Post: #326

Animal!

Add more squats with a cowgirl on your neck. It increases your testosterone.

Post: #327

Week 3 day 4 great bench day.

Close grip bench - 1 x 8 x 95
1 x 8 x 135
1 x 6 x 185
5 x 6 x 195

Bent over BB Row - 1 x 10 x 135
1 x 10 x 155
1 x 8 x 175
2 x 6 x 195

OHP - 1 x 10 x 95
1 x 8 x 115
4 x 6 x 125

Pull up - 3 x 7 >ss> Incline DB curl - 3 x 10 x 22.5 >ss> dips - 3 x 10

Post: #328

Heavy ass lower body day yesterday. Was feeling some minor injuries and generally having an off-day in the gym. Weights felt heavy and I felt tired, but I still fucking got after it.

Squats - 1 x 8 x 95
1 x 8 x 135
1 x 6 x 185
1 x 4 x 225
1 x 3 x 265 w/ belt
5 x 2 x 270 w/ belt

2" Deficit deadlift - 1 x 8 x 135
1 x 8 x 185
1 x 6 x 225
1 x 4 x 275
5 x 3 x 290

Reverse back hypers - 3 x 10 x 120 >ss> Leg curl - 3 x 10 x 80 >ss> Weighted decline crunches - 3 x 12 x 35 >ss> Side crunches - 3 x 12

Post: #329

Today was a much better day for squats. Here's my workout past two days:

Week 3 day 6 - 9/23

Toich and go bench press - 1 x 10 x 95
1 x 8 x 135
1 x 6 x 185
5 x 4 x 205

Bent over BB row - 1 x 10 x 135
1 x 10 x 155
1 x 8 x 175
2 x 6 x 185

OHP - 1 x 10 x 95
1 x 8 x 115
4 x 5 x 125

Week 4 day 1 - 9/25

Squat - 1 x 8 x 95
1 x 8 x 135
1 x 6 x 185
1 x 4 x 225
1 x 3 x 255
1 x 4 x 275 w/ belt
2 x 3 x 275 w/ belt

Deadlift - 1 x 8 x 135
1 x 8 x 185
1 x 6 x 225
1 x 4 x 275
1 x 2 x 320
1 x 1 x 330
1 x 1 x 340 w/ belt

Hyperextensions - 3 x 8 x 45 >ss> Weighted decline crunches - 3 x 10 x 40

The first working set of my squats I was trying to get a feel for how many repsmper set I should do and I had a friend spotting me so I did all for reps bit the fourth one was a bit of a grind and my knees dipped inward a bit so I kept the other sets at 3. Last set was slow but not too bad.

I possibly could have gotten 2 reps on all my working sets of deadlift but the two heavier weight would not have been pretty.

The Hyperextensions I have been using a barbell on my back for the weight. Literally holding the barbell on my back like I was going to squat, lats tight and all. Feels WAY harder and is better for posture.

Post: #330

Been noticing how you've been working up from warmup weight to heavier weight. I've been moving my compound lifts to match that.

(09-21-2017 11:14 AM)General Stalin Wrote:  Heavy ass lower body day yesterday. Was feeling some minor injuries and generally having an off-day in the gym. Weights felt heavy and I felt tired, but I still fucking got after it.

Post: #331

Yeah man you always have to warm up. Even if you do nothing else in the form of pre-workout preparation, warming up to your working weight from an empty bar is key. I don't put it down in here, but every single compound lift including the barbell row I actually start with about 8-10 reps of just the bar alone.

Post: #332

You go up from bare bar in increments? What do you take for breaks? Seems like a lot of volume before you even get to your first working set.

Post: #333

In between my warmup sets I probably only break for 30-90 seconds tops. During working sets I may break for 1-4 minutes depending on the level of intensity.

I could probably stand to do less reps during my warm up but I feel like doing a reverse-pyramid down to my working sets/rep ranges psycholocally makes it easier for me.

That said, had a killer press workout today, though I felt a considerable amount of elbow pain during and after benching. Also hurt my right hand a little somehow.

Bench press - 1 x 8 x 115
1 x 8 x 135
1 x 6 x 185
1 x 4 x 205
1 x 3 x 215
1 x 3 x 220
1 x 3 x 225 (last 3 sets werey working sets. Last rep of 225 my ass was off the bench a bit)

Bent over BB row - 1 x 8 x 135
1 x 8 x 155
1 x 8 x 175
2 x 6 x 195

OHP - 1 x 8 x 95
1 x 6 x 115
1 x 5 x 125 (I thought the rep range was 4-6 bit after this set realized it was 5-7)
1 x 7 x 125
1 x 5 x 135

Pull up - 3 x 8 >ss> DB preacher curl - 3 x 8 x 22.5

Post: #334

Was supposed to take a rest day yesterday but didn't realize until I go to the gym and read my program. Ended up benching again last night which wasn't bad. Felt like I had plenty of energy and muscles were not too fatigues from the night before. Feeling some mild DOMS today though. I cut out my accessory movements to keep it somewhat backed off.

Close Grip Bench Press - 1 x 8 x 95
1 x 8 x 135
1 x 6 x 185
3 x 5 x 205

Bent over BB row - 1 x 8 x 145
1 x 8 x 165
1 x 8 x 185
2 x 6 x 205

OHP - 1 x 8 x 95
1 x 6 x 115
2 x 7 x 125
1 x 5 x 135

Post: #335

Week 4 day 4.

Squat - 1 x 8 x 115
1 x 6 x 135
1 x 4 x 185
1 x 3 x 225
1 x 2 x 265
1 x 3 x 270 w/ belt
1 x 3 x 275 w/ belt
1 x 3 x 285 w/ belt (last rep was almost failure spotter lightly assisted)

2" deficit deadlift - 1 x 8 x 135
1 x 6 x 185
1 x 4 x 225
1 x 3 x 275
3 x 3 x 310

Had a lot.of forearm pain from squats. Similarly excruciating to the elbo pain from bench. I'm sure they are linked somehow. Still have tightness/pain in my right groin.

Post: #336

Week 4 closed out strong. Awesome bench day feeling very strong.

Tough n Go Bench Press - 1 x 8 x 95
1 x 8 x 135
1 x 4 x 185
1 x 3 x 205
3 x 3 x 220

Bent over BB Row - 1 x 8 x 135
1 x 8 x 155
1 x 8 x 175
2 x 6 x 195

OHP - 1 x 8 x 95
1 x 6 x 115
2 x 7 x 125
1 x 5 x 135

Pull up - 3 x 7 >ss> Incline DB Curl - 3 x 8 x 20

Bench press felt strong, could have done sets of 4. OHP feeling great to. 135 x 5 moved very well. This week is the end of the program going for some PR's. Fingers crossed!

Post: #337

Day 1 of the last week of the program. Heavy doubles then heavy single squat and DL. Felt super strong today, stoked! Really hoping for gains in my future.

Squat - 1 x 6 x 115
1 x 4 x 185
1 x 3 x 225
1 x 2 x 255
1 x 2 x 285 (w/ belt)
1 x 1 x 300 (w/ belt)

Deadlift - 1 x 6 x 135
1 x 4 x 225
1 x 3 x 275
1 x 2 x 315
1 x 2 x 340 (w/ belt)
1 x 1 x 355 (w/ belt)

Could have easily squatted that 300 for 2 but I just did the single as prescribed. That 340 x 2 DL went up great, and the 355 was a slow rep but smooth and no form breakdown.

Now I need to plan what my warm up weights will be as I go for PR in a few days.

Post: #338

Heavy bench day. Went great! Heavy single felt, well, pretty heavy but my spotter said it moved very smooth.

Bench press - 1 x 8 x 95
1 x 6 x 135
1 x 4 x 185
1 x 2 x 205
1 x 2 x 225
1 x 1 x 240

Bent over BB row - 1 x 8 x 135
1 x 6 x 185
2 x 4 x 205

Pull up (2nd and 3rd set weighted) - 1 x 6/1 x 4 x 10/1 x 3 x 25 >ss> Preacher curl - 3 x 6 x 63

Post: #339

PR day boys! Got a new squat and DL max. Thinking I probably could have eeked a few more lbs from.my DL if I did it on a sperate day but could shoulda would. Anyway:

Squat - 1 x 6 x 130
1 x 4 x 185
1 x 2 x 225
1 x 1 x 275 w/ belt
1 x 1 x 305 w/ belt
1 x 1 x 325 w/ belt
Failed attempted at 330 (it was close, spotter barely touched my chest at my sticking point)

Deadlift - 1 x 6 x 135
1 x 4 x 225
1 x 1 x 275
1 x 1 x 315
1 x 1 x 345 w/ belt
1 x 1 x 385 w/ belt

Didn't take any video but I know my DL had crap form. 325 squat felt pretty good which is why I went for the 5 extra lbs but I was greedy. Should have gone for it straight away. Happy with the progress there though. That's 10 lbs pr on both lifts.

Would like.to hear some critique on my workups.

Post: #340

Golden rule: dont increase the weight by more than you did the last time.

Dl - 315 - 345 =30lb increase
Then 345 - 385 =40lb

But whatever, you still got a PR. Next stop - 400 club

Post: #341

The way you are ramping it up is fine, as long as it feels good and you feel warm.

You've got a good thing going, just slow boating it to where you wanna be. Its a good demonstration that it's not really what you do, but how consistently you do it.

Post: #342

Thanks guys, and yeah @ king bast I had the same thought about my deadlift jumps but I was thinking doing a set of 365 would be a waste of energy. Didn't want to blow my nut on a submaximal weight

Post: #343

(10-10-2017 01:11 AM)General Stalin Wrote:  Thanks guys, and yeah @ king bast I had the same thought about my deadlift jumps but I was thinking doing a set of 365 would be a waste of energy. Didn't want to blow my nut on a submaximal weight

Near 1RM singles can be very taxing, but I personally do like to get really close to what I'm going to attempt for a PR. The reasoning behind that is it usually serves as a really good gauge for what I'm going to attempt for a new 1RM, so that I can move the weight smoothly. Sometimes, my warmup singles are PRs before I even attempt a 1RM.

Especially in the last week, your recovery should really be dialed in, so don't be afraid to push it on the warmup singles, as long as you're not hitting multiple singles over 87.5%-90% or so. It can give you a mental edge, especially when a previous 1RM moves quicker than before.

Post: #344

Today I went for my bench max but it was not meant to be. I could feel it right when I started pressing 135 that today wasn't the day. Felt very weak, low energy, and elbows got real sore before I even got to 225. I will retest bench in a few days after I recover a bit, eat better, and remember to take my supps very day. That said, despite having an incredibly poor day gym-wise, I STILL was able to press 245 with authority.

Bench press - 1 x 6 x 95
1 x 6 x 135
1 x 3 x 185
1 x 1 x 205
1 x 1 x 225
1 x 1 x 245
Failed attempt at 260.

To recap. 135 did not feel as smooth and easy as normal. It felt mildly taxing which wasn't a good sign. When I got to 205 I started feeling some considerable elbow pain after I racked and stood up. 225 was worse and I took a good 5 min rest to let the pain subside before I moved up. I hemmed and hawed about whether or not I should waste the energy on a 245 press or just go straight to a 260 attempt but ultimately decided a 35 lbs jump was a bit ridiculous. 245 moved smooth, but once I racked the weight my elbows were throbbing. I took close to 10 mins before I went for my PR attempt.

Took video of my attempt. Despite all the elbow pain and low energy I had, I looked strong holding the weight off the rack, came down very smooth and controlled, and had real steady and controlled force pressing upwards. Unfortunately I got stuck about 6 inches off my chest and couldn't break parallel.

Lick my wounds and try again in a few days.

Post: #345

Pain can be a limiting factor. Your body will automatically hold back when you're hurting, pretty basic instinct there.

Out of curiosity, have you thought of switching your bench style to using lower weight but focusing on chest contraction instead of power lifting style bench?

Post: #346

(10-10-2017 11:38 PM)Steelex Wrote:  Out of curiosity, have you thought of switching your bench style to using lower weight but focusing on chest contraction instead of power lifting style bench?

Yes and no. My focus from the start has been in building up the 3 big lifts so going for higher intensity on the bench has always been the plan.

That said, I have told myself once I reach my strength goals I'd like to back off of straight up powerlifting and work more on physique traning.

Post: #347

Not sure if 260 is in the cards right now. I went the gym last night for another attempt. Felt way better than the other day. More energy more power, weights we're moving easier and I had very little elbow pain. It may also be worth noting I did not use elbow sleeves yesterday while i did use sleeves a few days ago.

260 moved the exact same way. Came down relatively steady, had some good driving force off my chest, but stuck with my triceps parallel to the floor.

I don't want to take an L so I may go in another couple days and make an attempt at 255.

Post: #348

Went in last night for another bench max attempt and decided to back down and make a 255 attempt. Was able to press it though I had some slight butt elevation once I had the bar about 6 inches off my chest.

So I finally got my 3 PR's done after my second cycle of Investment Bro's program. For some reference, here is a summary of progress over the summer:

Bench Press:
6/16 - 240 (this was an approximation as I didn't actually hit this weight but was very close to getting 245)
8/3 - 250
10/17 - 255

Squat:
6/17 - 305
8/2 - 315
10/9 - 325

Deadlift:
6/17 - 335(previous best pre-injury was 355)
8/2 - 375
10/9 - 385

In 4 months thats 15 lbs. to my bench, 20 lbs. to my squat, and I'll say 30 lbs. to my DL considering my previous all time best.

It's a long road to reach my overall strength goals. I will need to prioritize lifting more. Get better sleep and plan my diet better. As far as long term goes, I'm 60 lbs. from my bench goal, 80 lbs. from my squat goal, and 120 lbs. from my DL goal. If we extrapolate...

(05-06-2016 04:45 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  4/26/16:

Bench Press: 230 lbs (~104 kg)
Squat: 275 lbs (~125 kg)
Dead Lift: 315 lbs (~143 kg)

10/18/17:

Bench Press: 255 lbs (115.7 kg)
Squat: 325 lbs (147.4 kg)
Dead Lift: 385 lbs (174.6 kg)

In 18 months I added 25 lbs. to bench, 50 lbs. to squat, and 70 lbs. to DL. This is with very inconsistent training and diet, and taking blocks of time off due to injury.

2 years from now I could be getting pretty close to my goals with the same sort of progression.

Now, given my progression over the past 4 months which I have practiced much more consistent training, I could be closer to my goals by this time next year. In fact, if I extrapolate my progress since the middle of June to the middle of October, it would take me exactly 12 months to reach my goals if I made the exact same gains every 4 months.

-----------------------------

Right now my current plan is to go onto a 3rd cycle of Investment Bro's program with some slight modifications to the accessory movements. I will also be incorporating some strongman lifts as well. Partially for variety but also because I am contemplating entering a strongman comp in December.

Post: #349

Hit the gym by my.house real quick to go for a new OHP max. Still can't hit 160. I warmed up and hit 150 went up nicely, but 160 I got stuck right at forehead height

Post: #350

Back at it tonight. Squats got my legs shaky as hell. Made deadlifts hard, and my accessory work hard. Had a short but excellent workout first day back.

Squat - 1 x 6 x 135
1 x 5 x 185
5 x 7 x 225 w/ belt

Deadlift - 1 x 6 x 135
1 x 4 x 225
5 x 4 x 295 (my legs were exhausted and it was affecting my form on these)

Atlas stone load onto 48" platform
3 x 130
2 x 167
1 x 205
1 x 220
Failed attempt at 245

220 stone was a PR. Stoked on that. Squats felt strong. I'm gonna feel DOMS tomorrow for sure.