ExRx.net

Weigh in: 306.6 lbs. 30.6lbs total this year, 87lbs since I started.

Week 8 pull

10 minute bike warmup, 3.10 miles

DL: 5x165, 5x215, 5x265, 5x295, 5x315
Pendlay ROw: 5x5x195
Chins(single band): 5x4x4x4x4

DB Curls: 10x35, 7x40

30 minute bike ride, 8.94 miles.

Notes: Like squats, pull day is still going strong! Best week yet on chins...all the sets of 4 I went to failure on the 5th and really pushed to try and get 5. Pendlay rows are coming along nicely as well. DL's are back to a weight where I feel like I'm actually doing work. I think I should have started the DL's a little higher, but it's been good to really build it back up. I was pulling 360 for reps when I had a PR of 425 last year. I decided to take some advise from a fellow board lifter and did my ramping sets a little better. I have gone 7 weeks without doing a bicep curl. I only added 2 sets of 10 because I really don't feel like they are getting enough stimulation. Not sure if it's the weight loss or not doing curls but I lost 1/4-1/2" on my right arm. Now both of them at 17 inches...though smaller they look bigger because I've lost 30lbs. I bet when I lose another 30 they are going to look great.


Edit: realized my DL sets did not ramp like I had wanted them. Wanted to go 50, 40, 30, 20, but went 50, 50, 30, 20. No big deal. Will correct next week.

Week 9 legs

10 minute warm up, 3.08 miles.

Squat: 5x45, 5x135, 5x5x245
Leg Press: 3x5x695
Seated Calf Raise: 5x5x170

Farmers walks: 105lb db's x 100 feet for 3 sets.

Notes: Squat still going strong! Leg press was intense and I almost failed on the 5th rep of the last two sets. I think I may have been able to go for 4-5 sets, but I wouldn't have completed the 5x5. I'll go up 10lbs next week for week 10 and then deload before I text my maxes. I really thought I would fail on squats before I hit my deload week. Who knows, week 10 may be the week, but judging by how strong I felt, I don't think that is happening. Last year when I squatted 260/265, I maxed at 315lbs. So let's see where I am while using a belt. My hands are getting destroyed by farmers walks though...but in a good way. Not going to get on the scale until Friday because I ate big the last 4 days and think I may have gained a few pounds. Hoping to be at 303 this week, but I have a feeling that isn't going to happen just yet.

305.2 this morning.

Week 9 push

3.04 mile bike warm up.

DBBP: 5x50, 5x70, 3x5x100
OHP: 5x45, 5x95, 5x120, 4x120, 5x120
CGBP: 5x5x175

DB Side Bends: 3x10x105

Notes: Felt good today that I finally hit 3x5 on DBBP and came really close on OHP. Hopefully next week I can finally hit 3x5x125 on OHP. Had lots of protein today and approaching some new snacks that are good for me and good tasting.

Week 9 pull

10 minute bike warmup, 3.03 miles.

DL: 5x175, 5x235, 5x275, 5x305, 5x325
Pendlay Row: 5x5x200
Chins: 5x5x4x4x4

DB Curls 2x10x35

Bike cool down: 28 minutes, 9 miles.

Notes: Chins felt great, need to rest 4 minutes between each set and maybe I'll be able to hit 5x5 with assistance. I can't wait to test my max without the bands and see if I went up at all. Before this 5x5 I was only able to do 1 from full extension, and another from 3/4's of the way down(not in the "hole". Again, my gym time math is terrible and I went up 60x40x30x20. Think I will add another warm up set to the beginning and start at 135 to really "get warm".

Week 10 legs

3.13 mile bike warm up

Squat: 5x45, 5x135, 5x5x250
Leg Press: 3x5x705
SCR: 5x5x185

Farmers Walks: 3x100ftx110lbs

Notes: Made it 10 weeks on squats without failure. Feel like I can continue to progress, but I will take a week to deload and then tex my maxes. I'm not sure how I will re-start once I'm done testing my maxes. Probably switch to the 3x5 and re-do week 10. Unfortunately after I squatted today, I could BARELY get through leg press. I thought I was going to fail on a few reps. I think with 3 working sets of squats, I'll be less fatigued when it comes to leg press and I'll be able to add more weight to that lift.

Side note: I tried chins without the bands. I will say that the first rep was done with an ease that I've never had. Felt effortless. Second rep was more of the same, from in the whole. Was never able to go from a full hang and get #2. Didn't have to help myself up by swinging my legs or anything~ Tried to 3 but couldn't do it. Felt good enough to be able to do that. Interested to see how things will progress in the coming weeks. Not going to weigh in tomorrow like I usually would...had a bad weekend so I will just weigh myself on Friday.

Week 10 push

3.10 mile bike ride

DBBP: 5x50, 5x70, 2x105, 3x105, 1x105
OHP: 5x45, 5x95, 3x5x120
CGBP: 5x5x180

DB Side Bends: 3x10x105

Notes: DB BP got the best of me. 1x105 is pathetic...I know why it happened, that won't happen again. OHP, finally hit 3x5 @ 120lbs. Felt pretty good. CGBP was still strong as ever. Next week we deload, then I think I'm taking a slightly new approach to things. I went back to where I was this time last year, and I was pressing 4-5x105 for DB BP. I did one more warm up set and working in the 4-6 range. I think I will try that again after I test my maxes. I will also switch to Push Press for my overhead movement, and dips for my triceps.

Morning weigh in: 303lbs. 34 total this year. 3 more pounds until my first goal!

Week 10 Pull

Bike warmup, 3.15 miles

DL: 5x175, 5x225, 5x265, 5x315, 5x335
Pendlay Row: 5x5x205
Chins: 5x5x5x4x4
DB Curls: 2x10x40

Finisher: 10 minute bike ride, 2.83 miles.

Notes: Bike ride was short because the bike wasn't working properly. I swear that for such a huge fitness chain, they don't care when you tell them something is messed up. Everything else felt good. Looking forward to a week of deload.

Deload week.

Had a little lower back pain today so on the way home I decided that during this deload week I will take it easy and get ready for our home softball opener. So I spent the night stretching my hips, hams, quads and calves.

Thursday I will go to the cages and hit 100 balls then go home and do some body weight stuff. Pushups, squats, dips and then stretch some more.

Saturday I will stretch and relax. Sunday will be a double header. Next week I will work on my maxes in Squat, DB BP, OHP, DL's and chins. THen I will start over with some slight changes to the routine.

Wednesday weigh in: 301.4lbs

Saturday: 10.44 mile bike ride, 35minutes. Followed by 9 rounds(10 balls) at the softball batting cages.

Sunday: season opening double header.

Would like to officially hit 300lbs next week. I think it's attainable goal. After I test my big maxes for each day(squat monday, dbbp and ohp wednesday, and DL/Chins saturday) I'm either going to do some HIIT on the bike, or some bb complexes. Depends on how I feel. Then the following week I re-start. Not sure exactly what my routine is going to look like next, probably in the 4-6 rep range.

Weigh in 302.2lbs.

10 minute bike ride, 3.15 miles

Squat max test: 5x45, 5x135, 3x225, 1x250, 1x265, 1x285, 1x295, 1x305, 1x315

In between first 3 warmup sets, I did my chin rep max. 2x2.

DBBP: 5x60, 3x70, 1x100, 1x105, 1x110


Notes: I'm a little bummed with the squat number. I think I could have done more, but I couldn't find two competent people who could spot me. I didn't feel secure enough, and the squat rack does not adjust perfectly for me. Either it's the safety bars are too high, where I go to parallel and it hits the bb, or it's too low and I feel like If I just sat back, I may cause more damage then good. Last time I tested my squat max last year, I was doing max ot. It was exactly a year ago that I squatted the same amount of weight with 30lbs on my frame. By design, you would think my squat would have gone up. My routine was different, but with the weight drop I should have been able to go up. I think I could have, but II doubted myself and didn't want to screw around. Next time I test my max, I'm going to give myself a day where I work on falling backwards in the hole so I can become more confident with it.

With chins, i did 2 sets of 2 from complete stretch. I was never able to do two from full stretch. 2rd rep on either set wasn't happening, but I felt strong on those 4 total reps. After that I did DBBP. Could I maybe have done more on a fresh day just doing this lift? Maybe, but 110lbs were ALMOST my failure point. I know I couldn't ever do this before. 105's were the most I was ever able to do, so I'm glad I got up 110's. I never tested a true ORM with BP or DBBP.

I'm hoping that when I test my DL max in Thursday, that I can at least pull 430lbs like I did this time last year. One of the biggest things I noticed was last year, during softball season(played from spring to fall) lifting took a back seat. I did a lot more complexes and less heavy. Did a few different routines...I feel like I never got in the zone like I did right before last season and right before this season. I'm going to make a goal for myself to remain in this zone by only playing ball 1 day a week and not having my gym time take a back seat to softball and beer drinking.

I also think part of the problem was that I played a double header on sunday and my legs were kind of sore. No excuse though....

Since my week is kind of screwed up due to not being able to test OHP maxes tonight, and knowing that I'll be hungover on Saturday and deads are pointless, I decided to just have a nice vanity day.

10 minute warm up on recumbent bike. 2.84 miles

Chins(band double wrapped): 6,5,4,4,4,2
Dips(bw): 4,4,4
DB Curls: 10x40, 10x40, 8x45
Seated Triceps press: 10x230, 10x240, 8x250

I'll start next week with my leg day(squat 3x4-6, leg press 3x4-6, SLDL's 3x4-6, calf raises 3x8-10, farmer's walks)s
Push day, I'll test OHP first, then head to DBBP, Dips, triceps movement and db side bends
Pull day I'll test dl's, then go to db rows, chins, and a bicep movement.