Create and maintain your own personal online journal. Log your meals and/or workouts, and monitor your progress. Hold yourself accountable and receive support, suggestions, and be open to feedback.
Lastly, here is my plan of attack for the future. The goal is to put 10/5/10 kg (22/11/22 lbs) on my squat/bench/deadlift on every three lift max out occasion. That'll be a self hosted meet in february, state championships in april, insanity meet Berlin in july or so (also hosted by me and friends), RAW nationals in september and finally Bembel Man 10 (I think it is no. 10... doesn't matter) in december.
This way I can actually keep track of my progress and stay motivated the entire year.
Also these should put me in a nice position to 1) lift an IPF junior world record total and deadlift of 700 kg (1544 lbs) and 290 kg (639 lbs) in june 2015 2) break the all-time drug tested squat with wraps record @ 277,5 kg (612 lbs) and maybe get the all-time drug tested total with wraps along with it @ 762,5 kg (1681 lbs) in late 2015
and to some time after that get the drug tested squat and total without wraps as well as the not tested total without wraps. Am I crazy to really believe in this? For sure, but I also feel like I can see clearly, at last. I have been picking up speed more and more since I started using Westside methods. This last year was almost the most successful year of training since I started back in 2008. Add the fact that this year, I actually know what my weaknesses are instead of just blindly pounding random muscles like last year and the fact that I can still gain up to 9 kg (20 lbs) of bodyweight and kinda make the cut to the 181 lbs weight class and you just have to get extraordinary results. I expect nothing short of greatness as I will not rest before I get what I want.
Yesterday's training: Dynamic Effort Lower Body Straight Weight Ultra Wide Sumo Box Squat warmup 2 x 90 kg (198 lbs) 8 x 2 x 80 kg (176 lbs) Done in 7-8 minutes. What I learnt: toes out means better mobility in the hole and forcing knees out and ass back as hard as I possibly can will make the lifts easier.
Straight Weight Sumo Speed Pull warmup 6 x 1 x 170 kg (375 lbs) A bit heavy, so I didn't do more sets.
Stiff Leg Deadlift 3 x 5 x 170 kg (375 lbs) Back gave out before the sets were over. Beyond failure.
Weighted GHR warmup 3 x 5 x 20 kg (44 lbs) Better than last time. No long breaks.
Side Bend with Plates Over Head 3 x 12 per side x 5 kg (11 lbs) per hand Ballistically, to make it harder.
Time: 90 minute-ish, I think Woulda thought I had done more than that. I still feel utterly destroyed. I didn't really move after that session yesterday, I was just a pile of tired flesh May upload videos later, when I really wake up.
Training atm really is one of a kind. This is taxing! Some smaller thigh muscles felt a little endangered today, so I didn't do the 3 x 10 GHRs with extra weight (though for yesterday I used a 5 kg plate). Also, today's GPP didn't include hamstring work, just to be sure. Adductors with Bands warmup 3 x 12 x 2 blue bands & 3 red bands + dropsets: 12 x 2 blue bands & 2 red bands 12 x 2 blue bands & red band 12 x 2 blue bands 12 x blue band
Slept in, so training was later than planned and just 2 hours after waking up. Anyway:
Dynamic Effort Upper Body Straight Weight Speed Bench warmup 9 x 3 x 70 kg (154 lbs) In roughly 5 minutes. This was hard! Did 1 set per 30 sec most of the time but had to take some longer breaks twice or I would have had failed reps! Short breaks really make this way harder.
DB Bench + band behind back warmup 2 x 10 x 27,5 kg (61 lbs) + blue band 4 x 27,5 kg (61 lbs) + blue band & dropset 4 x 27,5 kg (61 lbs) Pretty much to failure. Rather short rest periods, again.
Band Tricep Extension 3 x 15 x green band 20 sec between sets or so.
Narrow Grip Pull Up 20 + 4 + 4 + stretch Just one DC set.
DB Lateral Raise (slightly bent over) 3 x 10 x 12,5 kg (28 lbs) Again, short rest. Started hitting the traps in the end, so I figured the shoulders may have had enough.
Seated Plate Power Clean 2 x 10 x 5 kg (11 lbs) 10 x 2,5 kg (6 lbs) In a very controlled manner, really focussing on the traps and the movement. Short breaks here, as well. These would be just like seated DB power cleans.
Lying External DB Rotation 2 x 30 x 5 kg (11 lbs) Just for shoulder health. And pain tolerance, lol.
Time: a bit more than 1 hour After the DB presses, I was spent. Had planned to do some overhead DB pressing and heavy BB rows but I knew it just wasn't gonna happen. So just fought through and tried to get some good work despite the fatigue. Doesn't look like much but I am as deadened and numb as always Time to stuff my face with some food
And part of today's soundtrack. Does anyone here know the Djent-microgenre?
Max Effort Lower Body Sumo Deadlift with 2 chains warmup 1 x 220 kg (485 lbs) PB all out grinder fail @ 240 kg (529 lbs) without chains fail @ 240 kg (529 lbs) without chains with belt
Leg Press Ascending set: 6 x 40 kg (88 lbs), 6 x 80 kg (176 lbs), 6 x 120 kg (265 lbs), 6 x 160 kg (353 lbs), 6 x 200 kg (441 lbs), 10 x 240 kg (529 lbs) 5-10 min break Dropset: 16 x 200 kg (441 lbs), 5 x 160 kg (353 lbs), 8 x 120 kg (265 lbs), 8 x 80 kg (176 lbs) What kind of idiot came up with this moronic idea?
Horizontal Row Machine warmup 3 x 6 x 80 kg (176 lbs) + dropset 8 x 50 kg (110 lbs) + 8 x 30 kg (66 lbs)
Thanks, guys! Not getting 240 did upset me, especially because I just found out I gained 3 kg (6.6 lbs) in 4 Weeks! So not being stronger with that sucks, naturally. But I think I may just have been drained from the work with chains.
Anyway: Future Method Bench warmup 3 x 120 kg (265 lbs) 3 x 130 kg (287 lbs) PB 1 x 135 kg (298 lbs) PB All reps I did feel solid and like there was some more in the tank but I failed the 2nd rep @ 135, which felt like I just avoided a pec tear.
No assistance work today.
Last edited by Mellon on Sat Jan 25, 2014 1:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
VSP wrote:Awesome strength dude, how many kilos do you think your hair adds to your total? Haha jk. Looks like Westsiiiiiiide is working well for you!
Westside is da best
Dunno about GPP but here are the two last major sessions of last week, at least:
DE Upper Body Straight Weight Speed Bench warmup 9 x 3 x 70 kg (154 lbs) 3 x 80 kg (176 lbs) 3 x 90 kg (198 lbs) Very short breaks.
DB Bench warmup 8 x 45 kg (99 lbs) PB DC set 15 + 5 + 0 x 37,5 kg (83 lbs)
Chest Supported Row + DB Tate Press/Cable Tricep Extension warmup 8 x 80 kg (176 lbs) + 10 x 18 kg (40 lbs) 4 x 8 x 60 kg (132 lbs) + 2 x 10 x 18 kg (40 lbs)/2 x 10 x 20 plates + dropset 8 x 40 kg (88 lbs), 8 x 20 kg (44 lbs) + 8 x 15 plates, 8 x 10 plates, 10 x 5 plates And some extra stuff thereafter to keep the pump until my training partner was done with his stuff.
Standing Calf Raise Machine warmup 12 x 60 kg (132 lbs) DC set Hard. Dunno how many minutes that took. DC calf training is awful
Dynamic Effort Lower Body Straight Weight Ultra Wide Sumo Box Squat warmup 6 x 2 x 85 kg (187 lbs) in ca. 3:30 min More weight and less time between sets but also less sets.
Straight Weight Sumo Speed Pull warmup 6 x 1 x 170 kg (375 lbs) Okay, srsly, this is just too heavy for DE. Got a chance to test the belt again during the last 3 sets, though. Figured out how to make it work again. Hoping to finally get a 240 kg (529 lbs) pull in february using that knowledge.
Stiff Leg Deadlift 2 x 5 x 170 kg (375 lbs) 1 x 170 kg (375 lbs) More or less stiff leg. 80 sec between the first two sets (even wanted to just have 45 sec there but straps took some time to wrap ). After that my back was dead.
Double Overhand Barbell Hold warmup 10 sec x 170 kg (375 lbs) 4 pick ups x 170 kg (375 lbs) 3 x 15 sec x 120 kg (265 lbs) Not really in the mood for hamstrings and abs right away, so did that later in the day and finished with some extra sets (those @ 120 kg).
Max Effort Lower Body Box Squat with belt warmup 160 kg with wraps fail 3 x 160 kg a) I had to wrap my own knees again, which took 10 minutes to get right and wasn't really a bang up job. b) I used correct and safe technique on the first set but my hamstrings and inner thighs are too weak for that. Used ugly as fuck technique after that, which worked for getting the weight up but hurt like hell.
Low Good Morning warmup 3 x 10 x 100 kg No 5 sets this time, been training for almost an hour already.
Weighted Glute Ham Raise warmup 5 x 25 kg Instead of 5 x 5 x 20 kg for time reasons.
Weighted Torture Twist warmup 3 x 2 x 10 sec per side (3 x 40 sec) x 20 kg
Hips with doubled Band 5 x 10 x blue band Wider stance than last time.
Adductors with Bands warmup 2 x 5 x green band + 2 blue bands + 3 red bands 2 x 8 x green band + 2 blue bands + 2 red bands + band assisted stretching
Time: 1,5 to 2 hours Squats took way too much time. Rest of the session was okay, looks like I got a bit stronger, at least. Wondering, if I should do the accessory work differently. My back really isn't my weakness anymore, so maybe I should just train it once a week, giving me the chance to focus more on my actual weaknesses (inner thighs and hamstrings).
Some music. Brutal enough for training but relaxed enough for chilling after training, too:
Max Effort Upper Body Illegal Grip Bench warmup 6 x 100 kg (220 lbs) 5 x 110 kg (242 lbs) PB 3 x 10 x 80 kg (176 lbs) Took a bit longer. Had something very important to do between sets, which set me back a little. Anyway, +1 rep compared to two weeks ago, I guess +5 kg per month could be possible at the moment. The downsets were done with a training partner without any breaks in between the two of us. Just too bad I am only good at reps in the bench and not so good at maxing out. For a normal person, this would almost translate to a 1RM of 130 kg (287 lbs)
Seated BB Shoulder Press 2 x 10 x 40 kg (88 lbs) 8 x 40 kg (88 lbs) + 4-6 partials Same thing as before, virtually no breaks. Interesting, pre exhaustion can really be a bitch. Usually, this weight feels like nothing. Front delts pumped to the max.
Parallel Grip Chin Up 3 x 10 Again, without real breaks.
Time: 53 minutes Good training, I suppose. Just weird to use these light weights and low volume with them. It may be just as useful as heavy training with longer breaks but it definitely messes with your head (and ego) a little.
