11/28 Me Squat/DL

High Box Squat w/Chains 275x5, 330x3, 385x2, 440x1, 495x1, 525x1, 560x1PR
Block Pulls (2 inches Below Knee) 475x2, 525x2, 555x2

Well i learned a few things tonight....

1. My new EliteFTS Retro PL'ing Belt is gonna be awesome for DL, but my Squat Belt will most definitely remain the Forever Lever Belt. I just couldnt get the Retro Belt tight enough to support me on the heavier weights. But for pulling it was great as it allowed me to get down better. And i dont mean get down like J.J Evans From Good Times......Dynomite!!!

2. I think my shoulder pain is actually being caused from Squatting. I am gonna read up on this and try to alleviate it with this approach. All this rehab crap and lack of heavy pressing hasnt caused a change. What remains? a heavy barbell accross my back with me trying to squeeze the hell out of it. I also simulated the movement of squeezing the Barbell and found this is the movement that causes it to hurt. I believe it may be a combination of a pull caused from lack of flexibility. Admittedly i dont have much flexibility in the shoulders. Time will tell, but from here until this sucker is gone i will press heavy in a shirt. This will benefit me twofold, one being that i will get accustomed to my new Size 50 Rage X i got off ebay, and 2, i will protect the shoulder a bit, oh yeah, and three ( i know i said twofold) my triceps will get hit in a more productive manner. Those Kickbacks i have been secretly performing arent cutting the mustard!!! JK

Anyway, onto the workout. i was all motivated at lunch and at work, and semi-motivated when i got down to the basement. But i almost missed horribly at 495 and called it quits. But then i thought about what the hell happened....Was i overtrainined? Dunno, was the weight too heavy? Nope.....i was just being a jive turkey and not concentrating. I put 525 on and smoked it like Panama red. Then on the last set i went for 560 and wished i had thrown on 10lbs more, at which point i have no more weight in my basement so i must buy some more 45's. I got the 560 with some piss poor form because i broke at my knees first rather than push back at the hips first. With better form 570 would have been owned. Regardless i got 560 with shit form and am quite happy.

From there i decided to pull from blocks where the bar is placed 2 inches below my kneecaps, i measured it with a micrometer to satisfy my curiosity. I pulled 475 for 2 easy ones, then jumped to 525 for another easy double. I ended on 555 for a double and was gonna do one more with 565 or 570 but pussed out and called it a night...tomorrow i will finish up with my accessory crap.

All in all it was a good night. I am digging the new attitude i have taken on. Rather than read and learn about how to get stronger like most keyboard quarterbacks. I said fuck it and started loading up the bar.

What better way to get stronger? Read some obscure text written by some strength coah 500 years ago for an athlete juiced to the gills..... nah,

Visit forums in hopes of finding the holy grail?....nope.....

Lift, Eat, Sleep, and repeat? ......Seems to be working so far...


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy?

11/25 Shoulder/Pec Rehab

Illegal Wides 4x20
Mini-Band Flyes 4x20
Tricep Ext 4x10--------DB Rows 4x10 Front Delts 4x10 >--S/S w/30 Rests beteen exercises---really gay!!
Side Delt 4x10 /
Rear Delt 4x10---------/

This was a rehabilitory thingy for my shoulder and was extremely low in intensity but goddamn it got some blood into the upper back!!! Thats about all igot to say about that...Onto ME SQ/DL Recap...

11/21 ME Squat

High Box Squat (Parallel) w/Chains 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 315x2, 405x2, 455x2, 505x2, 525x1, 550x1PR
Wide Stance SSB GM's into chains 205x3, 225x3x3

Not too shabby for only having around 4 hrs sleep last night. My old lady is around 8 months pregnant and the snoring can be heard all the way to Mozambique!!! So after a few hours of trying to fall asleep i made my way downstairs to the couch to sleep, or should i say lay awake like a friggin insomniac!!! Oh well, such is life....

I worked my way up to 550 for a single, i contemplated doubling it but figured i would pass out on the way up as my air was depleted. This was quite a brutal workout for me even though it was only two movements. But i felt pretty good about it as the speed on the heavy sets was excellent. I really felt like everything was firing well and my body was super tight. I actually found the hardest part was walking the shit out as the chains kinda drag on the floor and cause a bit of a sway to the bar. Definitely will help with stabilization of the load with bar only.

The explosion off the box was better than it has been in the past, not sure if working with bands has help this or all the SSB work causing my midsection to be tense as hell, hence better energy transfer through the body to lockoutout. I will have to analyze what i have been doing. I know part of my progress has been bodyweight (am up to 218lbs), but another part is psychological. I have taken a "Shit-or-get-off-the-Pot" mentality and believe that it has helped alot. I have decided to use heavier weight (relative to my strength level) and say fuck the overtraining balancing act, if it happens, it happens. I honestly dont feel that with the poundages i am subjecting myself to that i can truthfully attain this condition. Though as my strength level increases i will have to keep an eye on it. Whoa that was a bit of a side track.......In Summation: This Squat Workout was a Keeper!!!

Again, i cant say enough about the SSB. This is one of the most versatile bars i can think of and it can be utilized in a number of ways. This friggin thing will thicken your midsection and just give you that feeling like your bulletproof when you press your gut against your belt in the hole. Best investment i have made thus far. GM's with this bar are a grind and you definitelly feel them all the way up your hamstrings, glutes, low back to your traps from trying to keep your head pushed back and not popping off!!! Enormous pressure builds up when you are past parallel and looking back through your legs, hence the lower rep range, but the benefits up to this point are worth the pressure induced headaches....In closing: Wide Stance SSB GM's 3x3, Grueling!!!


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Last Couple of Workouts.....

Last two workouts.......

11/18 DE Squat
Free Squat w/Avg Bands 225x8x2
Speed Deadlifts 275x4x3
EDT 10 Minute PR Zone
Leg Curls 65x5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5
Hanging Leg Raise BWx5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5


11/19 DE Bench
Decline CGBP 185x12 225x4x8
Dips BWx3x12
EDT 10 Minute PR Zone
Upright Rows 85x5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5
Lat Pull Downs 100x5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5

Nothing fancy.....and nothing fancy to say......

11/15 ME Bench

CG 2 BD Press w/Chains 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 275x3, 315x2x2, 275x2x5
Illegal Wides (Ultra-Mega Slow) 135x3x12
Mini Band Pushdowns and various Shoulder Crap Supersets
EDT 12 PR Zone Triples
BB Rows (Pendalay) 215x3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3
Rear Delts 40x3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3

Not as good as i anticitpated, went Close Grip on the 2 Bd to rest the shoulder a bit, though it still hurt. Each successive time the pain is less and less so thats a good thing. After the Board Presses i did a bunch of Mini Band Pushdowns and shoulder traction movements, didnt keep track of any of it, just went for like 15 minutes straight of various crap.

I also did some Illegal Wide Bench Press with a molasses tempo, slow as hell, these hurt quite bad but i think they will be worth it in the long run for recuperative purposes. I intertwined these with the traction crap.

Finished out the session with EDT and this was brutal after the Illegal Wides and traction crap, but my upper back was quite pumped and felt like it had accomplished something, definitely a good way to end the session.

I think my tentative plan is for the next 5 or 6 sessions of bench is to go with a more bodybuilding approach to heal this shoulder correctly and lay off any type of ME stuff, i just seem to keep aggravating this thing just when it starts to feel better. So for the next three weeks the only heavy sort of stuff will be in the shirt, and if there is any sort of twinge in the girdle, then i will end the session then and there. With any luck i will be 100% before the meets in the beginning of the year. So, if you would, keep your fingers crossed for me, and Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

11/13 ME Squat

High Box Squat w/Chains 135x5, 185x5, 275x3, 315x2, 365x2, 405x2, 455x2, 500x2, 525x2
Wide Stance SSB GM's (into Chains) 185x4x6

Kinda surprised myself tonight. Wasnt planning on getting that high on the Squats. I set the box so it was just around parallel, i took some pictures and all the angles led me to believe it was parallel, it sure as hell felt like it. I only did two movements because the squats took longer than i had anticipated working up to my top sets. I originally planned on hitting around 455 for doubles but that felt way too easy, so i just kept going. The hardest part was unracking the bar, i aint a tall fella and it i should have changed the pin settings oh well. The 500 set was gonna be the end set but after i smoked that weight i figured what the hell, go for it, and 525 fell. The weight felt light on the back, especially on the box (Chains Deloaded) and my speed was good on these, no grinds. Cant wait for the next shot at these, now that i know what i can do. Time now for the GM synopsis....

This variety of Good Mornings with the Safety Squat Bar kick ass, and i literally feel them in my ass, lower back and hamstrings. I performed these into chains that were set a few inches below my belly button which made them harder than i anticipated. But i got em for the reps i intended and called it a night. Tomorrow i will finish the EDT accessory work with KB Swingthroughs and hanging leg raises with a 20 minute incline treadmill walk...Thats it for now folks, take care and Eat at Joe's!!!

11/09 DE Squat/DL

Speed Squats w/Bands 225x9x2
DL Off Platforms (Just Below Knee Level) 405x2, 475x3, 525x3, 545x3

Well i threw a new twist into the mix tonight, the original call was for DE Box Squats with Average Bands, However, i decided to go Free Squat and work on form, depth, etc...This was a good move as it provided me with a chance to work the speed side of things without the box, which i suspect i need. The speed, form, and depth all were good. I really like working with bands as you are forced to generate a alot of force to outrun the bands before they try and topple you. Pain, but good pain. This pain is usually in the form of a wicked lower back pump caused from constantly stabilizing your core and keep from falling forward, and sometimes backward. Anyway, all in all it was fun and different, which nutures interest and motivation.

Onto the next one, Deadlifts from Platforms at 1 inch below knee caps. These new platforms rock!!! They place the bar at the worst possible position for me. Death by design? I'm not sure, i just thought up the idea one day and built the friggin things, a happy mistake i guess. These arent really unlike Rack Pulls but in this case i am able to get the bar lower than if i was in my Squat Rack. I probably should have kept the weight a bit lighter but what the hell, bring on the overtraining, i'll deal with it later....The last set was a bit of a bitch but i "pulled" (Har Har) it out of my ass.

Since i have been lifting in this fashion (pulling more and getting more reps w/90% weights) my upper body thickness has increased and my body weight is up to 218 lbs, getting yoke-i-fied by the day....I have also upped my protein intake since the bench meet and take in around 300 grams a day. I figured out my progress with my BF analyzer the other day. In the last month and a half i have put on 10 lbs, 4 lbs of which were fat. My arm measurement went up to 17.5 inches and my pant legs are pushing the limits of good taste, now i have to wear size 40 waist just to get my legs comfortable, ahh to be short and stubby...Thank god for christmas coming up....I need to overhaul my wardrobe a bit.

Well that is it for now, i must get back to work and help fix some airplanes, just doing my part to keep America flying......ciao!!!




BTW tonight i will finish up with the EDT portion and some light treadmill walking, like you care..........

11/08 ME Bench

2 BD Press w/Chains 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 275x3, 315x4x2
4 BD Press 315x3, 365x3, 385x2x3
EDT 12 Min Pr Zone (Triples)
BB Row (Pendalay) 215x3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3
Rear Delts 40x3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3

Started out good but by the end of it my pec was killing me, i slapped on some icy hot and finished out, but i am seriously considering backing off this fucker for a good two weeks or so. The 2 Boards were all paused for around 2 seconds then pressed up with no jerking effort, same applied on the 4 Board press. Again no pain until after i let go of the bar and stand up, the only range of motion that seems affected is when i do an upright row sort of movement, not pressing. Kinda weird but what can you do. I will start doing some rehab movements in that plane and see where it takes me, i am sick of this shit and am too bull headed to back off. So i guess i gotta live with it or quit my pissin. Enough of that shit....

EDT was brutal as per usual, i like this pairing of movements as it hits the upper back area hard. by the end of it i am quite pumped and pained, so thats a good thing. I really dig doing the BB rows in this fashion as it totally eliminates any momentum, yeah the weights may be down but i feel it targets the area much better than the traditional bounce & row that you see everywhere....people say they can BB row 315 for 10 reps when in actuality they're doing 315 RDL's with a slight pull at the top...maybe i ought to wait to total elite before i start saying crap like that.....awwww who gives a shit.....Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

11/06 ME Squat- Deload

Squat 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 365x2, 405x1, 425x2
Rev Hyper 120x4x4
EDT 12 Min PR Zone (Triples)
SLDL 275x3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,4
AB Pull Down 115x3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,4

Yet another ho-hum entry, but what do you expect for a deload week....have no fear fellow readers, next week should get exciting . So be sure to tune in.....

11/05 DE Bench

Speed Bench w/Chains 225x8x3
CGBP w/Chains 275x4x4
EDT 10 min PR Zone
Seated Face Pull 65x5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5
PF Front Raise 30x5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5

DE Day, whoop dee doo doo, as i am late posting this i really have nothing to say.....up next is Deload ME Squat...

11/03 SE DL

Deadlift 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 365x1, 405x1, 455x5x1
Pull Throughs 130x4x8
Leg Curls 60x2x15
One Legged Bounding in pool and swimming....

LAst workout at the vacation spot, could only work up to 455 as there was no chalk and i forgot my straps. Oh well, i really didnt want to make this into a ME workout. My lower back was good and fried by the end of this anyway, so all is well.

The Pull Throughs kinda sucked with a tight back but i pressed on, knowing full well i was gonna hit the hot tub in a bit to loosen everything up. After the leg curls i went to the olympic pool and did onel legged bounds up and down for a bunch of sets, then swam a couple laps for good measure. I was pretty wiped out when all was said and done, then i hit the hot tub and washed it all away.....good times, good times....Thats it for now, i think i am heading into a de-load week but am not quite sure, will have to rework the schedule a bit as i didnt take this vacation into account when i designed the original. No worries mate......

11/01 ME Bench-Not Really

Close Grip Bench Press 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 275x5x3
Smith Machine Pin Press 385x4x6
DB Tri Ext 50x3x8
BB Rows 205x4x6
Shrugs 255x3x12

As i am on vacation this week i am relegated to the crappy gym at the resort, i.e no rack, crappy bench, and nada on the spotters tip. But i trudged on and got a decent workout in, shoulder pain aside. The bench press was close grip, if i only had a spotter!!! I could have gone heavier but with no spotter, this was the rep scheme of the day, still good stuff though.

The Smith Machine Pin Presses were gay, i had to stack some mats under the bar to get the height just right, but it worked. I got the most god awful looks after doing this, kind of amusing to have all the gym ratz on their treadmills sweatin to the oldies looking at me like some sort of abomination, ugh....keep on walkin there Q-tip.....

I decided to be extra obnoxious to the soccers moms all in attendance, so i did the BB Rows penadalay style with a nice loud crash on the floor on each paused rep. Good stuff, the personal trainer dude came to look thru the glass to see what all the noise was, just me being a jive turkey.....woo-hoo

I ended on shrugs and through in super light rear and side delt crap between sets with high reps, didnt keep track of them, but got em in none the less. Well, that is all from Lincoln NH, so from the white mountains to you, if a bear poops in the woods, does it make a smell?

I am an idiot for this post.....