Getting Serious about Getting Big

[BeansNBroccoli]

Oh yeah and here's the paused squats, too
If you've got instagram I post this stuff up all the time, my user name's the same

[BeansNBroccoli]

Today was so good. I feel huge and awesome.

Bench Press
8x45lbs
8x55lbs
8x65lbs
8x80lbs
5x90lbs
10x75lbs

Barbell Rows
5x55lbs
5x65lbs
5x80lbs
5x90lbs
3x110lbs
8x95lbs

Squatsssss
10x45lbs
5x85lbs
5x110lbs
5x130lbs
5x150lbs
3x175lbs
8x130lbs

Tricep Dips (NO ASSISTANCE, I'M SUCH A BADASS)
3x5 (superset with...)
Barbell Curls
3x8x60lbs (superset with...)
One-Arm Tricep Extension
3x8x15lbs

[BeansNBroccoli]

I've been feelin so strong, and getting bigger. Weight pretty stable around 135 these days, give or take a couple pounds. All my lifts are still going up. 5x5 is the best.

Squats
10x45lbs
5x90lbs
5x110lbs
5x130lbs
5x150lbs
5x175lbs

Bench Press
8x50lbs
8x60lbs
8x70lbs
8x80lbs
8x85lbs

Barbell Row
5x55lbs
5x65lbs
5x80lbs
5x95lbs
5x110lbs

Crunch Machine
4x15x85lbs (superset with..)
Weighted Hypers
3x10x30lbs

[BeansNBroccoli]

Wednesday was big. Today was huge. I've been hitting it so hard. I am so, so sore today, and have been since Wednesday's session. The deadlifts really took it out of me, and despite rollin out for days I'm still sore. I'm sure it's a good idea to only hit deads 1x/week so that I can go really heavy and then recover, but I still miss deadlifting with higher volume. Oh well, I'm gettin stronger and that's what's important. I gotta trust the process.

New PRs this week for 3RM on squat and barbell rows. Press is feeling really strong, I know I'm getting better on it.


Wednesday's Session

Squats
10x45lbs
5x90lbs
5x110lbs
2x5x135lbs

Incline Bench
8x45lbs
8x55lbs
8x70lbs
8x80lbs
6x85lbs (shot for 8 and had to dump this one, but still happy with it, much improvement being made)

Deadlift
5x155lbs
5x175lbs
5x205lbs
5x235lbs

Crunch Machine
3x20x65lbs


Friday's Session

Squat
2x10x45lbs (2 sets, one back squat and one front squat while I waited for the rack to open up)
5x90lbs
5x110lbs
5x130lbs
5x155lbs
3x180lbs (hit parallel, so pleased, new PR!!)
8x145lbs

Bench Press
8x50lbs
8x60lbs
8x70lbs
8x80lbs
4x90lbs (was shooting for 5, but without a spotter didn't want to chance the fifth. still progress!)
10x75lbs

Barbell Rows
5x55lbs
5x65lbs
5x85lbs
5x100lbs
3x115lbs
8x85lbs

Tricep Dip
3x5 (superset with...)
Barbell Curls
8x60lbs
8x55lbs
10x50lbs (superset with...)
One-Arm Tricep Extension
3x8x15lbs

Lateral Raise
2x15x12lbs (superset with...)
Hammer Curls
2x15x12lbs

[BeansNBroccoli]

Had kind of a shitty session today. Not entirely sure why, but I suppose if I have one off day when most of my days feel spot on, I should just feel happy about it. Haven't slept super well the past few nights, that probably has some effect. Oh well, went as hard as I could and I'll be back in Friday to smash some more. Went for the 5x5 with press today, and I might go back to that rather than the 5x8 that I've been running. It felt good, and I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable with weight over head so I think I'll be better equipped to handle heavier, lower rep sets now.
Deadlift warm up sets felt really good, but the last set was a rough one. I hit the first three reps with a little difficulty, but the fourth rep I broke off the ground and couldn't lock out. I've never had an issue of locking out after breaking the weight, every time I've previously failed a deadlift was due to not being able to break the weight off the ground. Of course I'll revisit 5x240lbs next week, hopefully with a better session goin.
Also, I still hate doing ab work.

Squat
10x45lbs
5x95lbs
5x115lbs
2x5x135lbs

Incline Bench Press
5x50lbs
5x60lbs
5x70lbs
5x80lbs
5x85lbs

Deadlift
5x150lbs
5x180lbs
5x210lbs
3x240lbs

Crunch Machine
3x20x70lbs

[BeansNBroccoli]

I've decided to do more accessories in higher rep schemes at the end of my 5x5 (really, 3x5?) lifts for the day. I had been doing some, but I'm going to do more. I'm going to get so fucking big. Weight stable at 135lbs. Pulled back from my intended 5x180lb squats and hit 5x175lbs to at least an inch below parallel instead, because I had to hit them last and my back was already a little tired from rows. I don't want to be dumb and throw myself out of the game on some pride shit, so I was smart about it. The reason I had to squat last was because once again there was someone pressing in the squat rack. I'm so sick of the bodybuilding gym, my motivation to get in there and just do work despite all the assholery around me is fueled by all these serious gains I've been makin lately. I want my own backyard gym so bad I can taste it.

Dumbell Bench Press
5x20lbs
5x25lbs
5x30lbs
5x35lbs
5x40lbs

Barbell Row
5x55lbs
5x75lbs
5x95lbs
5x105lbs
5x120lbs

Squats
10x45lbs
5x85lbs
5x110lbs
5x130lbs
5x155lbs
5x175lbs

Incline Fly
3x10x20lbs (superset with...)
Incline Hammer Curl
10x20lbs
2x10x15lbs

Hammer Curl
10x12lbs
12x10lbs

Trap Bar Shrugs
3x12x115lbs (superset with...)
Straight Arm Pulldown
3x15x64lbs

[BeansNBroccoli]

I AM HUGE AND BEASTLY AND UNSTOPPABLE AND I WILL EAT ALL OF THE OREOS AND NOT CARE ABOUT MY BODYFAT ARRRRGH!!
(translation: I conquered the 5x240lb deadlift that I missed last week and now I will eat all of the things)


Deadlift
5x65lbs
5x155lbs
5x180lbs
5x210lbs
5x240lbs (vid at the bottom)

Incline Press (missed my last set completely, probably overexerted myself on DLs but I don't caaaare)
5x60lbs
5x70lbs
5x80lbs
1x95lbs

Squat
10x45lbs
5x95lbs
5x115lbs
5x135lbs
5x145lbs (added an extra 10lbs whoops not following the program but I'm gettin strong and I just wanted to)

OHP
8x55lbs
3x6x60lbs

Hammer Curls w/static holds in alternating arm
3x15x20lbs (superset with...)
Lateral Raise
3x10x15lbs

Crunch Machine
3x15x70lbs (superset with...)
Wide-grip Lat Pulldowns
3x10x72lbs
I feel like I've finally trained long enough that I feel exactly where this should be in my Lats, and I can really concentrate on hitting them. Felt really good to hit these at the end of a solid session today.

[esqinchi]

Nice lifts up there! Sounds like people were applauding at the end haha. Great numbers by the way! Looks like a nice gym too. Is this at NWU? Hardly anyone there.

[BeansNBroccoli]

Haha yeah, weight droppin is the best kind of applause! This is one of the gyms at Northwestern, the one that caters more to bodybuilders and non-strength athletes. My powerlifting gym is closed for the summer It's a nice enough gym for what it is, but it seriously lacks in racks and benches and I dislike using plates with handles for deadlifts... but weights are weights and I'm still gonna pick em up! Really can't wait to be back in a more strength-focused atmosphere, though, I've seen enough 1/4rep squats in the past month to last me a lifetime.

[maybenot]

Great deadlift on the video!!!

Don`t know why you took it out =P

[BeansNBroccoli]

Great deadlift on the video!!!

Don`t know why you took it out =P

Whoops, didn't mean to! I accidentally uploaded two copies and took one down. It's back up now!

[BeansNBroccoli]

Feelin so beastly lately. I like adding in some bodybuilding stuff at the end of my powerlifting for upper body. I feel pretty huge and awesome.
Also realized I probably haven't been eating enough and that's cause for some of my low energy the past week or two. Gotta get in more fuel!!!

Squats
5x95lbs
5x115lbs
5x135lbs
5x155lbs
4x180lbs (didn't get vid on these, but I felt like I broke lower than usual on my heavy set and I'm 100% pleased.)
8x135lbs

Dumbbell Bench
5x20lbs
5x25lbs
5x30lbs
5x35lbs
7x35lbs (tried and missed with 3x45lbs, but didn't want to completely miss my top set so I repped out 35 instead)
8x25lbs

Barbell Row
5x60lbs
5x75lbs
5x90lbs
5x105lbs
3x125lbs
8x90lbs

Weighted Hypers
3x12x25lbs (superset with...)
Barbell Curl
3x12x50lbs

One Arm Rope Pushdowns
3x12x24lbs (superset with...)
Decline Dumbbell Press
3x12x25lbs



Also, here is an aesthetics update, sittin solid at 136lbs and still 5'5" :

[esqinchi]

Looking tough as hell! Shoulders and delts coming in nicely. Seems like no matter how much I eat I still feel fatigued - must eat more!

[asparagus]

Nice work, BnB, getting strong!

[BeansNBroccoli]

Looking tough as hell! Shoulders and delts coming in nicely. Seems like no matter how much I eat I still feel fatigued - must eat more!

Nice work, BnB, getting strong!

Thanks guys! I'm really feeling the work pay off recently. Today I even worked in with a dude in the squat rack that had 5 inches and 60 lbs on me easy and I kept up with weights plant power!

Squats
10x45lbs
5x95lbs
5x115lbs
5x135lbs
5x155lbs
5x180lbs

Dumbbell Press
5x20lbs
5x25lbs
5x30lbs
5x35lbs
8x40lbs (pushed these as many as I could because I'm trying to hard to increase my pressing power, I figure it can't hurt)

Barbell Rows (I have come to absolutely love these. Who knew?)
5x65lbs
6x80lbs
5x95lbs
5x110lbs
5x125lbs

OHS (because why the hell not)
3x12x55lbs (superset with...)
Straight Arm Pulldown
3x12x72lbs

Incline Fly
3x12x20lbs (superset with..)
Incline Curl
3x12x15lbs