Full Body

Talk about hitting full extension (bonus if you know what I mean by that)

So this week I started a new job, one that may leave my other security job a goner, but either way it started me out at full time and on nights, midnight to noon was one long ass day, it was hard to adjust to it being I found out the day of.  So my workouts took a back seat, but back at it today.  It felt awesome I because I'll be busier going back to my slightly older style program makes more sense to me.  I tackled an old one, and I had one goal in mind, shatter my old time, not beat it by a bit, but kill it.  I changed the variables in my benefit, last time the deadlift bar was iron plates (no dropping) and smaller than usual, today was bumper and regular size.  All the rest was the same, my old time being 21:20

10 Rounds for time
15 Deadlifts - 135
15 Pushups
Time: 15:23

Neutral Grip Pullups - 10, 8, 7
Dips - 12, 11, 9

Holy shit did I kill it, almost exactyly 6 minutes faster, funny too because last time I did this I wrote that the pushups weren't broken, today they were around the middle rounds, I guess the deadlifts were a lot harder last time and that forced longer time between the pushups.  It hurt a lot, but not where I expected.  The grip, the hamstrings, the upper back, the triceps and chest all hurt, but at 4 round I think my quads cramped something fierce and didn't fully release till....well half way through the pullups and dips.  I know you use your quads on deads but they are far from the dominant movement.  This new job has me going up I think a million sets of stairs every shift, so perhaps my quads were just drained.  Either way, I'm stoked about the time, and the feeling as adjusting to nights at the last minute didn't work and I have barely slept all week.  The pullups and dips were to add something more.  Good feeling!

Core and Mobility

High rep ab day

Not for time but move fast
50 Situps
40 Straight Leg Raises
30 Russian Twists with 35 lb plate (30 per side)
20 Decline Situps
10 Toe to Bars

Swiss Ball Crunches - 4x25

Then 15 ish minutes of mobility work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLtLs0NCYI8

That's a video of the russian twist with the plate, it was a good exercise.  The leg raises were the hardest one but each burned, the toe to bars were only broken into two sets (6-4) but I still hate that exercise.  I've thinking about changing my program again, but we'll see.

Upper Body

Today didn't follow in my usual workout plan, I worked out with a friend who wanted to get into some weight training, so I did the same workout she did which was a simple upper body weight program.  No point in listing what I did.

Legs

Legs, and heavy deadlifts.

Sumo Deadlifts (all sets resetting)
225x3
275x3
315x3
365x2
385x1
405x1
425x1

Back Squats (high bar, just below parallel)
135x10
then 3x10 at 185

Alternate Sets
Leg Extension - 155x10, 170x10, 185x10
Hamstring Curl - 80x10, 90x10, 100x8

425 was flipping heavy, but very happy with the lift, it's not my pr (445) on sumo's but I was on a strength program then, I'm not now and very happy I am able to maintain a decent level of strength and be able to deadlift over 400 pounds whenever I want.  The first set at 185 on the back squats actually felt harder then the rest, but it felt good, I'm really liking the high bar just below parallel back squats.  Good feeling leg day.

Upper Body

Bench Press
warmup
135x8
165x5
185x7, 7, 7, 6

Incline DB Flies
50sx8
60sx8
65sx6

Cable Bench Press
80x12
90x12
100x10

Alt. DB Curls - 40sx5, 45sx5, 50sx5

No supersets, just straight sets with some heavy ish stuff, nice workout.

Core and mobility

My abs were actually a little sore still, minor, but I could still feel them.

3 Rounds for time
10 Weighted Situps - 40
10 RC Ball Toss Twist (per side) - 12 lb med ball
10 Straight Leg Raises
Time: 7:35

Swiss Ball Side Crunches - 3x15 per side

2 sets of cable crunches, remember I hate that exercise but I never feel it so stopped.

15 minutes of mobility work.

That was a good ab burner for time, leg raises were probably the hardest in the end.

Upper Body

Legs pretty sore, but very good sore.

Weighted Neutral Grip Pullups
BWx10
35x6
45x5
50x5
55x5

Tension DB Rows - 3x8.....25s

Underhand Pulldowns
100x12
100x12
110x12

Overhead Tricep Extension Drop set
90 to 60
10-10
10-5
8-6

Good workout today, the second exercise is new, you lean over a bench and hold the peak contraction as you do one arm at a time, burned the upper back pretty good.

Legs

Awesome

Yesterday I went for a long hike, which started with scaling a ski hill so my legs didn't have the same juice in them today, but I wanted to see what I could do.

Skater Squats - 4x5 (used blue band)

HB Back Squats (just below parallel)
135x5
185x5
205x5
225x5
245x5

DB Romanian Deadlifts
70sx10
75sx10
80sx10

Skater squats are a new exercise, they were definately challenging but I want to get better at pistol squats and this is a good stepping stone.  Here is what they look like,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tivrc9UhELc

The athlete in this video is doing them with a lot of added weight and to a deficit, I had to use a band to help.  But they were difficult especially as I got closer to the bottom.  Still sticking with the back squats to just below parallel they were challenging by the end, good leg workout.

Upper Body

Great upper body day.  Will go well with my sore abs.

Decline Bench Press
135x10
185x8
205x6
225x6 (a??)
225x5

Superset
Cable Flie - 60x10, 70x10, 80x8
Cable Bench Press - 60x10, 70x10, 80x5

Plate Pushups (hands on 45 lb bumper plates) - 15, 13, 12

Cable Fly Curls Drop set
50x10, 8, 6
30x6, 6, 6

I have no clue if the person helped me on that 6th rep of the bench press, it seemed like he did but he said he didn't, so I put question marks.  This workout really burned my arms could barely shift and turn on the turning signal for the drive home.

Core and Mobility

Impressive

RC Ball Toss Twist - 3x12 per side (6 lb med ball, then 12 for last two)

Ab Rollout - 3x10

Med Ball Overhead Decline Situps - 3x10.....20 lb med ball

50 Crunches

Then 15 minutes of mobility.  This was a harder than it looks ab workout, other then the crunches it was lower reps, ab rollouts are a bitch of an exercise.

Upper Body

Flexin time

Because my brother is off to Arizona I'm stuck helping to take care of his cat in Guelph, freakin thing needs to be fed twice a day.  Plus a surprise night shift left me a tad sleep deprived but I only missed yesterday, back at it today.

Cable Row
120x10
140x8
160x6
180x5
200x3

Superset
Pullups - 5, 5, 5
Kipping Pullups - 7, 6, 5

R-Band Pull Aparts - 3x12 with black band

Overheard rope extensions - 80x12, 90x12, 100x8

Despite the small number the superset actually hurt, you stay on the bar the entire time, the 5 strict pullups were a set number the second set was more when I went for whatever, maybe could have gotten another rep or two but it was a good burn.

Legs and power

Power Snatch (touch and go)
95x5
115x5
125x3
135x3
135x3

High Bar Back Squats (just below parallel)
warmup
135x6
135x6
work sets
185x8
205x8
225x8

Bulgarian Split Squats x50 (per side)

The snatches felt good today, the sets at 135 were solid with good form.  The back squats were done a little different this time, I kept the high bar position that I use where I'd normally go hamstring to calf, today I just went below parallel if I were doing low bar.  It felt like a strong position I liked it, 228 for 8 was close.  I know I was dropping well below parallel but wanted to be safe.

Measurements

Today I decided to do my measurements again.  Something I haven't done in two years, so this was going to be interesting.  I've come a long ass way from the 135 pounds weak as shit couldn't do a single dip I used to be when I started working out.  I'm proud of where I have come, but still feel I got some work to do.  Being I have been at this for so many years progress is much slower, I gain wait as fast as a snail crawls across your window.  Luckily in two years there is a difference, below I'll post my current measurements and weight and in brackets post what I was at the end of 2010.

Weight - 190 (177)

Shoulders - 52 (49)
Chest - 43 (42)
Stomach - 34.25 (32)
Right Arm - 15 (14)
Left Arm - 14.5 (13.75)
Right Leg - 24.5 (22.5)
Left Leg - 24.5 (22.5)

So 13 pounds ahead, I'm pretty pleased with that, it seems to take my a long ass time to put weight on my lanky frame.  It usually seems to go no where and then all of a sudden I gain 5 pounds, it's random, but 190 is of course the most I have ever weighed, closing in on that 200 pound goal.  Based on the training I did this past little bit, and the fact that I had an elbow injury that prevented almost all chest work for I believe up to 6 months, I shouldn't be too surprised it only went up one inch.  Having said that my chest has always been a week point, my barbell bench simply sucks.  On the plus side, when I wasn't working my chest, I was doing loads of olympic lifting and deadlifts and squats, so my legs took a beating, and rightfully so they went up 2 inches each, that even surprised me I was very pleased.  I was also happy with the 3 inch add to my shoulders, olympic lifting also helped there, 255 overhead would help but that's also due to a lot of back work.  My arms went up an inch (almost on the one side) which sounds about right, stomach up too but being my midsection looks exactly the same I think it was more my lower back muscles.  Happy with results, even though it's been a while.

Upper Body

DB Bench Press
60sx10
70sx8
80sx6
90sx5
95sx4

Bench Press (1 1/2 reps) - 135x8, 6, 6

Cable Flies
60x10
70x10
80x10

Cable Fly Curls - 30x10, 40x10, 50x10

Core and Mobility

Legs still nice and sore.  Time for my weakness day.

Superset
Weighted Situps - 40x10, 50x10, 10
Russian Chair Leg Raises (straight leg) - 10, 7, 7

Roman Chair Situps - 3x25

Twist with DB on Exercise Ball  - 15, 20 20 (max reps)

Then about 20 minutes of mobility again.  That first pairing really hurt the abs, normally I could bang out almost 20 o the leg raises but not with how this was set up, it was good though I dislike working my abs a little less now, and that simply means I don't hate it now...just a general grudge.

Upper Body

Legs very sore today, quads and glutes mostly.

R-Band Neutral Grip Pullups
Just body weight - 10 reps
Purple - 5
Green - 4, 4, 4

Pause Technique - Chest Supported Row
180x8-3
180x8-3
180x7-3

Reverse Flies - 25sx10, 32sx8, 8

I forgot about r-band pullups, man those make it a lot harder, and I used the same rest technique on the chest supported row, using 12 second again.

Legs

I wasn't feeling up to a workout today, my mind was elsewhere, Sundays I workout with my dad and mere minutes before he walked out the door I changed my mind, thinking I know I'd regret it if I didn't.

Box Back Squats
185x5
205x5
225x5
245x5

Reverse Lunges - 3x8.......135

100 Travelling lunges

That may look short but it really burned.  I was also kind of stiff going in again so I needed good time to warmup, I felt the stiffness in my back when I did the squat but only then.  The reverse lunges hurt pretty good, and the travelling lunges weren't unbroken this time, it was two sets of 50 with the second one being in great slow motion.

Upper Body

My core is nice and sore today, I love the feeling being I never do it so I'm not used to being sore.

Smith Machine Bench Press
120x10
170x6
190x5
210x3
210x2

Pause Technique
Hammer Strength Bench Press
180x8-4
180x8-4
180x8-2

Incline DB Flies
50sx8
55sx8
60sx8

Preacher Curl with hold - 3x10...60

The pause technique works like this, do a set close to failure, in this case 8 reps per set (it was pretty much failure by the third set), you then rest 12 seconds and complete a few more.  It's a good strength and hypertrophy technique, essentially I was doing 12 reps per set (10 on the last one) with a weight where no way I could get 12, so a form of an extended set.  I had no spot on the smith machine bench press odds are I could have gotten a third rep on that 5th set.

Core and Mobility

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet

These are two things I never do, but it's not because I don't enjoy it I just don't make the time for it, so giving them there own day was the best option to hit two weaknesses.  Well my mobility isn't bad, and my core strength is really good from all the deadlifts and front squats I do, but high rep stuff I can't do to save my life.

Cable Woodchop
70x10 (per side)
80x10
90x10

50 Roman Chair Situps (broken into 25-15-10)

Swiss Ball JackKnifes - 13, 12, 12

25 Situps (unbroken)
25 Crunches (15-10)

Then about 20 to 25 minutes of static stretching, it felt good and I didn't mind it at all.  That's probably more ab work that I did today than I have in an entire month.  Luckily my back typically never feels ab work, but sometimes my hip flexors do but usually I can work around that.  Also because of my cyst I am slightly limited in the exercises i can do.