De-Load Strict Press

Today was my prescribed weights were laughable. My final set was at my usual second warm up set. No big deal, my shoulders are feeling a bit on the pre-tendinitis-side anyways. Nothing a little proactive icing wont cure. 

Strict Press:

1x5 @ 75#

1x5 @ 95#

1x5 @ 115#

Assistance Work

Barbell Rows

1x10 @ 159#

1x10 @ 169#

1x10 @ 179#

Good Mornings

3x10 @ 105#

I worked out at my house today. Vulcan Fitness, although small, has a pretty sweet set up there. Like I said the shoulder press was less then a warm up but I am fine with that. The assistance work was cool because I am very novice with the barbell rows only ever having performing them when I was in my bodybuilding phase in college. I am sure my goal then was to impress the other gym patrons with the weight I was using rather then to impress myself with good form, technique and results. The good mornings are another lift I have only performed a handful of times in my life. This exercise is slightly sketchy to me and I am not sure exactly how I feel about it. I am rather flexible and have good coordination. However, I was having some difficulty finding, what I felt, to be the optimal ROM. I tried a few with increasing and decreasing knee bend. I found that when my torso got parallel with the floor or lower I hand to bend my knees more to keep my lumbar curve activated. Nonetheless, I performed what I felt was a good three sets and I am feeling it my hamstrings this morning. I am not quite ready to mail it in on this exercise just yet.

De-Load Deadlift

It is the fourth week of the 5/3/1 Cycle and it is De-Load Week. This means for every training session this week we are doing significantly lighter weight in order to keep the body fresh while allowing it to heal, before we increase the weight next week. To be honest I am not a fan of "taking it easy" in the gym, however, I realize that this week is necessary for optimal gains, so, I will go with the flow.

Assistance Work:

Back Squat

1x5 @ 225#

1x5 @ 250#

1x5 @ 275#

Deadlift

1x10 @ 205#

1x5 @ 255#

1x5 @ 305#

Assistance Work:

GHD Sit Ups

4x20 @ bodyweight

The squats were so awesome, even after 7 months of squat training I am still noticing improvement in my squat form and technique. The deadlifts were simple and the GHD's kicked my ass!

Beam Me Up Squatty.

Two days to update. Friday was squat day, and it was heavy squat day. I had a lot of nerves going into this session.


Friday 


Back Squat:
1x5 @ 290#
1x3 @ 325#
1x5 @ 366# (PR)


Assistance Exercises


Power Clean:
1x5 @ 165#
1x5 @ 175#
1x5 @ 185#


Weighted Lunges:
1x5 (each leg) @ 95#
1x5 @ 115#
1x5 @ 135#


Up until this day I had not attempted any back squat equal to or over 365 for more then one rep! After my brother went and did 5, I was able top step up and succeed myself. I really considered a sixth but I fear it would have ended in disaster. The cleans felt rather routine even after a heavy squat session, even 185#. Aside from the fact that my legs were burning, I know I could have gone up significantly.


Saturday


Bench Press:
1x5 @ 200#
1x3 @ 225#
1x4 @ 255#


Assistance Exercises


Strict Pull Ups:
1x15 @ bodyweight
1x15** @ bodyweight
1x11 @ bodyweight


Incline Bench Press:
1x5 @ 135#
1x5 @ 160#
1x5 @ 185#


Realizing that our squat day took some of our spunk out, I am still satisfied with this workout. I was expecting to get at least 5 reps on my 255# bench press attempt but I failed. This was a bit disappointing but I contribute it to fatigue. The pull ups are improving. The asterisk notes that Louis said two of my reps were questionable if I got my chin over the bar. When Louis does pull ups he brings the bar to his trachea, I bring it to the tip of my chin and no more, I believe that the reps were somewhere in between but I will make a conscious effort to assure full ROM next time. Incline bench was easy.