|
Post by al on Feb 13, 2008 16:58:22 GMT -5
Started this protocol in December and plan to continue until the end of March.
Mon: Full Body Tue: Rest Wed: Legs/Shoulders/Triceps Thu: Upper Back/Biceps Friday: Lower Back/Chest Saturday: Active Rest Sunday: Rest
Powerlifting (incorporated into bodybuilding routine): Mon: Bench Press and Deadlift - alternate weeks of speed work and linear progression. Wed: Squat - speed work and/or max effort exercises Fri: Bench Press and Deadlift - max effort exercises
Cardio: Three times a week. Mostly short duration (typically elliptical or recumbent bike) with tabata or jump squats integrated with steady rate. Occasionally adding kettlebell swings, The Bear (power clean to front squat to press to back squat to press behind neck), or sprints for some quick huffy puffy.
|
|
|
Post by jasony on Feb 21, 2008 14:15:34 GMT -5
OW OW OWOOOOOO:))
|
|
|
Post by al on Feb 21, 2008 16:54:19 GMT -5
Such a big howl from such a little doggy. Somehow, I thought you'd be bigger.
|
|
|
Post by jasony on Feb 22, 2008 8:03:08 GMT -5
I have a BIG bark!!
Evidently I am not smart enough to enter my own avatar:))
|
|
|
Post by al on Feb 22, 2008 21:13:19 GMT -5
Jason - I had Vinny do my avatar for me. Got a minor sprain in my pinky when doing deadlifts on Monday. Wreaked havoc on my rack pulls today. In fact, I had to use a strap on my right hand to be able to hold anything above 400 lbs. LOWER BACK/CHEST Warmup: Hyperextension: 10 Reverse Hyperextension: 10 I,Y,T,W,L Laterals 5x6x1 OH Squat: bar x2x2 Rack Pull/Shrug: 3 inches above knee - (sumo & conventional stance) 135x6, 225x6/15, 315x6/8, (conv pull only with belt) 405x3, (with strap on right hand) 455x2 At knee (conventional with strap): 315x6/8, 405x2 Shrug only: 225x15 Pullthrough: 100x12 Bench Press Lockout (rack; from sticking point): 135x8, 185x8, 225x3, 255x2, 275x0 (on bench) 275x3 drop to 245x3 Bench Press (various grips): 135x? Cybex Incline BP: 205x12, 250x5 drop to 220x8 drop to 190x8 Cable Flye: 60x15 +5 stretch position reps x2 Prehab: Hyperextension:10 Reverse Hyper: 10 Ham-Glute Raise: 10 Foam Roller on back, glutes, left quad, groin ( ), right shoulder Lower back stretches Notes: 1. I don't know how many of you guys have ever seen a pullthrough, but it involves pulling a rope between your legs while doing a hip thrust. Far too sexual for the Planet Fitness crowd. 2. Will try to move down one pin per week maintain a top lift of at least 440 on the rack pulls, so I can finish with at least a 405 DL at the meet. That will up the state record by 45 lbs in my age and weight class. Might also set a national record. Have to check. 3. Couldn't get 275 off the pins on the BP lockout, so I switched to a regular bench and just lowered the weights six to eight inches and tried to explode the lockout. If I can get good spotters, I'll do a few negatives with 315 three weeks out from the meet. 4. Too fried to do cardio again. Will do some intervals tomorrow morning. 5. With the exception of rack pulls, next week will be high volume with light to moderate weight for recovery.
|
|
|
Post by jasony on Feb 25, 2008 8:00:23 GMT -5
On your lockouts, I was going to suggest lowering the bar below your sticking point. I see you covered it.
I should try the pullthroughs. Nah, I walk around doing those half the day anyway:))
|
|
|
Post by al on Feb 25, 2008 20:00:19 GMT -5
Jason - Why don't you them at the gym anyway? Who knows, you might get lucky!
Switched off my power routine this week to give my jarred body a little R&R and to get a little more cut up for a party with my bodybuilding friends this weekend. Will be doing a four-day split. Worked light and fast.
CHEST/BACK
Speed Bench Press: 3 (wide grip)/3 (medium)/3 (narrow) x3, 135x20 (wide), 135x15 (narrow) Machine Bench Press (neutral grip): 160x20 drop to 140x12 drop to 120x10 Machine Flye: 85x20 drop to 65x15; 65x15 + 5 stretch position x-reps Machine Row: 160x12x4 (2 neutral; 2 overhand) Pullup/Dip Combo (15 sec rest): 15/20, 12/20, 10/15, 8/15 Straight-Arm Pulldown: ? x15x4 Inverted Row: bodyweight x20x4
Machine Crunch: 10x20, 35x10 Pullover & Crunch: 30x25
Elliptical: 12 minutes (including 8 tabata-like intervals) @ level 12
Thomas, my client with cerebral palsey, was invited to participate in next month's powerlifting meet, so we started a new bench press cycle today with emphasis on the primary lift and inverted rows, DB presses, and dips for assistance work (along with his regular leg and arm work). He did very well. Highlights were a 135 lb BP and a set of 15 dips. Both were PRs. I'm thinking I can get him to 145 by the meet.
|
|
|
Post by jasony on Feb 26, 2008 8:01:46 GMT -5
Knowing when to go light and fast is a key to continuing progress. Sometimes you impress me, well most of the time:))
Tell Thomas congrats on the PR's and Good luck in the meet!!!
|
|
|
Post by al on Feb 26, 2008 18:03:31 GMT -5
Thanks, Jason. Thomas said thanks, too. His head is getting VERY large.
SHOULDERS
Nautilus Press: 110x20, 125x12, 140x10, 155x8, 170x6x2 Cajin DB Row: 25s x12, 35s x10x3 One-Arm Side Lateral (down the rack): 35 to 30 to 25 to 20 to 15 x12 each Face Pull: 65x15, 80x10x3 supersetted with Pushup: 60, 50, 30 Squat Snatch: bar x12 2-Arm KB Swing: pood x20
Got the job done, and I still left with plenty of gas in the tank. Recovery in progress.
|
|
|
Post by jasony on Feb 27, 2008 7:59:14 GMT -5
You know the face pulls and pushups are an excellent SS for stabilizing the scapula! I should do pushups, but I tend to doze off when I lay on the floor:))
I see you fininshed by playing with your pood:))
|
|
|
Post by colleen on Feb 27, 2008 14:36:25 GMT -5
Speaking of pushups - have you ever heard of "push ups plus"? I'll try and find the document I had on them - supposed to be very good for scaular stabilization.
|
|
|
Post by al on Feb 27, 2008 17:43:34 GMT -5
Jason - That's why I do the superset. You're the one who told me about it. You're losing it, big guy. I try to play with my pood after every workout. It helps me relax.
Colleen - Are those the pushups where you push off the ground and clap your hands?
LEGS and REAR TRAIN
Hyperextension to Glute Ham Raise: (warmup) bw x10, 10x10, (cooldown) bw x10 Reverse Hyper: (warmup) 10x20, 100x10, (cooldown) bw x12 Machine Crunch: 10x30, 40x20
Giant Set: Pause Squat: Regular stance - 95x8x2, 135x5 Wide stance - bar x10, 95x8, 135x5 Good Morning: bar x20, 95x15, 135x8, 185x5, 225x3
Squat: Regular stance: (no belt) 185x5, (belt) 225x3, 255x2 Wide stance: 275x0 (too high), 225x3
Rack Pull (just above knee cap): 225x3, 315x3, 405x2, 425x1, 455x1 Dumbell Shrug: 75s x20x3
Step-up: 25x25L/25R Low Box Squat: bar x15
Recumbent Bike: 15 minutes @ level 8
Very happy with the rack pulls, even though they messed up my pinky again. If I can keep moving to a lower pin with these kind of weights for the next four weeks, I just might pull big at the meet.
Got lower than last week with the wide stance, largely because I've been following the advice of Jason and some of my friends over at davedraper.com. Believe it or not, the thing that loosened up my hips most of all were those box squats I did today. (I sat on one of those half stability balls instead of a box. It's maybe a foot off the ground. VERY effective...and unexpected.)
|
|
|
Post by jasony on Feb 28, 2008 7:58:10 GMT -5
It's great that the low box squats loosen you up! That's something I would want to do as a warm up as well as a finisher.
Here is something to think about on your power squats. You're recruiting muscle sets in a new and different sequence. Might want to condition them before becoming over zealous with weight increases?
Take care of that Pinky:))
|
|
|
Post by colleen on Feb 28, 2008 12:03:55 GMT -5
No, the arms stay staight during the PU+ - I'll try and post that tonight or send it to you.
You tried taping the pinky to the finger next to it? Might give it a little more support during your workouts.
|
|
|
Post by al on Feb 28, 2008 16:34:27 GMT -5
Jason and Colleen - You two are overly concerned with my pinky. Good point about conditioning, dog. Gary's been powerlifting a lot longer than I, and he said he injured himself by trying to squat too wide too soon. Guess I should stop thinking of Westside Barbell techniques as gospel, huh? ARMS Alternate DB Curl: 25s x15, 30s x12, 35s x10, 40s x8 ss with J.M. DB Press: 25s x15, 30s x12, 35s x10, 40s x8 Cybex Preacher Curl: 70x12, 80x12, 95x10, 110x8 ss with Cybex Tricep Press: 160x15, 175x15, 200x12x2 Hammer Curl: 25s x12, 30s x12, 35s x10 ss with Tri Pressdown: forgot x15x4 Cable Curl: 50x20 Rehab/Prehab: i/y/t/w/l: 5s x12 Reverse Hyper (over stab ball): 15x2 Two-Arm KB Swing: Pood x20 Squat Snatch: bar x8 Foam roller Back & hip stretches Left something in the tank for Saturday's festivities. I wonder if we'll be doing grip work and one-arm deadlifts again? I know Lori will have her kettlebells out.
|
|