ExRx.net

So I'm DubDub, I'm a college student who's been working out very consistently for about a year. I'm 6'2" or 3", weigh 183 (as of this morning... my weight fluctuates a great deal between 180 and 186) and currently bench 250 (max), do 23ish pull-ups (failure), etc. Pretty good shape. My academic year goal of benching 315 from the beginning of the year has dropped steadily to about 285, then 275. Unfortunately I recently hurt my lower back, and had to change my workouts to compensate. I took a little time off benching to aid in the healing, and lost a little strength, so now my goal is 265 by mid-May.

Anyway, I am going to journal my exercises for a different reason:
I want to be able to dunk. At will.

I aim to follow a punishing regimen of plyo's and lower body/ core training while my back gets back (haha, irony) to 100%.

Right now I can touch about 10'1" (touch the rim consistently). My next post will be my planned workouts.

Assume I weigh 185 lbs.

Lower Body (two or three times / week)
-Squatting Warm-up with 155 lbs (83.7% of body weight)
1 set 10 reps 205 lbs (111% of bw)
2 sets 8 reps 225 lbs (122% of bw)
-Calf Raises Warm-up with 180 (97%)
1 set 15 reps 220 lbs (119%)
2 sets 15 reps 280 lbs (151%)
-45 degree leg press Warm-up 225 lbs (122%)
1s 8r 315 lbs (170%)
2s 6r 365 lbs (197%)
-Lying leg curls warm-up 60 lbs (32%)
2s 8r 90 lbs (49%)

Core (three or four times / week):
-Wall sit (I will determine how long I can do it, to failure, then map out a workout duration, probably three sets)

-Plank (Same as above)

-Leg throws
2s 30r

-Decline sit-ups (weighted)
3s 12r 25 lbs

Plyo's (three or four times / week (whenever I lift +1 dedicated to plyo's)):
-March 3s 50r

-Shuffle 3s 50r

-HipHop (jump high, then jump as little as possible, repeat)
3s 50r

-High Knee Running in Place
(I will determine how long I can do it, to failure, then map out a workout duration, probably three sets)

Next post will contain a couple of questions I have.

I have questions about doing exercises weighted:

What's the general consensus on weight belts/vests?

What about while doing plyo's? should I not attempt plyo's while holding a plate/dumbbells, or is it particularly effective? (Obviously I would ease into it, not start with two plates on my back.)

Other things that have worked for you? I would appreciate any and all feedback.

Sunday March 19th Workout - 1st legs

Well, more obstacles than I had previously anticipated. My back and legs were weaker than I thought, so my workout was a bit truncated:

Squat
Warm-up with 155 lbs
1 set 10 reps 185 lbs
2 sets 8 reps 205 lbs

Calf Raises
Warm-up with 160
2 sets 15 reps 220 lbs
1 set 15 reps 280 lbs

45 degree leg press
Warm-up 225 lbs
2s 8r 315 lbs
2s 6r 365 lbs

Lying leg curls
Warm-up 62.5 lbs
2s 10r 75 lbs

The friends I went to the gym with wanted to run instead of plyo's, so I missed my first set of them... I know, I know, already off to a bad start, but on a positive note, I shot 30/50 free throws, or 60%, which is pretty good for me (usually I'm trying to break 40%).

Now a more discouraging note: my back is unfortunately going to prevent me from doing abs work. The thing is I can't really create force with it, while it's arched, without it hurting. So straight-back squatting is fine, but leg throws were a torture session yesterday, I had to stop after only 6. I'm thinking I'll just use the crunch-down machine in our gym, as that won't force it arch, and I'll try decline sit-ups today (didn't want to try yesterday after leg throws).

Well, nothing exciting today, upper body lift:

Bench:
Warm-up 155 x 8
1s 8r 185
1s 6r 205
1s failure 225 (I got three solid reps, two halfway decent, and help on 6th)

Curl:
Hammer 8 reps 35lbs
Hammer 8 reps 30lbs
21s with 22.5lbs

Shrug
3s 8r 135lbs

Military press (barbell)
2s 8r 95lbs

Plan for tomorrow:
1st plyo's workout, and lots of stretching.

Sorry to post so late. Especially considering I didn't work out today...
I was really feeling the first-time squatting pains in my legs today, painful to walk = no plyo's training for me.

Tomorrow I'll rest my legs again, as I have a midterm Thursday. Rest day!

Thursday after the test I'll do another upper body lift, and then Friday I'll be ready for lower body again.

Another upper body lift:

after reading http://www.defrancostraining.com/articl ... -equal.htm

I decided that I should build some sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, as that will be quite a break from the on/off myofibrillar training I've been doing. (Pecs not of impressive size can bench 4/3 my bodyweight.

So today's workout was supposed to be:
Bench-warmup 155lbs
Bench-3s 15r 175lbs
Bench-dropset to failure 155lbs

21's-3s 22.5lbs
Narrow grip Barbell Curl-1s 15r 55lbs
Wide grip Barbell Curl-1s 10r 55lbs

As many decline sit ups as I can do, unweighted (doesn't hurt my back).

I was not entirely successful...

1st set of bench I got all 15 reps, 2nd set only 11, 3rd set only 8 (perhaps more time needed for rest), dropset only managed 4 or so. But the pump was unbelievable! Nothing I had previously done came close to it (including sets of 5-6 with 225lbs). Very different feeling from after a normal bench session.

21's and barbell curls went according to plan, and I lost count of my sit-ups, though I estimate about 100 consecutively.

Tomorrow is now my lower body day (after test). Friday is another upper body. Saturday will be plyo's... seriously this time. And Sunday will be rest day.

So yesterday I did a light full body workout to catch up.

Squats- Warmup, two sets with 185 (still sore), one set with 205.

Bench- Warmup, three sets to failure (or max of 15 reps) with 175lbs, got 15, 11.5, 9.5 (basically no improvement over last time, I plan to drop weight to 170 for next bench day).

Leg press- one set 8 reps 225, two sets 8 reps 315, one set 6 reps 405.

Other minor workouts (not compound movements).

Sorry for these late posts. I'll try to post twice today to be concurrent with the workout. Anyway, yesterday was just arms to finish up from Friday:

21's- 3s 22.5lbs
Barbell Curls- 3s 12r 45lbs
Sit-ups-1s 100r no weight
1s 12r 10lbs
Narrow grip skull crushers-1s 8r 75lbs
2s 8r 85lbs

On the sit-ups discrepancy: the first set was more along the lines of what I normally do (as well as my gym-going group of friends), but one of the big guys in our gym told us to do them much slower, with a much greater ROM, to flex the abs the whole time, to crunch it at the top etc. Basically, to have good form. From now on I (and my friends) plan to do what he suggested.

Two sets of the new abs workout, 8 reps each.

Squat- warmup, 1s 8r 155lbs
1s 8r 190lbs
1s 7r 205lbs
1s 6r 215lbs
1s 8r 215lbs

Calves-
2s 8r 300lbs

45 degree Leg press-
1s 8r 275lbs
1s 6r 365lbs
2s 4r 455lbs

Nothing interesting today. Tomorrow will be upper body.

Bench:
1s 8r 155lbs (warm-up)
1s 6r 195lbs
2s 5r 210lbs
2s 4r 215lbs (needed a little help on last rep of 2nd set)

Shoulder Raise (front):
2s 8r 45lbs

Upright Row:
2s 8r 55lbs

Incline Bench:
1s 8r 135lbs
1s 7r 115lbs

Skull Crushers:
1s 6r 85lbs

Wide Grip Chin-up:
1s 6r

As is pretty evident, my shoulders were pretty fatigued towards the end of the workout. Hence, I think I need to work on them (and my pectoralis clavicular). My next post will be my projected upper body only 7day split.

I am going to use the EAS bench press progression program, today's workout was at the 250 line, but I may drop down to the 245 line for the future.
see it here: http://www.eas.com/training/benchpress/index.asp

I'll do my last upper body session this week Friday, then use the following from now on.

Sunday-X
Monday-A
Tuesday-X
Wednesday-B
Thursday-X
Friday-C
Saturday-X

A
Bench:
Warmup w/ 155lbs
Progression Table Workout, (odd workouts, beginning w/#3)

Shoulder Raise (front):
2s 8r 45lbs

WG Chin-ups:
2s 6r

B
Incline Bench:
3s 8r 135lbs

Shoulder Press:
3s 8r 65lbs (+)

Skull Crushers:
2s 8r 85lbs

C
Bench:
Warmup w/ 155lbs
Progression Table Workout, (even workouts, beginning w/#4)

Incline Bench:
3s 8r 135lbs (+)

Shoulder Press:
2s 8r 65lbs (this is why they need work)

Upright Row:
2s 8r 65lbs


Thoughts? Oh, and (+) indicates that if I successfully complete all three sets with the proper number of reps, with correct form, I will increase the weight by 5lbs for the future.

Yesterday I did a full body workout with a bunch of compound movements:

Bench:
1s 8r 155lbs
1s 3r 210lbs
1s 2r 230lbs
1s 3r 230lbs
Neg 250lbs

Squat:
1s 8r 155lbs
1s 5r 210lbs
2s 4r 230lbs
2s 3r 250lbs

Cable Fly:
2s 8r 80lbs

WG Chin-up:
1s 6r

Twisting decline sit-ups:
1s 20r 10lbs

Leg Press:
1s 8r 315lbs
2s 6r 405lbs

Push-ups (elevated feet 1'):
2s 10r

Today I plan to go in for a full body workout of isolation/supporting exercises, shoulder press, shoulder lift, hammer curls, skullcrushers, calf raises, and lying leg curls most likely.

Incline Bench press:
3s 8r 135lbs

Skullcrushers:
2s 8r 85lbs
1s 5r 85lbs

Dumbbell Kickbacks:
(supersets)
3s 8r 20lbs

Pull-downs
2s 6r 120lbs

WG Chin-ups
1s 4r

Cable Pushdowns:
2s 8r 80lbs

Deadlift/Shrug:
1s 8r 135lbs

Deadlift
1s 8r 185lbs

Preacher curls
1s 8r 65lbs
1s 5r 75lbs

Yesterday's workout:
Squat:
warm-up 155lbs
1s 8r 195lbs
2s 7r 205lbs
2s 6r 220lbs

Lying leg curls:
2s 10r 75lbs

Leg press:
1s 8r 275lbs
2s 6r 365lbs

Sit-ups:
2s 10r 10lbs (again, the very slow, difficult, sit-ups, with full incline)

Today will be upper body, if I feel energetic enough after my intramural frisbee game (and if it looks like I'll get all of my work done for tomorrow, which may or may not happen).