VeganEssentials Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 Saturday night back and shoulder workout - Standing overhead strict BB press - 1x20 @ empty bar1x2 @ 1351x2 @ 1551x2 @ 1753x2 @ 205 - felt heavy, but haven't gone over 200 in a while, gotta work my way back up! Seated 1-arm DB presses - 2x12 @ 65 lb DB2x25 @ 45 " "Last set killed me. Did 15, few breaths, 5 more, breathe, finished the last 5 but it took all I had to get through it. Weighted pull-ups3x3 w/ 20 lb. DB between kneesWas harder than I'd thought - even a mere 20 lbs. added a LOT more challenge for me, shows that I've got a long way to go with pull-ups. Band-assisted pull-ups (band taking off about 35 lbs. at bottom position), very wide grip - 2x10 1-arm pulldowns, pulling in at around 30 degree angle (setup at my gym doesn't make straight pulldowns work well unless I sit on the floor)3x20 @ 75 lbs. each arm BB Shrugs - 1x20 @ 2253x20 @ 315 Behind the back BB shrugs - 2x30 @ 225 Felt great, felt even better this morning, looking forward to doing lower back and other stuff tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 Light chest and lower back day. Snatch grip high pulls in the power rack, pulling from just above knees to top of chest height - 1x10 @ 1353x5 @ 185Just going light to work on form a bit. Watched a Dan John video that helped me figure out more about using hips to get the right pop, bar went up probably 3-4" higher than it used to, so something was working right! DB flat bench, palms-in - 1x10 @ 55s3x20 @ 70s - barely made last rep of last set, triceps fried by that time Deadlifts - 1x5 @ 2251x2 @ 3152x1 @ 3652x1 @ 405Felt decent, but I could tell that I'm weak on the 405 pulls. 365 flew up fast, 405 took a little to get going, so I'm staying lighter for a month at 315 or less to keep working on form again to find my groove. Don't want to get hurt going back after 500 again too soon! Hammer Strength incline press - 1x5 @ 1801x5 @ 2301x5 @ 2501x4 @ 270 - crapped out on the 4th, this one is way harder than the other Hammer presses I've used before (either that or I'm just way too weak!)1x10 @ 1802x25 @ 90 Standing good mornings in the rack - 1x5 @ 1851x5 @ 2251x5 @ 2751x25 @ 225Wanted to go heavier, but didn't feel too stable so I cut it off at 275 for max weight. Seated good mornings - 2x25 @ 185 Barbell Hise Shrugs - 1x20 @ 2751x20 @ 3151x20 @ 3651x20 @ 415All quite easy, still haven't lost my touch with those at least, but going to be a bit until I'm over 500 for sets again. Strict seated alternating DB hammer curls - 1x10 @ 50s1x5 @ 55s - cut it short for the high rep set coming up1x20 @ 40sHaven't done arm work in ages, just wanted a few sets in there for good measure. Lots of work done today, rest for a day and head back for some upper back and possibly leg work on Thursday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 Had a "fun" day to go off course for a bit, just did whatever sounded good at the time. Started with barbell rows - 1x5 @ 1351x5 @ 2251x3 @ 2451x3 @ 2751x3 @ 295Been a while and it showed, but it never takes long to get the groove back with rowing heavy. Behind the neck power jerks -1x5 @ 1351x3 @ 1851x3 @ 2051x2 @ 2251x20 @ 135These always take a bit to re-learn proper form, but it came back nicely after a long layoff. Holds with weight on back in squat position - 1x60 sec. @ 3151x45 sec. @ 4051x45 sec. @ 5001x30 sec. @ 550My lack of confidence with more weight is showing (not to mention my weak core), but these always do well to make heavy loads feel light in due time. 1/3 squats (about 9" ROM from pins to lockout)1x10 @ 3151x10 @ 4051x5 @ 5001x3 @ 550Dropped the weight down and went high-rep now that I was in the groove.1x25 @ 3151x25 @ 4051x20 @ 4551x50 @ 225Fell on the ground after the set of 50 - winded the hell out of me, had to take a break. Finished up with some timed walks with a DB held overhead, 70 lbs. for 1 minute of walking with each arm. Last few seconds were brutal, but I got through it. It was just about having fun and doing something different tonight, a few days off and leg day (for real) comes around again. Will post when it's done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted March 29, 2008 Author Share Posted March 29, 2008 Quick chest and back day today - DB bench, palms-in - 1x10 @ 55s14x5 @ 100sLots of low-rep sets, wanted 15, crapped out on the 14th, called it a day Close-grip BB bench - 3x20 @ 105 lbs. Pull-ups6x5 @ bodyweight Hammer Strength plate loaded row - 1x10 @ 270 high handles, medium grip1x10 @ 320 " " 1x10 @ 360 " " 1x10 @ 410 " "1x10 @ 450 " "3x20 @ 270, low handles, close grip That's it! 70 minutes, quick and simple, leg day on Sunday night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 Ugh...LONG weekend of being up too late and eating too much junk, paid for it in the gym. Was supposed to be leg day, but I was STILL fried from the partial squats 4 days ago. Quads were not happy with me for trying to squat, so my plan of 3x20 box squats @ 225 was out. Decided to test the waters with a bit more weight after going light for a long time. Box squats to parallel - 1x5 @ 1351x3 @ 2251x2 @ 2751x2 @ 3152x1 @ 3651x1 @ 405Set up with 435, just didn't feel confident with it since I haven't done any full depth squatting with more than 315 in quite a few months, went down and dumped it on the pins since I decided not to strain too much to keep my eye in check. Still, the 405 felt pretty good, so after I hit the endurance side of things next week, I start working in the 300s range for a month and work to eventually get back to 500 again. All in due time! A few more things for leg work to round it out - 1-leg DB Romanian DL - 1x20 each leg @ 60 lb.1x20 " " @ 701x20 " " @ 80Those things KILL my glutes and all the weird little things in the hip area for stability, felt good to do them again. 1 kill-myself set of seated leg curls - 1x20 @ 140, drop to 90, did 10 more and that was it. Triceps were still wiped out as well from the close-grip bench work the other day, opted to avoid overhead pressing and substituted with a trapezius killing day - 1-arm shrugs standing on the seat of the Hammer plate loaded incline press - 1x10 @ 135 each arm1x10 @ 180 " " 1x10 @ 225 " " Amped it up to some high rep sets1x50 @ 180 each arm1x100 @ 135 " "Those really hit hard, worked my endurance to the max. 1-arm cable machine shrugs from varying angles (anything but normal shrug positioning)3x50 @ 65 lbs. each arm That's it, just those things, will get some rowing and shoulder work in a few days from now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Missed logging a few workouts, but back to business! Leg and shoulder day today - Standing 1-arm DB press - 1x15 w/ 75 lb. DB each arm9x5 " " Squats -100 total reps w/275 lbs., done in sets of 3-5 reps per set, took exactly 60 minutes with working in the shoulder sets (they were alternated until the shoulder sets were done) Seated 1-arm DB press - 1x50 w/25 lb. DB each arm (did 30, 5 breaths, 10, 5 breaths, last 10 reps for each shoulder)Just wanted to burn out with a super high rep set and that was it for shoulders. Keeping it simple today. 1 circuit of leg machine stuff, no rest between sets - 1x20 @ 140 for seated leg curls1x25 @ random weight for both adductors and abductors to loosen my hips up at the end That was it, 75 minutes total since I took a nice 6 minute break after the squats were done, and I was through with it. Unfortunately, next round of eye injections comes next Wednesday (still holding up better than expected, but doc wants another round of preventative measures), so from next Wed. through Sunday I'll be laying low, but expect me to be back in action afterward! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el_flaco Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Hey man Used to follow your log on VF, was wondering how you were getting on. Good to see training is progressing, squat looking especially solid. I'm going to try those behind the neck jerks tonight myself. All the best with the health issues, hope Wednesday goes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted April 12, 2008 Author Share Posted April 12, 2008 Thanks, el_flaco! I haven't posted my log over at VF in quite a while, but I still check the board every day or two for interesting stuff Quick upper back and shrug workout tonight - Pull-ups - 40 reps total, done in 3s, 4s and 5s (no recall as to how it all went, but I counted 40!) Behind-the-back shrugs - 1x10 @ 2251x10 @ 3151x10 @ 3351x10 @ 3551x6 @ 385 - that heavy felt awkward behind me, stopped early1x25 @ 3151x50 @ 225Sets were done between pull-ups to make things go faster Hammer Strength plate-loaded row - 1x10 @ 360 wide grip, palms forward, high handle1x10 @ 410 " " 1x100 @ 180 varying grips every 20 reps, would do 20, take 5-10 quick breaths, repeat until done. Very tiring! 1-arm shrugs - 1x100 @ 105 lbs. each arm That was it - kept it simple, did a lot of "weighted cardio" super-rep sets for fun, will be back for lower back work on Sunday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 No training today, unfortunately - Spent my saturday throwing up multiple times, couldn't keep more than a few crackers down all day, feeling as weak as can be right now so looks like it may be Tuesday before I get my last pre-surgery lifting in. Oh well, some things you just can't do anything about... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted April 18, 2008 Author Share Posted April 18, 2008 Sickness FINALLY completely gone, but worn down a bit from 2 days of unintentional fasting/cleansing due to not being able to keep anything down Still, had a decent day for a comeback, since I postponed my surgery for another week or two (still waiting on the final date). Hang power snatch to work on form - 1x10 @ empty bar1x5 @ 951x3 @ 135 FINALLY learning to use my hips on these, getting WAY better. Still suck at the transition from pulling from the floor to the 2nd pull at the knees, but I'll work on that part later Behind the neck power jerk in the rack - 1x5 @ 1351x2 @ 1851x1 @ 2051x1 @ 2251x1 @ 245Just wanted to finally go over 225, felt good with the 245, but the rack at my 24-hour gym is narrow, so I'm always worried about squishing my hands if I come down wrong since I keep the pins set just about a foot below neck level. Still, getting up there, would like to get back close to 300 again sometime this year if I can keep strength up. DB bench, palms-in, rotating out slightly halfway up - 1x10 @ 100s3x15 @ 80s Rack deadlifts from 17" (just near top of kneecap)1x10 @ 1351x10 @ 2251x5 @ 3151x5 @ 3651x6 @ 3651x7 @ 3651x8 @ 3651x15 @ 365, felt like I was going to die because I was re-setting on every rep, no bounce. That takes a LOT out of me.1x30 @ 315Final endurance set, tapped the pins without re-setting on each rep, but pulled 'em all nicely and wore myself out. Did 20, took 5 breaths, finished the last 10, but it took all I had. Did 3 last sets of flat bench for fun - 1x20 @ 1551x15 @ 1751x30 @ 115That was it, nice and quick and worn out! Going to finally formulate a program to do starting next week, using my old ISSA training methodologies that helped me get stronger faster without maxing out all the time. I'll be doing some variations with increased volume, but the same general plan of cycling intensities and we'll see where it takes me. Rough draft will be something like this - Day 1 - Legs and shouldersDay 2 - offDay 3 - Upper back and trapezius work (arms if the urge hits)Day 4 - cardio onlyDay 5 - Lower back and chest workDays 6 and 7 - off, will do cardio on at least one of them No idea on the primary lifts just yet, but here's the scheme - 2-3 exercises per body partWeek 1 - 2 warm-up sets per major lift, 3-4 working sets of 5 reps each Week 2 - 2 warm-up sets per major lift, 3-4 working sets of 10 reps eachWeek 3 - 2 warm-up sets per major lift, 3-4 working sets of 20 reps eachRepeat, do cycle 6 times before changing. We'll see how it goes - I'll work out the lifts for it over the weekend and get started on it soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lean and Green Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Hey man, glad you are feeling better. I pray you are the last person I hear of that got ill. Damn bug spread too far and wide the last 30 somewhat days. Nice comeback in the gym, good luck on your surgery, hope it goes off without a hitch. I also love to combine legs and shoulders on the same day. It is the perfect scenario for me as shoulders don't need to be hit hard for myself and I can trash legs first and still pump some decent iron for shoulders afterwards.... I still have to sit down one day and go through your entire journal. It is like a encyclopedia of useful information and I need to get on that and incorporate some useful stuff into my regimens. Thank you in advance for keeping such a wonderful log. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 VeganEssentials is the man! I'm training hard man and I can't wait to train together in D.C. later this summer! That will rock and I've been waiting to train with you for years so I'm pumped! All the best big man! Love having you here and love seeing you motivate hundreds of people on the forum and thousands who browse the main website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 Thanks, Lean and Green and Robert! I try to keep the log up to stay motivated - after 5 years of just trying to get stronger, it's tough not being able to work on the same goals for a while. Good news is that the eye treatments are starting to hold out longer (I'm at 4 months since the last time I had issues with the disease, which is a month longer than my previous record!), so hopefully in a year, maybe less, I'll be in much better spot to train like I used to. But, for now it's just maintaining and dropping a bit of weight, which is certainly better than nothing I wish I had the heart to read my old log entries, but unfortunately it makes me sad to re-visit the days when I was finally getting some strength to be proud of...but one day, it'll be back Oh yeah, that bug going around REALLY sucked - last time I had something similar I just ended up over the toiled once, but I spend all night struggling to keep down some crackers and Gatorade since it was all I could stomach and I was trying to keep from dehydrating. Not fun. Tonight, quick back workout, had some terrible acid reflux from overly-spicy Middle Eastern food before working out, definitely paid the price. Hang power snatch to work on form again - 1x10 @ bar1x5 @ 955x5 @ 115Feeling good, want to get over 135 for sets of 5 soon enough, but these really kick me good and make me winded fast. DB rows - 2x25 each arm @ 100 lb. DBsThe acid reflux came on BIG TIME during this, had to catch my breath and try to keep from feeling like getting sick. Both sets did 15, few quick breaths, 5, breathe, then 5 more to finish. BB rows - 1x20 @ 3151x15 @ 365Just wasn't feeling them tonight, stopped them early, reflux still bad. 1-arm pulldowns with slight angle - 2x18 @ 85 lbs. each armLats were REALLY tight by now, rows killed them off nicely. Reflux starting to lessen by now. 1-arm shrugs - 1x20 each arm @ 1351x20 " " @ 1551x20 " " @ 175Not doing too bad, reflux finally subsiding. Hammer Strength plate-loaded rows - 2x12 @ 360Lats worn out too far now, didn't have any more in me. Barbell Hise shrugs - 2x20 @ 3151x20 @ 385Just some light ones to wrap up, that was it. Haven't quite sat down to work my program out, but I'll have it set before Tuesday's leg day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 Leg day today! Just worked to beat myself up nicely, which was a success. Hang power snatch to warm up - 1x10 @ bar1x5 @ 951x3 @ 1152x2 @ 135 Box squats to parallel, dead stop on each rep - 1x10 @ 1351x5 @ 2251x3 @ 2751x3 @ 3151x1 @ 3651x1 @ 4051x20 @ 2251x10 @ 315Took a lot out of me, couldn't get my breath well enough today. Rock-bottom dead-stop squat singles - 3x1 @ 315, spend about 5 seconds at bottom before coming up Partial squats, working down the pins in height - 1x5 @ 315 @ 12" ROM (a hair over 1/2 full ROM)" " @ 15" ROM" " @ 18" ROM" " @ 21" ROM - basically, this is a pretty well exactly parallel for me, but to be safe I usually go another 3 inches down to be WAY sure that it's deep enough" " @ 18" ROM1x10 @ 315 @ 15" ROM1x20 @ 315 @ 12" ROMDefinitely getting worn out by this time, but not quite done yet... Circuit of seated leg curl, adductor and abductor (may as well work the weird stuff and hips a bit as well!)3 circuits, don't remember weight, but all sets were peaked out around 15 reps each. Stumbled out of the gym, satisfied with the day. Realized that the program I wanted to do originally didn't work well for me for squats and deads, so I'm going to go with another old favorite - Squat days - Week 1 - low-rep box squat doubles and 1-legged Romanian DLsWeek 2 - medium/high rep full squats, max depth, lots of setsWeek 3 - medium rep partial squats, from 12" to 18", working to get confident with more weightRepeat after week 3, add weight Deadlift days - Week 1 - partial deadlifts from mid kneecap, medium reps, fairly heavyWeek 2 - speed deadlifts from the floor, moderate weight, lots of doublesWeek 3 - High-rep good mornings to about 2-3" above parallelRepeat after week 3 I'll work out the chest/back/shoudlers stuff later, but for now, this is the plan, at least, until I get sick of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 Took 5 days off for surgery and recovery (my eye is susceptible to infection for a few days afterward), but hit the gym last night to get started again. Didn't QUITE follow the new plan, but adopted some parts of it, just taking a moderate day to get back in the groove - BB rows - 1x10 @ 1351x5 @ 1855x8 @ 2251x20 @ 135 Close-Grip BB Bench - 1x10 @ 1351x5 @ 1855x3 @ 225, 2-3 second pause on chest each rep1x20 @ 135 1-arm cable rows - 3x20 @ 80 lbs. each arm, varying angles on the pull on each set from low to high angle Hammer Strength plate-loaded incline press - 3x15 @ 160 Wrapped up with 2 sets of pressdowns on the dip machine for 20 reps each @ 150, and did 2 sets of lightweight leaning back pulldown/row kinda things on the dual cable setup that has a bar attachment for both towers, 20 reps @ 120 lbs. each set. Felt good, worn out nicely after a bit of a rest time, might hit leg day up tonight if I feel up to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 Yep, went back for leg day today Warmed up with hang power snatches to a double with 135, then on to some rock-bottom paused squats, all reps with a 3-second pause as low as I could go, a few inches well below parallel - 1x5 @ 1351x3 @ 2251x2 @ 2751x1 @ 3151x1 @ 3651x1 @ 385Stoppe there, felt decent, but not all that strong out of the hole. Gotta work on that. Box squats to parallel, dead stop and sit back on each one - 5x5 @ 315 Finally, did some just-under-2/3 full squats, hitting the pins about 6" above normal bottom parallel - 1x5 @ 3151x5 @ 3651x5 @ 4051x5 @ 4351x2 @ 4551x1 @ 475Was going to do 500, but my core isn't all that strong again yet, so I need to work up before going with more than half squats with heavier weights.Dropped down to one last set at that height - 1x25 @ 315Fell over afterward, completely exhausted. Took a few minutes, decided to do 2 sets of light high-rep EZ bar curls to rest my legs - 2x20 @ 75 lbs. When I recovered, I did 1x20 single-leg Romanian DLs with a 70 lb. DB for each leg, then 1 circuit of seated leg curls, abductors and adductors and I was done. Fried, tired, and taking 2 days off from lifting to go for some long walks to do light cardio, then back for something on Saturday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Fried and Tired. I know that feeling! I just took 2 days off to prepare for legs. Have fun with the recovering during time off and you'll be back over 500lbs on those squats soon. All the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted May 5, 2008 Author Share Posted May 5, 2008 Needed an extended rest, took a bit longer to spend a nice relaxed weekend and hit shoulders and lower back tonight. Felt a bit weak, so shoulders were cut down a bit more than planned. Overhead barbell press, strict - 1x20 @ empty bar1x5 @ 951x5 @ 1151x5 @ 1352x5 @ 190 - WAY too tough today, dropped down2x12 @ 135I felt like my shoulders were already sore when I went in - no idea what from, but it wasn't a good day for overhead work. Rack deadlifts from bottom of kneecap - 1x5 @ 2251x5 @ 3151x5 @ 365Something felt off here, too. Groove was gone, lower back felt realy weak, changed it up instead of going heavier as planned, did DLs off the floor, high reps to wipe myself out and re-work form again - 3x20 @ 225Light weight, but the high reps killed my endurance, hamstrings got REALLY sore which is odd for me with deadlifts. I still have a hard time thinking that I did 23 reps in 90 seconds with a 2" thick axle DL in a contest a few years back - that'd kill me now if I tried it! Shrugs standing on the seat of the Hammer plate loaded incline press for variety - 1x20 @ 180" " @ 270" " @ 360" " @ 420" " @ 450Can't load more weight, didn't feel like mega-reps for all sets, dropped those at that point. Seated Good Mornings in the rack to a bit above torso parallel with floor - 3x20 @ 185Just high-rep stuff to burn myself out and focus on the lower back more. Pulled out my IronMind cable set, did some 1-arm overhead presses with it - 3x30 each arm w/2 cablesJust one last high-rep burn-out set for those as well, called it a bit early. Not a terrible day, but not a good one. Lack of sleep and the one night I had a few drinks caught up with me, so it's back to being good again to get on track Tomorrow off, Tuesday will be upper back day, maybe something else if it sounds good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted May 7, 2008 Author Share Posted May 7, 2008 "Weighted cardio" workout of moderate to high reps tonight for chest and back - Close-grip BB bench (hands around 16" apart)1x10 @ empty bar1x10 @ 1355x10 @ 185 V-bar seated rows, no torso movement, super-strict - 1x20 @ 1651x20 @ 1751x20 @ 1852x20 @ 165 Hammer Strength plate-loaded incline press - 2x12 @ 200 Hammer Strength plate-loaded row - 2x20 @ 300 parallel handles, very wide grip2x20 @ 300 low handles, low row grip BB shrugs - 3x50 @ 225, 2 in front, last set behind the back That's it, just a high-rep beating today, felt guilty for not walking this past few days so I did a cardio-esque weight day. Friday will be leg day, not sure what I'll do yet, but I'm sure it'll hurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted May 8, 2008 Author Share Posted May 8, 2008 Ever have one of those days where things finally felt like they were coming back together? This was one of them for leg day BB squats, testing to go a bit heavier than I have in quite a few months:1x5 @ 1351x5 @ 2251x3 @ 2751x2 @ 3151x1 @ 3351x1 @ 3551x1 @ 3751x1 @ 3951x1 @ 410I haven't tried to go above 400 in quite a while, and the 410 went up quite well, no stalling out or big struggle. Felt good for maybe 425-430, but finally getting back over 400 is a nice milestone since I'm trying to get back to 500 by 2009. Still not to where I feel strong again yet, but if I can just put on 20 lbs. per month... 3/4 squats, pins set about 5" above usual parallel position1x10 @ 3151x10 @ 3351x10 @ 3651x10 @ 385As I'm finding out, I've definitely retained good stregnth once I'm out of the hole. The shift from hitting bottom to getting to where I'm comfortable is the tough spot, but if I can hit just under 400 for 10 reps a little above, it's only a matter of time with dropping the pins once more notch to get back the power with squatting again. Wrapped up with 2 final sets, rode the bar all the way as low as possible, would just rise about 8" and drop to rock-bottom again to push that weak point - 1x10 @ 2251x20 @ 135Legs were PUMPED like never before after those - didn't even go heavy, but the motion of just doing a short ROM from rock bottom to the start of my strong point was a killer. If you ever want to nail your legs to where they feel like they're going to explode, give those a try and see what happens Lesson re-learned today: High-rep endurance squatting, while a nice change of pace (like the box squats I focused on for the past few months) do NOT carry over to being stronger for my overall squatting power, and they keep my core weak and unstable for when I finally drape some weight over my shoulders. Didn't matter if I could knock out 20 reps with 225 - I'd have hit that goal more easily by being stronger overall than slowing building up with high-rep sets. But, I did want to take it easy for the sake of my eye condition, so it was worth it, but I do know now that if I want to ever hit a 600 lb. squat like I've always wanted, I have to work on going heavier moreso than just making short work of high-rep moderate weight sets. Weight still hovering at 259, so I'm keeping under the 260 mark, but still aiming to get down to a leaner 250 by end of summer while getting some strength back. All in due time... A good day, will be working next week on dropping the pins to one notch above parallel (about 3" up from a guaranteed legal-depth squat) with some moderate reps again with the low to mid 300s to keep bashing myself into proper ability to handle the weight correctly. Another month, will test with 430-440 lbs. again to make sure I'm still making solid progress, 500 here I come (again!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralst Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Ever have one of those days where things finally felt like they were coming back together? This was one of them for leg day Good to hear, big guy Congrats on getting your squat back over 400, your log is always a good read and especially so when you go heavy - Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 Thanks, Eric! I'm finally starting to feel like I'm not too bad off after all that's happened over the last year or so, and we'll see where the summer and fall take me (hopefully close to back where I used to be!) Shoulders and lower back day today - Overhead pressing was just plain off for me. I only had 5 hours' sleep, I do bad on less than 7, so I knew something wasn't going to go the way I wanted it to. Strict BB overhead press - 1x20 @ empty bar2x8 @ 951x5 @ 1351x2 @ 1851x1 @ 205That 205 was just way too hard. Decided against going heavier today, did 1x15 @ 135 to burn myself out for BB presses and that was it for those. Moved to 1-arm DB presses, did 1 set of 20 with a 65 lb. DB for each arm and decided that I'd had enough of those as well. Shoulders just weren't going to be good today, may as well leave those alone. Changed to lower back, just doing some lower rep easy weight deadlift sets for volume today to see how the back is doing for stability. I was pleased with the results.10x5 @ 315All sets felt good for at least 7-8 reps or more, but didn't want to go close to failure. Just aimed to get all my sets in, they were done easily, back felt comfortable so I was happy. Won't go over 405 for about 8 weeks, want to build my base up so I can get my DL over 500 again by summer's end. Moved to the bar-attached-to-2-cables setup, did my weird little sumo DL lockouts on it where the bar is just below kneecap height, lean back to where my back is flat on the floor to complete the reps - 2x40 @ 240 lbs (most weight you can put on that machine, sadly...)Then I found a way to get it set up to do narrow-stance DLs on it - took the plyo platform, put it against the back, laid some 45s aginst the top vertically to incease the height (basically, the box was lying on its side but I needed to add height to give myself a decent ROM), and found that 6 plates brought me to a DL height of just about 2-3" above normal bar height. I wish I had a picture to explain - sounds complicated, but it's really simple to set up Did 2x30 @ 240 for a nearly-normal DL height, close stance as I had to fit both feet on a 45 lb. plate, but it did the trick. Wish I could load it heavy, but my 24 hour gym put some backings behind the cable weight stacks, so you can't slip a nice heavy DB in there to add weight, which sucks. Oh well. Got home, went down to clean the basement, did 3x25 bodyweight reverse hyperextensions to keep the back loose, called it a day. Feels good since my lower back was really tight and felt weird last time on what should have been DL day, but if today's an indication of things to come, then I should be on track to get over 500 again in around 2-3 months, which will be nice. Tomorrow off to meet up with friends for a drink, Tuesday is back to business with upper back work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lean and Green Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Moved to 1-arm DB presses, did 1 set of 20 with a 65 lb. DB for each arm and decided that I'd had enough of those as well. Shoulders just weren't going to be good today, may as well leave those alone. Thanks to you I now incorporate these into my regimens. I don't think I have ever performed them before, they're great, as tony the tiget would say. I actually worked out with the same exact weight with them on fri but I only did about 4-6 reps per arm. Suits what i'm trying to accomplish at the moment, low rep training. Moved to the bar-attached-to-2-cables setup, did my weird little sumo DL lockouts on it where the bar is just below kneecap height, lean back to where my back is flat on the floor to complete the reps -2x40 @ 240 lbs (most weight you can put on that machine, sadly...)Then I found a way to get it set up to do narrow-stance DLs on it - took the plyo platform, put it against the back, laid some 45s aginst the top vertically to incease the height (basically, the box was lying on its side but I needed to add height to give myself a decent ROM), and found that 6 plates brought me to a DL height of just about 2-3" above normal bar height. I wish I had a picture to explain - sounds complicated, but it's really simple to set up Wink Did 2x30 @ 240 for a nearly-normal DL height, close stance as I had to fit both feet on a 45 lb. plate, but it did the trick. Wish I could load it heavy, but my 24 hour gym put some backings behind the cable weight stacks, so you can't slip a nice heavy DB in there to add weight, which sucks. Oh well. The machine I thought you were talking about, I may be wrong but I've seen it, the barbell with the cables attached to the barbell right? But the one at my gym, you can add actual plates to it. Same one? Is your's already pre loaded and you just put the pin in where you want it? Alot of people at my gym use plates and they add them to the rack and rest them on the pins, where you set it in on all sorts of cable machines at the gym. The fitness consultants always complain and say that they bend the pins and it breaks the machines b/c they weren't equipped to handle excess weight, cables snap and such but nevertheless it still goes on. Bad idea for when I need to add more weight than the racked plates? Always a pleasure to read your blog, perhaps my most fav thread on this whole forum, even though I haven't gone through it thoroughly yet, I know that when I will it will be like I just read an encyclopedia on advanced training methods and I am excited to gain that knowledge. Thank you.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted May 12, 2008 Author Share Posted May 12, 2008 Hey, Lean and Green! The cable with the bar setup at my gym is kind of odd - It's basically a twin tower cable setup (like you'd use for cable crossovers), but the towers are REALLY close together, and they make a bar about 3 feet wide that can connect to each stack so you've got a bar you can use with it. I've never seen one like it - usually the weight stacks for each tower on a cable setup are pretty far apart, like 8 feet or so, but this one is literally like 5 feet or less. I drop the bar to the lowest height, brace my feet on the frame inside the slide where the cable pulley can be adjusted for height, and that's how I'll do the partial deadlifts with it. If I can remember to take my camera next time, I'll get a pic so that I can show my rigged-up narrow-stance deadlift setup I came up with. It's pretty sketchy, but it gets the job done Glad that you enjoy reading the log - one day I'll have to go all the way back and follow the progress. I get sad when I read the stuff after around March 2006 when I kept getting hurt and everything took a downturn, but I'll have to go through it all again one day. Keep up the great work on your log as well - I always check it out, and I expect that in a matter of time you're going to be surpassing me on everything once that muscle memory kicks back in big-time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganEssentials Posted May 14, 2008 Author Share Posted May 14, 2008 Upper back day today - Snatch-grip high pulls in the rack from just above knee height pulled to mid-chest or higher)1x10 @ 1351x5 @ 1853x5 @ 225 Hang power snatch - 2x2 @ 135 BB Rows - 1x10 @ 1351x5 @ 2253x5 @ 275Feeling better with these again, not where I used to be, but it could be a lot worse. BB Hise Shrugs in the rack - 1x20 @ 3151x10 @ 4051x10 @ 4751x10 @ 5451x20 @ 4051x50 @ 315 Rows with weird bar/cable setup as explained in previous posts - 1x20 @ 1601x20 @ 1801x15 @ 2001x20 @ 1601x20 @ 140 Horizontal shrugs/scapular retraction on Hammer Strength plate loaded row machine - 4x25 @ 360 lbs. done with 4 different grips That was it for today, nothing too special, just a back day to get between legs and lower back stuff. Chest and legs on Thursday or Friday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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