Low box squats 3reps by 12 sets 50 kilos (1 min. rest)
Used 6 plates as box. It was quite low but manage to complete the exercise.
Speed DL 3x12x80kg
Was not sure if it was 3sets x 12 reps or 3reps x 12 sets. I chose the latter.
Good mornings 3x10 (12rm weight)
Used 40kg weight.
Bent over rows 3x10
Used 50kg weight.
Abs:
Weighted situps 5 sets 10-20 reps
Russian Twist weighted 3 sets 10 -12 reps
I missed my first workout. I was supposed to have a workout today but I was not feeling well. I think I am going down with the flu. Hope it won’t get aggravated since I have a business trip next week. I’ll definitely try to get a session in tomorrow and another on Saturday since it is doubtful I could have a workout next week.
The next few months would be hectic at work, thus I would have to be creative and smart in my scheduling. I would still get my two weekdays sessions going after the business trip. I would have to choose between the days of Tuesday to Thursday. Mondays and Fridays are off-days since I would be traveling to and from work.
My rest week had just ended and time for another cycle. This time around we would be focusing on hyperthropy. The weekly program would be divided into two. Two days volume (bodybuilding), and two days strength/power. The Saturday workout consisted of 10 reps of 80% of my 1 RM for the bench. I did about three sets. The next exercises were all assistance training but still the focus was on volume. The main exercise for the Sunday workout was the squat. I did 10 reps of 80% of my 1 RM for the squat, for three sets. I did stiff legged Romanian Deadlift next. Doing 12x10x50kgs. It was followed by leg presses and leg curls and last were ab exercises (plank and leg raise). I still don’t know what the exercises would be for the weekday. I just have to wait and see.
Another cycle has ended and it was time again for getting PRs. It was a short training cycle about 5 weeks. We are trying to see which length of training works best for me. For the next cycle, we would be focusing again on hyperthropy. Need those muscles to be able to lift more weight. We started off with the squat. It was the first time I used knee wraps. Marlon put the wraps on my knees and did it “light”. I was wondering what “heavy” wrapping feels like? It was also the first time I used a belt. The belt I used was not very good but again I was happy with the result. I just wished I already had my own belt. I asked a friend to buy a Forever Belt from Inzer, but no one is coming back to the Philippines at this time to hand carry it for me (shipping is just too expensive). The attempt went
12x1 @ 20kgs
5x1 @ 50kgs
1x1 @ 90kgs
1x1 @ 100kgs (used a belt and knee wraps)
1x1 @ 110kgs (used belt and wraps)
1x1 @ 130kgs (used belt and wraps)
Actually we tried two reps at 130kgs but I bombed out, because during the first rep while getting down into the hole the belt (which was fastened by Velcro) loosened. I really felt I could’ve made the 2nd rep. We decided to stop there. My previous PR was 100kgs (no belt and wraps). Marlon estimated that we could have gone around 150 if the belt was of better quality, anyway it was still a new PR. The wrap was an entirely new experience for me. I felt more secure and the springiness of the wrap help me a lot. The belt too helped a lot.
I rested for 10 minutes or so and headed for the next “event”, the bench press. My previous PR was 55kgs. I was not able to monitor the weights we used but we ended at 65kgs. I was satisfied with the attempts though I need to work on my technique. Coach noticed that my arch was higher now which was a good thing. Need to work on foot placement, shoulder blades, meet the bar, use legs to help pushing the bar, explosiveness, etc.
The last event was the deadlift. My previous best was 120kgs. The lift went
10x1 @ 50kgs
5x1 @ 75kgs
3x1 @ 90kgs
1x1 @ 100kgs
1x1 @ 120kgs
1x1 @ 130kgs
1x1 @ 135kgs failed
1x1 @ 135kgs got it!
My first attempt at 135kgs failed because of timing problems. Everything was not in sync for the lift. I rested for about 5 minutes and did the 2nd attempt, this time I nailed it. It was amazing, all the hardwork I did for the past 5 weeks paid off. I was into the lift that after I got the 135kgs my shins was somewhat aching. The knurls of the bar was scraping my shins! I did not notice it during the lift. I should use knee high socks next time. One more thing. I am now going to use Chuck Taylors high cut all black in my training sessions. My cross trainers just would not cut it for me. It is too “bouncy” and during heavy lifts in “rounds” thus I lose my footing. If you have better shoes to recommend just let me know. J
I was trying to search for articles about the
I got to use the lifting strap for the first time. It was very useful. I would ask a friend of mine to buy me one. Now I would have to choose what type. Would it be the cotton or the leather one?
I think the supplements are working. Was able to increase weights used last Sunday. Would be continuing supplementation for the next 8 to 9 weeks. I started supplementing WW37. Now with regards to dosage, I am currently taking 3 grams of glutamine everyday before going to sleep and last week I started using glutamine post workout. Starting this week I would be adding it too in my pre workout. I am also now taking creatine. I take around 5g. in the morning during off days and during workout days I take in 5g pre and 5g post. After what I have read and inputs from Marlon here is what I plan to do.
Glutamine:
Off day – 3g before sleeping
Light Workout days – 3g pre and 3g post + 3g before sleeping
Heavy workout days – 5g pre and 5g post + 3g before sleeping
*would be taking it 30 mins before workout and immediately after workout with carbs
Creatine:
Off day – 5g in the morning (after breakfast)
Light workout days – 5g pre and 5g post
Heavy workout days – 8g pre and 5g post
*cycling would be 8 weeks on 4 weeks off
Whey:
Off day – 1 scoop 3x a day ( am snack, pm snack, night snack (8pm))
Workout day – 1 scoop am snack, 2 scoops pre workout, post workout would be chocolate milk + glutamine and creatine, 30 mins. after 1 scoop in water
Multivitamins:
1 in the morning
1 after dinner
Liquids:
At least 10 glasses of water (~3.5liters)
12 glasses during workout days (~4.25liters)
The Saturday workout was relatively good. I did it alone since Marlon can’t make it. The exercises were:
Low box squat 60x9x2
Speed Sumo deadlift 95x2x2 (wrong load!)
Speed Sumo DL 75x3x2
Rack Pulls 80x3x10 (should have been just two sets)
Reverse Hypers (3x12)
Super 21’s (2 sets)
Arch Stretch (was not able to do since I would be exceeding 1 hr)
Learned to start the squat with the head first, and to tighten everything during the squat.
The Sunday workout was a bit of a stretch. It was Max bench day. The routines were:
Smith machine 2” off chest 55x5x3 (tried 60 but it was still too heavy for me)
Smith machine 4” off chest close grip (forgot the weight but it was 5x3)
Arch stretch
Triceps push down (17.5x3x8)
Lat pulls (using ropes)
The first two exercises taught me many things: set up, use the legs, flatten your foot on the floor to lock your hips, be aggressive in your approach, tighten everything during the lift from start to finish. Marlon wasn’t satisfied that we didn’t finish the second exercise, so he ask me to redo the last set. I aggressively approached the set and nailed it in one go. It was good!
Low start DL 5x5 @90kg
Dumbbell RDL 5x9 @ 40lbs
Bent Over Rows 3x10 @ 60kg
Good Mornings 3x10 @ 40kg
The low box speed squat was quite difficult today since I was still sore from the low start deadlift I did last Thursday. But still I got 8 sets of 2 reps each nailed down. Because of the soreness my speed deadlift suffered too. Coach advised me to take cretine supplement. It seems that food alone is not enough to build the muscles I need. Let’s see what it will do.
Overall it was a good max bench day today. Got to work on my arch. It seems that I got the arch thing nailed. I was able to lift more with proper technique. I was able to use my setup (arch, feet placement, push with the legs) to lift 5kgs more from last weeks weight. We also did arch stretch today.
I don’t know if I was too weak that day or the exercises were just too tough for me right now. The routine was (planned)
Low start deadlift 5x5 at 100kg
Dumbbell Romanian deadlift 5x8 @ 50lbs.
Bent over rows 3x10 @ 60kg
Good Mornings 3x10 @ 50kg.
The workout went this way
Drank a glass of choco milk 30 mins. with half a scoop of whey before the workout. Rested for a few minutes (~20 mins.)
Low start deadlift 5x5 at 100kg. I took 2 to 3 minutes rest between sets. It was tough. I stood on 2” plates and was using 20kg plates. I was taking a few second rests between reps. But I completed it as planned. Noticed numerous things during the lift. Setup is very vital. If the setup is wrong either the lift took too long to takeoff or my hands feels the pain. But generally in 95% of the reps my form is good, I know my form is good when I feel the effort to lift the weight comes from my lower body (pushing off the floor). I really felt drained. I felt that I could not get past the Bent over rows.
The next exercise was the Dumbell Romanian DL 5x8 @ 50lbs. I did not have enough plates for my dumbbells so I used 40lbs and used the same number of sets and reps. No problem with the routine. Took 1.5 to 2 minutes rest. I noticed during the exercise while resting that I was yawning and felt sleepy.
The third exercise was bent over rows 3x10 @ 60kg. This time things got a little more tough. I managed to finish the first set but just barely. My grip was giving out, it was just too painful. Could it be the gloves pinching the skin of my palm and fingers? Just to complete the routine I lowered the weight to 50kgs and added 2 reps for the last two sets. By this time I was still yawning and really doubtful that I could complete the workout. Around this time total time elapsed for the workout was around 50minutes.
I took about 3 minutes of rest and try to give the good mornings a try. I was able to unrack the barbell and setup for the good mornings. As soon as I was about to perform the first rep I did not feel I can push it back up. I was just too drained. Decided to stop the workout. I got frustrated in not finishing the workout but then again I also felt glad that I nailed the major exercise for the day. So I would rate the day at around 9 for toughness and around 7 for effort. Drank 8oz of chocomilk and half a scoop of whey to round out the workout.
The workout today focused on the upper body for the bench. The routine for the day were
Speed Bench (cg) 30/3/3
Speed Bench (mg) 30/3/3
Speed Bench (wg) 30/3/3
Close grip 2" off chest 30/6/5
Close grip 4"-6" off chest 30/3/9
one arm dumbell rows 40lbs./10/3
reverse grip bicep curls 20/10/3
The entire workout took about 46 mins. For the first 5 exercise I used 45 seconds of rest between sets and 2 mins rest between exercise while for the last two I took 2 minutes. Practiced my arch all through the bench routines.
I can’t come up with a better title for this post so please cut me some slack. Anyway the workout was really tough. We are addressing my weakness in the Bench Press. First we did board presses or something similar to it. We did it on a smith machine. Coach asked management if they would allow the use of boards, the request was turned down. I did poorly in that exercise, it was pathetic. Then we did tricep lockouts. We also did excercises for the lats. Coach also taught me how do the bridge, it was tough but I guess a few more weeks of doing that I would gain more flexibility. We also focused on correcting my arch for the bench. The major exercises I would be doing on weekdays would still be the same but the accessory work would focus on body building (hyperthropy). The logic is that to be able to lift more I need the equipment (muscle mass) to be able to do it. So for this cycle more time would be given to that activity.
I just started a new training cycle today. It would be another 8 week cycle. After this we would try a 12 cycle and then a 6 week cycle. We are trying to find what cycle works for me. It was a good training day today. We did low box squats. It was 8 sets of 2 reps each of 60kg. the last time I did box squats on dynamic effort day I lifted around 50kg. After the squat we did speed deadlift. This time we tried sumo style. It was different. Different muscles were being used in the deadlift as compared to the conventional. I’ll give it a shot. We are trying to determine if I would be stronger in the conventional or in the sumo deadlift. After the deadlift we did speed shrugs. The speed shrugs was targeting the upperback for deadlift lockouts. Next was reverse hypers followed by 21’s (7 reps each of a variation of the bicep curl, low, high, and full). We did ab work last.
This week was rest week. My first training cycle was an 8 week cycle. For the next one I would make it a 12 week cycle. Haven’t discussed my targets for the next cycle with my coach but I guess they would probably be 140kg DL, 120kg SQT, 70kg BP. If I get to reach those targets I would be hitting above 300 total. I am raring to go training again. My guess is, coach would be focusing on the BP since it is the weakest among the three. My long term plan is to bench press 100kg by December.
For the coming month of September I would definitely get me a power cage. I have some ideas and pictures of what the rack would be. At the least it should be 7ft high, >3.5ft internal width, 3 to 3.5ft depth. Hole spacing should be at the most 2”. If ever I would need to set the pins somewhere in between, I would just use a platform to put the bench on for BP or to step on for DL. Aside from the power cage I would be needing a sturdy box for my box squats. I would need at least three, below (10-12”), parallel (14”), and above parallel (16”). I would design it to be stackable. The base would be, let’s say 10” then 2” cover (which serves as the seat). In between the base and the seat we could stack sections (2” thick) to get to parallel and above parallel. For the next cycle I would probably need additional plates, at least 2 20kg plates more from Ensayo.
Okay, I was quite satisfied with the new PRs I got today.
Squat = 100kg (70kg)
Bench Press = 57.5kg (42.5kg)
Deadlift = 120kg (90kg)
I am happy with the gains so far. That was a solid 75kg total over 8 weeks. But again we can attribute those gains to “beginner gains”. For the following week would be a rest week. I would be doing cardio work and resume training the following week.
The Squat:
10 reps @ 20kg
5 reps @ 50kg
3 reps @ 60kg
1 rep @ 70kg
1 rep @ 80kg
1 rep @ 90kg
1 rep @ 100kg we ended here since I was starting to lose proper form.
I was not satisfied with the depth on the previous lifts starting at 70kg and ending at 90kg. But on the 100kg squat I tried to hit the correct depth and got it.
The Bench was not that fancy but still I had some gains. Among the three lifts my bench is the weakest. We would be focusing on it in the next cycle.
10 reps @ 20kg
5 reps @ 40kg
3 reps @ 45kg
1 rep @ 50kg
1 rep @ 52.5kg
1 rep @ 55kg
1 rep @ 57.5kg
I don’t think that the previous squat diminished my capability in the bench. Coach asked me about my estimate on what would be my 1RM prior to today, I said 60kg. I guess I was short on that J I don’t feel I have the proper form to effectively lift more. We haven’t pin pointed it yet. It’s probably my arch, or the speed, or setting up too long, failure to use legs to help with the lift, or my upper body isn’t that strong yet. We’ll know two weeks from now what the new program would be.
I was satisfied with the deadlift. It went like this…
10 reps @ 40kg
5 reps @ 60kg
3 reps @ 70kg
1 rep @ 80kg
1 rep @ 90kg
1 rep @ 100kg
1 rep @ 110kg
1 rep @ 120kg! (two plates!)
1 rep @ 130kg -bombed out
Seeing those 4 25kg plates on that bar and was able to lift it was really satisfying! The last lift at 130kg, I managed to lift it about 3 inches but gravity won out this time. It was just too sticky. Coach identified the sticking point at around 3 inches above the floor. My personal estimate was at 110kg, I guess I was wrong. Am I underestimating myself too much?
My total now stands at 287.5kg from 212.5kg 8weeks ago! Hope to hit 300 in the next cycle!
