Josh's Training Log

[joshman]

Thursday, January 20

On the third week of Strength-Focused Mesocycle (http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=485341) by Chad W.

My goals: To shed some lbs (anyone else been 'cutting' for 1+ years??) and maintain muscle mass and strength levels.

Warm-up: walk around the block, band GMs (light band wrapped around head/feet), band bench press (light band wrapped around back to both hands).

Alternating supersets with 90s rest between exercises.

Superset A:
Good Mornings: 3x5 @ 190
Decline Dumbell Bench: 3x5 @ 75 lb + light band wrapped around back to both hands.

I have exceeded my powerblocks dumbbells' range of 85 lbs a piece, so I dropped the weight a bit and wrapped the purple band around my back to add an extra bit of resistance.

Weights where just right; I'll be able to go all out next week.

Superset B:
Chin-up: 3x5 @ (BW - arms = 200 lbs)
Front Squat: 185x2, 165x5, 165x5.

I have a really hard time keeping my upper back straight with front squats. I got two at 185, and decided it was time to focus on form.

Then I did five minutes of jumping-jacks. Don't make fun, that's what Chad prescribed. There has been good progress here; two weeks ago I had to do one minute of jumping-jacks, one minute of rest x 5.

I've been doing some HIIT sprinting once a week as well.

[joshman]

Sunday, Jan 23

Both supersets were 3x8, alternating exercises, 120s rest between exercises.

Superset A:
Dumbbell shoulder press: 55 lb, barely got the last rep.
Medium box squat: 185 lb.

Superset B:
Natural glue ham raise: used light strap from top of power cage.
Chest supported dumbbell rows: 65 lb.

I added in 45 seconds and then 30 seconds of ab bridges using my ab-roller-wheel-thingy.

Using the video recorder, I viewed my first set of box squats and realized that I had some excessive arching going on, and as a result I could not get my glutes activated on the takeoff; my arse kept flying up a few inches before I would get my shoulders movinge. So I lessened the arch and things felt much better (I could feel it right where my glute meets my hamstring).

[joshman]

Monday, Jan 24

HIIT. 5 sets of 45s sprints, 45s rest.

[DKing]

Welcome back sir, I haven't seen you around in a while. I like the workout, keep up the good work.

Danny

[GqArtguy]

Awesome stuff Josh! Kick some ass

[joshman]

Tues, Jan 25

Warm-up: 5 minutes jog, javorak complex with bar.

Both supersets were 3x3, alternating exercises, 90s rest between exercises.

A:
Power Clean: 70kg, 80kg, 80kg
Pull-ups: BW+10 lb, BW+15 lb, BW+15 lb

B:
Rack Lockouts: 235
Lunges: 85 lb dumbbells

5 minutes of continuous jumping-jacks.


I got the 70kg power clean very easily, so I jumped to 80kg, but it was a bit too heavy as I don't feel that I got a 100% triple extension on 50% of them.

Danny, Manny, thanks for the encouragement! You guys are the ones kicking butt.

[joshman]

My left shoulder is killing me today -- looks like I should have jumped my power cleans from 70kg to 72kg.

It's hard not to think of kg as lbs and get overzealous.

[joshman]

Thursday, Feb 3

Shoulder is totally recovered, but I have today only before I go on vacation for 7 days.

So . . . I decided to do a deadlift, dumbbell bench superset until death. I only have one bar at the moment, and my dumbbells only go up to 85lbs so it was a bit mixed up.

Warm-up: Javorak complex

Deadlifts: 5x70 kg, 5x90 kg, 3x100 kg, 3x110 kg, 3x120 kg, 3x130 kg

Dumbbell Bench: 2x12 of push-ups, 8x75 lb, 8x85 lb, 8x85 lb

5 Pull-ups (what was I thinking?)

Plate cuban press: 12 x 20 kg

Used a plate to do some sort of front raise combined with a cuban press. Imagine a cuban press where both hands where holding onto a single plate. (WHAT WAS I THINKING?)

Well, it was a fun and sweaty workout. Hopefully it will keep my metabolism going over the next few days.

[joshman]

Saturday, Feb 12th

Got back from vacation yesterday, so decided to start CW's "The Waterbury Method".

Warm-up: OH squat, barbell cuban press + Javorak complex.

Squats: 10x3, 70 sec rest between sets.
Warm-up: 135
1x3@205, 6x3@215, 3x3@205

Superset A (60 sec rest between exercises)
Dips: 6@BW, 6@BW+25, 3x6@BW+35
BO Row: 6@95, 6@135, 3x6@145

Superset B (60 sec rest between exercises)
Rack Press: 5@135, 3x6@205
Standing Barbell Curls: 8@40, 3x6@80

Hanging leg raises: 4x6, 60 sec rest between sets.


I was beat after this workout. My squats suck. I have a really big problem with my hips raising faster than my shoulders on most reps. I've been trying to break it over the past year, but after each layoff I take I start over at square one.

It's time to lower the weight a bit and re-learn the form, as I did when I dropped 10 lbs for the last ten sets. I will drop a bit more if needed next w/o.

My tri's were pretty fried from the dips before I started the rack presses, but I did O.K. on them. I was too beat to finish the last set of superset B.

This was two hours ago, and my quads are already sore, which is really wierd as I try to do a hip dominant squat (I guess I'm not trying hard enough). My femur is very long (I'm one of those people that have knees that seem too low on their legs) and that seems to complicate matters quite a bit for me; I have to lean over quite a bit to get down low.

Maybe I should focus on my quads for the next couple of months and use a more traditional oly squat?

[Rev]

Originally posted by joshman:
Saturday, Feb 12th

Got back from vacation yesterday, so decided to start CW's "The Waterbury Method".

Warm-up: OH squat, barbell cuban press + Javorak complex.

Squats: 10x3, 70 sec rest between sets.
Warm-up: 135
1x3@205, 6x3@215, 3x3@205

Superset A (60 sec rest between exercises)
Dips: 6@BW, 6@BW+25, 3x6@BW+35
BO Row: 6@95, 6@135, 3x6@145

Superset B (60 sec rest between exercises)
Rack Press: 5@135, 3x6@205
Standing Barbell Curls: 8@40, 3x6@80

Hanging leg raises: 4x6, 60 sec rest between sets.


I was beat after this workout. My squats suck. I have a really big problem with my hips raising faster than my shoulders on most reps. I've been trying to break it over the past year, but after each layoff I take I start over at square one.

It's time to lower the weight a bit and re-learn the form, as I did when I dropped 10 lbs for the last ten sets. I will drop a bit more if needed next w/o.

My tri's were pretty fried from the dips before I started the rack presses, but I did O.K. on them. I was too beat to finish the last set of superset B.

This was two hours ago, and my quads are already sore, which is really wierd as I try to do a hip dominant squat (I guess I'm not trying hard enough). My femur is very long (I'm one of those people that have knees that seem too low on their legs) and that seems to complicate matters quite a bit for me; I have to lean over quite a bit to get down low.

Maybe I should focus on my quads for the next couple of months and use a more traditional oly squat?

I would do both. Thats what I'm currently doing. I could careless about a low bar wide stance PL squat, what I really want to raise is my oly squat so what I am doing is giving equal attention to my quads and my posterior chain. They could very easily both be a weakness and it won't hurt by covering all your bases. But again there is the form issue which is vitally important, what I am doing for this is box squats. So essentially I am training full, front, and box squats an inch below parallel. You might try the same thing, I don't know if you are wanting a big PL squat, but this is what I am doing to increase oly squat strength as it includes much more quad work when compared to a low bar wide stance squat. I'm performing the different type of squats obviously but then I am doing things like heavy walking lunges, stiff-leg deads, romanian deads, good mornings, natural hamstring raises, etc. Good luck.

[joshman]

Thanks for the reply, Rev. I'll be taking that approach. My quads are weak as **** since I've been doing PL style squats (or have I?) for the past year. I can barely front squat at all. Writing on the wall.

Originally posted by Rev:

quote:

---

Originally posted by joshman:
Saturday, Feb 12th

Got back from vacation yesterday, so decided to start CW's "The Waterbury Method".

Warm-up: OH squat, barbell cuban press + Javorak complex.

Squats: 10x3, 70 sec rest between sets.
Warm-up: 135
1x3@205, 6x3@215, 3x3@205

Superset A (60 sec rest between exercises)
Dips: 6@BW, 6@BW+25, 3x6@BW+35
BO Row: 6@95, 6@135, 3x6@145

Superset B (60 sec rest between exercises)
Rack Press: 5@135, 3x6@205
Standing Barbell Curls: 8@40, 3x6@80

Hanging leg raises: 4x6, 60 sec rest between sets.


I was beat after this workout. My squats suck. I have a really big problem with my hips raising faster than my shoulders on most reps. I've been trying to break it over the past year, but after each layoff I take I start over at square one.

It's time to lower the weight a bit and re-learn the form, as I did when I dropped 10 lbs for the last ten sets. I will drop a bit more if needed next w/o.

My tri's were pretty fried from the dips before I started the rack presses, but I did O.K. on them. I was too beat to finish the last set of superset B.

This was two hours ago, and my quads are already sore, which is really wierd as I try to do a hip dominant squat (I guess I'm not trying hard enough). My femur is very long (I'm one of those people that have knees that seem too low on their legs) and that seems to complicate matters quite a bit for me; I have to lean over quite a bit to get down low.

Maybe I should focus on my quads for the next couple of months and use a more traditional oly squat?

I would do both. Thats what I'm currently doing. I could careless about a low bar wide stance PL squat, what I really want to raise is my oly squat so what I am doing is giving equal attention to my quads and my posterior chain. They could very easily both be a weakness and it won't hurt by covering all your bases. But again there is the form issue which is vitally important, what I am doing for this is box squats. So essentially I am training full, front, and box squats an inch below parallel. You might try the same thing, I don't know if you are wanting a big PL squat, but this is what I am doing to increase oly squat strength as it includes much more quad work when compared to a low bar wide stance squat. I'm performing the different type of squats obviously but then I am doing things like heavy walking lunges, stiff-leg deads, romanian deads, good mornings, natural hamstring raises, etc. Good luck. [/quote]

[GqArtguy]

Josh I would try front squatting often. Its easier to go deeper and youll learn to stay more upright, which will help when you back squat.

[joshman]

Monday, Feb 14

Barbell BP (60 s between sets)
10@45, 6@135, 5@185, 3@205, 9x3@215

Superset A (60 s between sets)
Partial Dumbbell Deadlift: 6@75, 6@95, 6@105, 2x4@105
Standing Barbell Military Press: 6@70, 4x6@100

Superset B (60 s between pairings)
Standing Calf Raises: 6@180, 6@200, 6@220, 6@240
Upright Rows: 4x6@80

Tricep Pushdowns: 5@10 setting, 6@9 setting


After eight sets, I was barely getting through the last rep.

I cut my thumb pretty badly yesterday (thanks to Gourmet Nutrition), so holding on to the dumbbells during the Partial Dumbbell Deadlifts got to be impossible on my third set, as I wasn't using my left thumb at all.

I messed up the first superset by taking 60s between sets rather than pairings, but fixed that during the second superset.

I like this workout, but there is a ton of tricep work so I cut out the last two sets of tricep pushdowns.

After the first workout, I was sore EVERYWHERE, including my neck!

[joshman]

Feb 17

I did an hour of snowboarding lessons yesterday for GPP.

Javorak complex for warm-up.

10x3 chin-ups, palms down. 70s rest between first six sets, 120s rest between last four.

Superset 1, 60s rest between pairings
Decline dumbbell bench: 4x6@80
Standing hammer curls: 4x6@30, 5x30, 5x25

Superset 2, 60s rest between pairings
Seated calf raises: 4x6@135
Leg curls: 4x6@ 115 setting

Barbell lunges, 60s between sets
4@100, 3x4@110

I wasn't too pumped about this workout, as I hate doing leg-curls, bicep curls or calf isolation work. But they weren't as stupid as I remember them being. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[joshman]

Feb 22

Warm-up: Javorak complex

All supersets have following params:
Sets: 6
Reps: 3
Load: 5RM (reps max)
Rest: 60 seconds between antagonist supersets
Tempo: 201

Superset A
Front Squats: 155
Chin-ups: BW

Superset B
Decline Bench: 215
Romanian Dumbbell Deadlift: 85/db

Superset C
Dumbbell Side Bends: 45/db
Single-legged Standing Calf Raises: BW + 20 lb


I liked this workout! I'm so weak at front squats that my 2 RM is my 20 RM. My body is just not used to them at all.

[joshman]

Feb 24

Did one hour of freebording.

[joshman]

Feb 25

No warm-up

Each superset had following params:
Sets: 2
Reps: 24
Load: 26RM
Rest: 90 seconds between antagonist supersets
Tempo: 101

A1: Standing Dumbbell Alternating Shoulder Press: 17 lb
A2: Reverse Lunges: 15 lb

B1: Standing Triceps Pressdowns: 30 lb
B2: Standing Upright Rows: 15 lb

C1: Standing Dumbbell Curls: 15 lb
C2: Dumbbell Side Raises: 3 lb

Wow, I had a huge pump after this, which is something I have not had in a long time.

I'm doing CW's Triple Total Training in case anyone is curious how I came up with this. I'm not sure why, but I didn't care for the Waterbury Method.

[joshman]

Dangit.

After having a great snowboarding trip, I've incurred what I call 'Snowboarding AIDS'; I got so beaten up during those two days (I'm sure the partying helped) that my immune system is shot.

I have congestion and a cough.

Then, during my first night of sleep on the trip I was bitten four times by some sort of insect on my right leg. Because I scratched the spots (I should have listened to Mom) I ended up with three big infections on my leg. One of them is really bad, such that my doctor gave me antibiotics and told me to call her the next day if things don't begin to get better.

I probably ended combining my runny nose and my itching to form a staph infection.