OHS
3x10x55lbs
10x60lbs (superset with...)
Weighted Decline SitUp
4x15x25lbs (superset with...)
Lateral Raise
4x10x15lbs

Tricep Pushdown (straight bar)
10x70lbs
3x10x80lbs (superset with...)
Straight-Arm Pulldowns
10x70lbs
3x10x80lbs (superset with...)
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
4x10x25lbs

[BeansNBroccoli]

I felt a little crunched for time today in the gym so I stuck with big lifts, and tonight at home I'll going to continue on with the calisthenics that I've been doing lately. I set up a "pay-the-toll" system for going into my closet a bit ago (which I do on and off, but I've been better lately!). Basically that means that I've got my pullup bar in the door frame and every time I go through I have to bust out a set. I'm attempting to match that with a pushup set whenever I can, and I started doing what are essentially rack pull ups by pulling up from under a table in my living room and taking out the ab roller now and then. I figure if I can go heavy in the gym 4 days of the week and work bodyweight stuff in at night/throughout the day I'll be lookin pretty good come summer, and hopefully a little heavier. It's just about nice enough for running to start being comfortable too, so that's good news. Biking is great but I can't wait to be able to run more too, especially because I can get the dogs in on that!

Squat
10x45lbs
10x95lbs
10x115lbs
10x135lbs
10x145lbs
10x155lbs (superset with...)
Barbell Hip Thrust
4x10x95lbs

Snatch Grip Deadlift (from the ground)
2x10x115lbs
2x10x125lbs (superset with...)
Barbell Curls w/Fat Bar
10x45lbs
10x50lbs
2x10x55lbs

Rack Pullup
3x10

[BeansNBroccoli]

I picked a new program, because I've decided structure is good for me. Today I started on Bill Starr's 5x5 program, with very slight modifications (sub Snatchgrip Deads from deficit for conventionals, One-Arm Barbell Rows for bent over rows, and StraightLeg deads instead of weighted hypers). I will get bigger and stronger. This program is only 3 days a week, so I'm going to go all out lifting those days and still have plenty of time to work in calisthenics and yoga and football conditioning on "off" days or as 2-a-days. Volume is really pretty low, as well, so that will be something new for me, but I'm pretty stoked about squatting 3x/week. I'm recommitted to eating more. I just have to get it in. Drinking a post-workout shake as I type, even if the single serve chocolate shakes I have at work are not my fave. It's just fuel!
I started in on day 2 of Starr's program because I plan to work in Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with Saturday being a longer session with a few more accessories and just general enjoying time in the gym.

Squat
10x45lbs
5x80lbs
5x100lbs
3x5x120lbs

Incline Bench
5x45lbs
5x50lbs
5x60lbs
5x70lbs

SnatchGrip Deadlift (3" deficit)
10x45lbs
5x95lbs
5x115lbs
5x125lbs
5x145lbs (w/straps)

[maybenot]

" I'm recommitted to eating more. "

Eat big to get big!

[BeansNBroccoli]

" I'm recommitted to eating more. "

Eat big to get big!

That's the plan!!! I've learned that I can really pack it in on my weekend off days and the scale will go up for a day or two and then come right back down as soon as I train through the week. It's a balance but if I can keep the numbers goin up slowly I'm still happy!

Took the whole weekend off in prep for starting out right for Starr's 5x5. I'm working on switching to suicide grip for my bench press, which I think in the long run will be for the best, but in the short run I overestimated my maxes for bench today because I'm gettin used to the new grip. If anyone's interested, I read a really interesting article about bench press that showed how a thumbed grip for bench press kind of forces your elbows out and you have to fight harder to keep them in, whereas when you use suicide grip it all stays in line much easier. I definitely felt like my elbows stayed in closer to my body without having to work as hard at it, but I felt more pressure on my wrists from completely supporting the bar in my palm. I may switch to a thick bar with the suicide grip, but I know I won't be able to use a thick bar in comp so I'm undecided if that's worth it.

Squat
10x45lbs
5x80lbs
5x105lbs
5x120lbs
5x145lbs
5x160lbs

Bench Press
10x25lbs (thick bar, much lighter than standard olympic bar, guessing on weight)
5x45lbs (standard bar from here on)
5x55lbs
5x70lbs
5x80lbs
3x90lbs

One-Arm Barbell Row w/landmine
10x45lbs
5x65lbs
5x75lbs
5x85lbs
5x95lbs
5x100lbs

Weighted Decline Sit Up
4x15x25lbs (superset with...)
Straight-Leg Deadlift
3x10x135lbs

Lateral Raise
10x10lbs
2x10x15lbs

[maybenot]

Slowly is the only way to go naturally up without accumulating too much fat!
I`m slowly bulking as well.

[BeansNBroccoli]

Squat
10x45lbs
5x80lbs
5x100lbs
5x120lbs
5x120lbs

Incline Bench
5x45lbs
5x55lbs
5x60lbs
5x70lbs
5x75lbs

Snatch Grip Deadlift (from 3" deficit)
5x70lbs
5x95lbs
5x115lbs
5x130lbs (wraps)
5x145lbs (wraps)

[BeansNBroccoli]

So far I really like Bill Starr's 5x5. I'm making modifications to the bench press recommendations, but I pretty much love the way it's set up otherwise. One-arm barbell rows with the landmine have quickly become one of my favorite moves for upper back, excellent range of motion and tension with that. I really like squatting 3x/week.

Friday's Session

Squat
10x45lbs
5x80lbs
5x100lbs
5x125lbs
5x145lbs
3x165lbs
8x125lbs

Bench Press (suicide grip)
10x25lbs
5x45lbs
5x55lbs
5x70lbs
5x80lbs
3x90lbs
8x70lbs

One-Arm Barbell Row (w/landmine)
5x50lbs
5x70lbs
5x80lbs
5x95lbs
3x105lbs
8x80lbs

Bench Dips (w/feet up on second bench)
3x15 (superset with...)
Hammer Curls
3x10x20lbs (superset with...)
Rope Tricep Pushdown
3x10x80lbs


Monday's Session

Squat
10x45lbs
5x85lbs
5x105lbs
5x125lbs
5x145lbs
5x165lbs

Bench Press (suicide grip)
8x45lbs
8x55lbs
8x65lbs
8x70lbs
8x75lbs
10x70lbs

One-Arm Barbell Row (w/landmine)
5x55lbs
5x65lbs
5x80lbs
5x95lbs
5x105lbs

SLDLs
10x135lbs
2x10x145lbs (superset with...)
Weighted Decline Sit-Up
4x15x30lbs

Lateral Raise
3x10x15lbs

[BeansNBroccoli]

Squat
10x45lbs
5x85lbs
5x105lbs
5x125lbs
5x125lbs

Incline Bench
5x45lbs
5x55lbs
5x65lbs
6x75lbs
6x75lbs

Snatch Grip Deadlift (4" deficit)
10x45lbs
5x95lbs
5x115lbs
5x130lbs
5x150lbs (w/wraps)

Weighted Decline Sit Ups
3x15x30lbs (superset with...)
Lateral Raise
3x10x15lbs