Brian - 3/29 Back at it

Been away from the gym for a few weeks now. I spent 1 week in Harlem NY as a guest teacher at a public high school (awesome experience btw)... at times I realized why Danny says I need to be 250lbs. Then Jon and I (and 24 other ppl) went on a spring break cruise to Jamaica and Grand Cayman. In the Jamaica ghetto I again realized why I need to be 250 lbs.

On the last day of the trip I ended up getting a nasty head cold. I lost my apetite and felt like shit for about 5 days. Lost 10 lbs :(

Started up lifting again yesterday. Decided to do really light stuff to get back into it.

Pause Bench (3 second pause);
45x10, 95x5, 135x5, 135x5, 135x5, 135x5, 135x5, 135x5, 135x5

Close Grip Bench (w/ white half pad);
135x5, 135x5, 155x5, 165x5, 175x5

Military Press (elbows fwd);
45x8, 65x8, 95x8

Seated rows - 110x10x3
Lat Pulldowns (w/handles) - 80x10x3
Tricep Extensions (w/silver handle) - 45x10, 55x10, 55x10
Standing pec fly - 50x10x3
Curls - 30x10x3 each arm
Pullups - BWx10x2

2/11/2010: Patrick Volume Bench

Bench:
4x135, 4x135, 4x135, 4x140, 4x140, 4x140

I'm also experimenting with Brian's new leg position and find that it works quite well. I'm also pleased to be working with over a plate for volume week, doing quads with one left over.

Narrow grip:
4x135, 4x145, 3(failed last)x165, 4x155

Accidentally jumped weights a bit, found out that I can only do 3 and not 4 at 165, but it was nice to do some work with that much weight in terms of getting used to it.

Shoulder press:
3x6x85

Brian - 2/12 Volume Bench

Bench w/ Pause;
Warmup - 45x10, 95x5, 135x4, 160x4
Working - 185x4, 195x4 @8, 200x4 @8, 200x4 @8, 200x4 @9, 205x3 @10

Trying out a new leg position and I really like it. I can keep my heels on the ground and still stay really tight without lifting my butt up. I think I'm seeing immediate improvement from this.

Narrow Grip w/ Black Pad;
205x4 @9, 225x3 @10, 205x4 @10, 205x4 @10

Wasn't quite sure where I was on these and I overshot the weight on the 2nd set.

Military Press;
95x6, 95x6, 95x6, 95x6

Today I'm ordering a belt like Dee's and signing up for the competition. Weight is approx 167, so I'll be going 165 for the meet.

Brian - Max Deadlift (1/16) and Bench (1/17)

Weirdddddd max deadlift day. Explanation after...

Deadlift;
Warmup - 133x5, 183x3, 223x3
Working - 273x1 @7, 313x1 @7.5, 353x1 @8, 383xfailx2, 363xfail, 353xfail, 313x1 @7, 355x1 @8, 373x1 @9, 383x1 @10 (+10LB PR)

So, I tried using Frank's belt. It actually felt a LOT better meaning I felt like I had more support and that it fit way better than the one I'm using now. I don't think I was quite ready to use it on max attempts though. Once I started failing on the upper numbers I just couldn't get it back together. I wasn't even getting the bar off the ground. I dropped to 315 with the old belt to "reset," and then progressed back up. everything up to 373 was good for with arched back. 383 PR was standard form-break-down-but-pull-it-anyway rep. Happy!

Squats;
45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 185x3, 225x1

I stopped after this because my shoulder was hurting. Turns out that when I got pissed and pulled 313 as fast as I could I shoved it back onto the ground and tweeked my shoulder a bit. Whoops...

Next day, bench.

Bench w/ Pause;
Warmup - 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 160x2
Working - 185x1, 205x1, 225x1, 230xfail

I stopped after this because my shoulder was hurting. Stupid me.

Medium grip bench w/ half pad;
185x3, 205x1, 225x1, 235x1

Narrow grip bench w/ full pad;
185x10

Stopped cause I didn't want to hurt myself. Deload week next.

Current PR's after this max cycle are:

Squat: 275
Bench: 230
Deadlift: 383

Goals for the Feb. competition are 300, 240, and 400. Goal for this year is a 1000+ total at a competition. Both goals seem within reach but still difficult.

I feel great about progress this cycle.

Patrick 1/17/2010: Intensity Benchlifts

Bench:
Warmup: 1x85, 1x125
Working: 1x135, 1x145, 1x155, 3 attempts at 160

I'm glad that I was able to replicate the 155 again, but I still couldn't quite get the 160. I did a better job of getting it off my chest for at least one or two of the attempts and then failed in the middle of the lift and not at the bottom.

Medium Bench:
Working: 1x135, 1x135, 1x145, 1x145, 1x145, 1x155, 1x155

Narrow Grip:
8x135, 10x135

Brian - Max Bench Singles

Bench;
Warmup - 45x10, 95x5, 135x3, 160x2,
Working - 185x1 @7, 210x1 @8, 235xfailx3, 225x1 @10

Previous PR was 230 so I was trying to hit 235 and it was definitely within reach. I'm getting it off my chest quickly after the pause and I get stuck about 6 inches off my chest. Seems like a tricep fail except...

Close Grip Bench w/ Large Pad;
Warmup - 185x3
Working - 225x1 @8, 245x1 @9, 255xfail, 255x1 @10 (5lb PR)

I think my tricep strength is good. Shanker thinks it must be some sort of transition thing (he pointed out front deltoids).

Either way I felt this cycle I wasn't going to make any movement in my bench performance due to having a bunch of bad days with elbow pain then missing days at the end for volunteering and vacation nonsense. I'm going to really focus on my bench this volume cycle. I think 240 is still within reach for the competition.

Military Press;
95x10 (elbows out), elbows in: 65x8, 85x8, 105x7

Brian - Bench Doubles

Bench w/ pause;
Warmup - 45x10, 95x5, 135x3, 160x3
Working - 185x3, 205x2 @9, 210x2 @9, 215x1

Bench, middle grip w/ white pad w/ pause;
Working - 185x3, 205x2 @8, 215x2 @9, 215x2 @9

Bench, narrow grip w/ big pad;
Working - 185x10 @8, 185x14 @10, 185x10 @10

Felt less explosive today for some reason. I think when I do max single day I really need to warm up more and get a sweat going. It seems that I got the most focus and explosiveness on the last sets where I needed to crank out a bunch in a row.

I'm excited for max squat day on Tuesday to finally see where I am. I really tried to focus on improving my squats this round and I hope to see some results.

Brian - Chest Triples

Went to wrestling practice on Wednesday. Started practice @ body weight 166.5, finished 2 hours later at 162.1. Went home and felt really sore, beat down, and dehydrated. It's hard to get back into intense practices mid-season after being out of it for so many years.

My tiredness carried into yesterday. I was considering taking the day off of lifting but decided to suck it up and just do whatever I could. Looking back on it, I had an ok day.

Bench w/ pause;
Warmup - 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 135x3
Working - 160x3 @7, 185x3 @8, 205x3 @10 (PR replicate), 195x3 @9

Closegrip w/ black pad w/ pause;
Working - 185x3 @7, 225x3 @8.5, 245xfail, 225x3 @9

Military press;
Warmup - 45x10
Working - 95x8 @9, 95x8 @9, 95x8 @9, 95x5 @10

Last set I changed my form and wasted a lot of time hanging out w/ the bar on my chest. Killed any chance I had at getting 8 reps.

After practice on Wed the coach told me he really wanted me to go out for the team and compete at 157... starting this weekend with a few dual meets in Maine. I told him I didn't have any interest in dropping weight again... did it for so many years and I'm done with it. I could wrestle off @165 but they're mid season and I'm way out of shape compared to the kids on the team - it would take a few weeks or months to get back into competition shape. I decided I'm not going to go out and compete this year given where they are in the season and the fact that I can't devote that much time while studying for quals. But, I'll still workout with them on random off-lifting days. The plan is to join up next fall and compete the whole season.

Assuming I pass my quals in 2 weeks, I'll be here for a few more years w/ 4 years of wrestling eligibility. Could be fun to make a run @ it again. Who knows, maybe I could even get good and make it a goal to become an NCWA all-american.

I'm doing the AAU lifting meet in Feb. I won't be very competitive for my weight-class (165) but by then hitting 240 bench, 300+ squat, and 400+ deadlift seem like really good but still attainable goals. Will be awesome to compete with the MIT crew in a meet. I think everyone should do it.

That's all for now.

Brian: Stupidly high chest singles

Last day of intensity. Max singles.

Bench w/ delay;
Warmup - 45x10, 95x5, 135x5, 160x5
Working - 185x1, 205x1, 225x1, 230x1 (5LB PR), 235xFAILx6

Yes you read that right. 6 fails. They got progressively closer until I dejectedly gave up. Feels pretty nice to end the day getting crushed under the bar many times in a row, especially when I should have had every single one. I kept getting stuck right on the edge. Oh well. Next time. Happy w/ 5lb PR. 225 felt easyyyyy.

Close grip w/ black pad;
Warmup - 185x1
Working - 225x1, 240x1, 250xFAIL, 250x1 (5LB PR), 255xFAIL

Pretty tired near the end of these sets. Maybe 6 fails in a row had something to do with it. Felt nice to hit 250 after the first attempt at that weight didn't even come off the pad.

Shoulder press;
Warmup - 45x10
Working - 95x5, 115x5, 135x2, 145xfail

Russian Twist = 45x20x2

I'm so happy to be done intensity work. My shoulders and elbows are really feeling it. I'm excited to do some lower weights w/ good technique... especially on squats since I finally figured out technique while I was doing singles.

My PR's as they stand now (and for the next few weeks) are:

Bench: 230
Squat: 265
DL: 373
Total = 868

Body weight today was 163.5

Right now I never want to max out again. I think that's how you're supposed to feel at the end of intensity.

Brian: Chest Doubles

I'm on Kik's plan, and right now we're in an intensity cycle. We had a chest max day not too long ago so we've been on hard doubles since.

Regular Bench w/ delay;
Warmup - 45x10, 95x5, 135x3, 135x3, 160x3
Working - 185x2, 205x2, 210x2, 220x1.5, 220x1.75

No idea what the standard way of writing 1 successful rep and one fail is, so I just gave a decimal of how close I was to hitting #2 (read: how much I'm trying to compensate for failing at a weight I should have hit). I feel a lot faster at what was a slow set just a week ago (205). I've never even done doubles above 205 so hitting 210 so solidly gave me confidence to attempt 220 (5lbs less than single rep PR). First rep on 220 felt fast on each set, but I think I tricep-failed on #2 each time. They are so close.

Close grip w/black pad and delay;
Warmup - none
Working - 225x2, 230x2, 235x2, 255xEPICFAIL

First 3 sets were progressively faster, which is interesting. Kik decided to turn up the heat and do a super high single since he was fired up over back slaps and crushing 315. I didn't have a chance... pretty much fatigued on the way down and had no press. Nice to end the day getting crushed under a weight roughly equivalent to Danny.

Somehow I tweeked my elbow pretty badly during all of this and couldn't continue with the planned back exercises. Pain started radiating to my shoulder/fingers. I put ice on it at home and it feels a lot better. Will play it by ear for the next workout. Elbow injuries must be contagious. Hopefully wearing jeans and doing 15 second reps is not...

Nathan : 9/8 & 9/9

▼ 1. 9/9/09 - Wed - BENCH

Time: 2:00. Weight: 222 (after dinner). Happy that I did not lose weight on vacation.

  First day doing a full RTS-style template. It is my first day back in the gym after going to the ER with heart palpitations, so I decided to keep things light. This will continue until next Monday, when I will wear a 24-hr heart monitor to make sure that nothing funny is happening during workouts.

  Saw general practitioner and cardiologist today (same-day referral, awesome). Diagnosis is supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). This is a non-life-threatening condition where my heart rate suddenly increases or starts acting funny, in my case during exercise. It is apparently caused by a "short-circuit" in the nerves that control the heart muscle. There are treatment options available, but since my case is fairly mild, the side effects or potential side effects of those treatments are worse than the condition itself. So unless things change, the plan is to just deal with it.

  Also, since my "attacks" last only a couple minutes at worst, drugs that break the tachycardia are useless. I was shown a couple things to try that can possibly help by inducing reflexes that drop the heart rate. To help with prevention, I will do a semi-long warm-up (for me, at least) and make sure to stay very well hydrated. Ultimately, this is the diagnosis I was hoping for and there is really no way that it isn't good news.

  It was a big relief to be back in the gym. Nothing worrying happened at any point in the workout, and it was cool to see how concerned many of the people were.

  With all of that out of the way, it was a fairly easy workout except for the stupid stuff at the end. We'll see if RTS gives me results. I didn't exactly follow recommendations for RPE in RTS because I am keeping things light for the short term.

• Warm-up bike x 10 mins

• 2-sec pause bench 45x10x3, 135x5x2, 185x5x2, 205x5x5 @ 8

This is my main raw movement. A regular-grip bench press with a 2-second pause counted out by the spotter. Will move up weight on these.

• Close-grip bench 135x5, 185x3, 225x3x6 @ 8

Raw assistance movement with full ROM. I was surprised at how easy this was, but it felt a little awkward after not doing any close-grip presses for over a year.

• Dumbell military press 50x8,8,8,7

I can't believe how terrible I am at overhead pressing after the long lay-off. 50 was supposed to be a warm-up. I was sitting up without any support from a bench and my stabilizers were firing like crazy. That still doesn't explain how terrible this was, though.

• Pull-ups BWx8,8,6,5

Also disappointing.

▼ 2. 9/8/09 - Tue - CARDIO

• Bike 30 mins

• Flexibility - soleus, gastroc, adductor on leg press, hamstrings, hip flexors, seated groin

Not stretching for a week makes me really inflexible.