Week 12: Chest pt.2

Wrapping up the last chest day for this program, I felt it was only right to stick to the original goal (even though I already accomplished it) of benching 3 plates, so for my working sets, I attempted the maximum amount of reps at 315. Glad to see some improvement there (with the help of some jack3d preworkout energy powder), after the previous disappointments. I am spending more and more time observing what went right and wrong with the past 12 weeks, in order to customize an even better program following this one.

The pillars of my next routine will be diet, core strength, cardio, and deadlifts. Two of the four (diet, deadlifts) are not so far out of my comfort zone, since I thoroughly enjoyed practicing good habits with both, but just need to kick it up a notch. The second pair (core strength, cardio) have been my nemeses throughout my fitness venture, and it will be a true test of will as I center the program around them.

Anyways, here is the breakdown for today:

Barbell flat bench:

• 135 x 10
• 135 x 10
• 225 x 3
• 315 x 4, 5 assisted
• 315 x 4, 5 assisted
• 315 x 3, 4 assisted
• 225 x 9 paused reps

Dumbbell incline bench:

• 75 x 10
• 95 x 9
• 105 x 6

Pushups

10-1 intervals

Final thoughts: saw some improvement with my 3-plate lifts, which was great. I am unsure how much my bench will suffer by putting it on the back burner, but I expect throwing it in to the mix once a week should keep it from dropping too much.

I'd also like to point out the huge difference between having a competent spotter (1st video), and having an amateur spotter (2nd video). A good spotter will lift the weight 80-90% for you off the rack, and position it directly over your chest. He will also keep his hands at his sides until there is visible struggle. I'm not ragging on the 2nd spotter other than to say, if you do it his way, please leave the gym immediately.

Week 12: Shoulders + Arms

As the final shoulder day, it seemed a pretty average affair. Back to eating throughout the day, I am preparing as best as possible for the next chest day, hoping this work will aggravate just enough fiber to repair itself into a steelier, more resilient muscle ready to pick things up and put them down.

Not much to write home about on this one, which is something I've also noticed and plan on changing: for my next routine, I will pick a specific topic and enhance the post to be something more enriching than a copy of my workout results. I apologize to the three or four people who check this blog, but promise to make it more interesting from here on out. Here is the breakdown:

Barbell standing overhead press:

• 95 x 10
• 145 x 6
• 155 x 5
• 155 x 8
• 135 x 12

Barbell upright row:

• 95 x 12
• 115 x 12
• 135 x 12

Cable curls:

• 70 x 15
• 90 x 15
• 110 x 15

Cable triceps overhead pull:

• 90 x 15
• 100 x 13
• 110 x 13

Pullups:

• bodyweight x 10
• BW x 10
• BW x 10

Final thoughts: I never really liked shoulders and arms day.. and I don't have plans of keeping it in my next program, possibly just bits and pieces for assistance work. 

Week 12: Legs

Following suit from the previous workout, my body has lost steam, and continues to show an anticlimactic finale. I was disappointed yet again with a stalled attempt of my previous 1 rep max, viewable below.

Just goes to show, results in the gym are 80% diet, 20% effort. A hard lesson to learn, and I've repeated this mantra throughout the entire program, so I'm not the least bit surprised. I am already scheming for the next program, which will be somewhat drastically different from this one, but will definitely focus on nutrition and leg work.

In any case, here are the results from my final week of legs:

Barbell squats:

• 145 x 10
• 145 x 10
• 285 x 3
• 345 x 3
• 375 x 2
• 415 x FAIL
• 325 x 6
• 235 x 15 (this actually burned, I was so aggravated at the stall that I kept pushing here)

Cable front step up:

• 15 x 15
• 15 x 15
• 15 x 15

Final thoughts: lack of ab work, lack of cardio, lack of nutrition, are the top 3 errors I plan on structuring my next program around. It is obvious the deadlift is lagging by and large, so I will forsake the other muscle groups for now and work out a smolov- based routine centered around legs and back. More on that later.

Week 12: Chest

FINAL WEEK AHEAD! I want to start this week by saying, to anyone checking the thread out, thanks for sticking around for the twelve weeks of progress, I have really enjoyed posting the workouts, and have benefited from the talking points, as well as the exercise of regimenting and monitoring my routine. I will continue this blog once I pick up a new routine, and definitely will keep on track to reach the 3plate/4plate/5plate goal!

Today's bench day was a little bittersweet, since I am still semi-recovering from the inconsistency the last couple weeks brought to my training. Coupled with a lack in caloric intake, it was honestly better than I expected, and after the first couple failures, I reset my focus today towards prehab for my last chest day on Thursday.

The one rep maxes from a few weeks ago were missed today, so instead I took Mr. Gorman's advice and pumped out a few sets of paused-reps, wherein you lie the barbell across your chest, unflexed, and focus on the explosion upward. Other ancillary work like compound sets combining dips with pushups also will hopefully prepare for the next chest day. Here was today's breakdown:

Barbell flat bench:

• 135 x 10
• 135 x 10
• 275 x 1
• 335 x 1
• 365 FAIL
• 365 FAIL
• 225 x 8 paused rep
• 225 x 8 paused rep
• 225 x 9 paused rep

Dumbbell incline bench

• 70 x 10
• 90 x 10
• 105 x 6
• 115 FAIL that was heavy! I saw a pretty big dude benching 120s so I thought I could at least get 1 up. I was sadly mistaken.

Dips/ Pushups

• 15/10
• 15/15
• 15/15

Final thoughts: This was a pretty solid workout, considering I missed the 1rep maxes I was able to do a few weeks ago. I am going to be more careful to eat enough the rest of the week and see how it goes.

Week 11: Back

This has been the first back workout in over 2 weeks, but nothing prepared me for the utter loss in progress that occurred here. I was concerned, but after my success on leg day with a 415 lb squat, was grossly unprepared for the lack of leg and back strength needed to hit my previous deadlifts. It was rough. It was painful. It was humiliating. My deadlift has gone down from a 415x2 rep to a 365x1.. just not going to cut it. I am disappointed, but hoping that the last week will see at least some improvement.

Here is the breakdown:

Barbell deadlift:

• 135 x 10
• 135 x 10
• 275 x 1
• 365 x 1
• 405 FAIL
• 405 FAIL
• 385 FAIL
• 275 x 10

Machine lat pulldown:

• 195 x 10
• 210 x 10
• 245 x 8

Final thoughts: This was a wake up call, namely in that I was avoiding the reality that I needed to give deadlifts the most attention and instead left them to dwindle down. I can't be all that disappointed overall, seeing as I've effectively added 50 pounds to my bench, and about 80 pounds to my squat, but the deadlift has been a constant stall. I am going to give week 12 my all, and hope that I can recoup some of my losses here.

In the future, after this program is over, I will most likely pursue a smolov-based routine centered around deadlifts, or else a coan-phillipe routine on a longer timeline than the one I gave myself this time.

Week 11: Shoulders + Arms

For accessory work, we decided to incorporate a little more forearm action, as well as continue to use a full-body exercise with standing shoulder raise. Nothing really to report in this post, since I was really trying to rush this one. Might be the weather, or that I'm getting preoccupied with work, but this past week was hit or miss with my focus. Here's the breakdown:

Barbell standing shoulder press:

• 95 x 10
• 145 x 10
• 165 x 5
• 165 x 5
• 95 x 17 (wanted to rep til failure)

Forearm crank roll:

• 10lb up and down
• 10lb up and down
• 5lb up and down x 2

Barbell preacher curl:

• 60 x 10
• 60 x 15
• 60 x 15

Cable tricep overhead extension:

• 60 x 15
• 60 x 15
• 60 x 15

Weekly 11: Legs

Another quick recap, albeit with one major achievement: I was finally able to cross the 4-plate squat off the list! I have to admit, this workout session was preceded by a dose of C4 with NO3.. I could feel my skin tingling, but am unsure the extent this applied to my lift. Not only did I squat 4 plates, but the bar itself was an extra ten pounds heavier than standard, making the lift 415 total. Video included below:

Barbell squats:

• 145 x 10
• 145 x 10
• 285 x 2
• 345 x 2
• 375 x 2
• 395 x 1
• 415 x 1 NEW RECORD

Machine leg press:

• 360 + carriage x 10
• 450 + carriage x 10
• 500 + carriage x 10

Cable leg ups/ bodyweight jump:

• 15 x 10, 10
• 15 x 10, 10

Week 11: Chest

Marking the second to last week of my program, I am going to bypass my usual recap and just post the numbers (trying to play catch up). Here's the breakdown:

Barbell flat bench:

• 135 x 10
• 135 x 10
• 275 x 2
• 315 x 2
• 335 x 1, 1 assisted
• 325 x 2
• 225 x 14

Dumbbell incline bench:

• 75 x 10
• 85 x 10
• 95 x 9, 1 assisted
• 95 x 6
• 60 x 12

Cable crossover:

• 16 x 10
• 16 x 10
• 16 x 10

Week 10: Rest Week

This was unintentional, but with a vacation in Niagara Falls from Saturday through Wednesday, I was pretty much derailed. I did manage to squeeze in a chest workout on Friday, in order to keep from getting too stale.. luckily not too much changed, though the strength loss was pretty noticeable. Good thing the vacation was worth it! Plus, the extra week of rest may be a good thing, we'll see how the last 2 weeks of this program go.

Barbell flat bench:

• 135 x 10
• 135 x 10
• 275 x 2
• 315 x 2
• 335 x 1, 1 assisted
• 335 x 1, 1 assisted
• 335 x 1, 1 assisted

Barbell reverse grip flat bench:

• 135 x 15
• 135 x 20

Dumbbell incline bench:

• 70 x 10
• 85 x 10
• 95 x 7
• 95 x 4

Machine pec deck:

• 210 x 10
• 225 x 7

Run:

9:50 mile (terrible)

Week 9: Shoulder + Arms

Accessory work, though important and intense in its own right, is still pretty boring. But at least I felt pretty beat up afterwards, so I'll chalk it up to another successful workout. We incorporated a cardio routine at the end with a combination of upright rows, clean and jerks, jump squats, and romanian deadlifts (rdl), which really caused some needed fatigue. This routine was suggested by my workout partner based on Terry Crews' alleged workout while training for The Expendables.......

Breakdown:

Barbell standing shoulder press:

• 105 x 10
• 105 x 10
• 125 x 10
• 145 x 10
• 145 x 10

Dumbbell side/front/rear deltoids:

• 30/30/30 x 10
• 30/30/30 x 10
• 30/30/30 x 10

Dumbbell standing bicep curl:

• 40 x 10
• 40 x 10
• 45 x 10

Machine rope pulldown:

• 160 x 15
• 160 x 15
• 170 x 15

Ab rotation machine:

• 40 x 10 each side
• 40 x 10 each side

Ab crunch machine:

• 180 x 20

Week 9: Legs

In my research this past on how to improve my squat form, I stumbled upon a few very helpful blogs, especially this one:

http://www.dieselsc.com/how-to-squat/

It gave me the idea to switch to a 'powerlifting' stance, in order to activate more muscle groups and make it easier on my body. I felt a lot more in control, but still need to work on my hip mobility as I lower myself into the hole. I felt about as far down as my hips would safely flex, but looking at the footage afterwards, I am still a couple inches too high to consider it a true rep. Afterwards, I focused on some accessory work that would help my hamstrings and glutes, which are the weakest part of my legs at this point. Breakdown to follow:

Barbell squats:

• 145 x 10
• 145 x 10
• 285 x 2
• 345 x 2
• 365 x 2
• 375 x 2
• 395 x 2 (all assuming the bar was 55lb, if not, -10lb each)

Dumbbell split lunges:

• 25 x 10
• 30 x 10
• 30 x 10

Glute hamstring raise:

• 150 x 15
• 150 x 15
• 150 x 15

Dumbbell side bends:

• 90 x 10
• 90 x 10
• 100 x 10

Week 9 Progress Pics

Thought that after my big chest day, some progress pics were in order.. I'll do another one after Week 12, probably of my entire body (honestly my legs have seen the most improvement from this program).

Week 9: Chest

I am amazed at how consistently chest day correlates to huge gains and progress. I always knew chest was my forte, but these last few weeks have me feeling like Neo, shedding my previous limits and reaching for the sky! Cheese aside, I have made a 50lb increase on my bench max in the past nine weeks, something I really never thought would be possible. It is only a matter of time, and some improvements on my technique, until I reach another 50lbs from here.

Today's experience at the gym was further enhanced as I did something I normally never do: interact with the other lifters around me.  There was a group of three average-looking bros benching next to me, all lifting between 400 and 550lbs, easily one of the most impressive feats I've seen at this gym. I was in awe, and had to get some background on these guys, so I asked their bodyweight, and what kind of supplements they used. They ranged from 160 (!!), to 215, to 270 lbs, and admitted to being 100% natural lifters, relying on excess calories from Chipotle to get their energy. I am still skeptical, but regardless of what was said, no more than 10 minutes after the small talk with them, a random guy approached me to ask my bodyweight, and commented on how impressed he was with my lift (a new PR of 365). I was already feeling on top of the world for adding 20lbs to my previous PR from a few weeks ago, when another random, much bigger, guy approached me and proceeded to offer me advice on my form. Turns out, this guy (Norman Gorman), is a 48 year old powerlifter who just recently broke Florida's bench record for his age bracket. Amazing.

So, once again, today was a huge success and I look forward to continuing the progress. Here is the breakdown:

Flat barbell bench:

• 135 x 10
• 135 x 10
• 275 x 1
• 335 x 1
• 355 x 1 (new PR)
• 365 x 1 (newer PR)
• 375 FAIL

Dips

• 10
• 15
• 20

Pec Deck:

• 165 x 10
• 195 x 10
• 210 x 10 (new record)

Abs

• 60 x 20
• 50 x 20
• 40 x 20

Week 8: Back

For what I need out of the gym, LA Fitness has been almost perfect. I have never waited longer than 10 minutes for a power rack, always had clips available, and up until recently, found the equipment preferable to other gyms (the plates have rubber linings and have nice texture). I realized a couple weeks ago, however, that some of the barbells are standard 45lb pars, and others, for unknown reasons, are slightly fatter, 55lb bars.

Why?

I can only imagine it's to offer the patrons of this gym the option of, maybe, working on forearm strength as it has an added 2-4mm in diameter. Other than that, it's nothing short of frustrating, when you don't realize until too late that what you thought was a 405 pound load, became 415. Ugh. Not that I should be that bent out of shape for a 10lb difference, maybe I'm just still disappointed in how far below 495 I am right now.

Barbell deadlifts:

• 145 x 10
• 285 x 8
• 415 x 2
• 395 x 2
• 395 x 3
• 325 x 3 (2 min rest)
• 325 x 3 (2 min rest)
• 325 x 3

Barbell shrugs:

• 235 x 5
• 235 x 5
• 235 x 5

Barbell bent-over row:

• 45 x 8
• 70 x 8
• 90 x 8

Reverse lat pulldown:

• 150 x 10
• 180 x 10
• 210 x 8

Week 8: Chest pt.2

For all of my complaints with the progress I am (or am not) making on my other two lifts, I have nothing bad to say with my benching. None whatsoever. Today was another day of progress, and even though we started with incline and worked towards flat, I felt strong in both, and improved my lifting once again.  It might have been due to the intense lunch I ate at Giant Panda, a new Chinese all-you-care-to-eat buffet, but then again I missed my breakfast today. In any case, here is the breakdown:

Barbell incline bench:

• 135 x 10
• 135 x 10 (notice lately we've only warmed up twice.. it was probably a waste of energy and time getting a third set of warmups in to be honest)
• 205 x 3
• 235 x 3
• 245 x 2, 1 assisted (better than last week)
• 245 x 2, 1 assisted
• 225 x 6

Dumbbell flat bench:

• 90 x 10
• 100 x 10
• 110 x 10
• 120 x 6
• 100 x 10

Dips;

• 10
• 10
• 10

Machine Abs:

• 110 x 40
• 110 x 40

Final thoughts: Again, not much to be said for my progress here. As we approach the last third, with 2-rep sets, I imagine I will be making even bigger lifts. Pretty excited for that!

Week 8: Shoulders + Arms

Today was a bit of a free day, since I generally want to target my deltoids, biceps and triceps, as well as work on any part of my upper body that will translate into either squatting, benching, or deadlifting. Last week we attempted some farmer's walks, which went over so-so. So we replaced it with standing shrugs (holding a shrug for 30seconds), which seemed to be doing something since my traps, forearms, and even core felt tight afterwards.

I can't believe this week is wrapping up the 2/3rd mark of the program! The last third (weeks 9-12) will see one less rep per set, so I'll be lifting even more weight for 2, hopefully. Anyways, here is today's breakdown:

Dumbbell shoulder press:

• 60 x 10
• 75 x 10
• 85 x 9
• 95 x 5 (wanted to see if I could get 95, knew it wouldn't be 10, but that's the heaviest I've lifted yet)

Dumbbell side delt/ front delt/ rear delt raise:

• 30 x 10/10/10
• 30 x 10/10/10
• 30 x 10/3, 25 x 7/10 (had to decrease weights)

Machine paused shrugs:

• 3 plates a side x 30 seconds
• 3 plates a side x 30 seconds
• 3 plates a side x 30 seconds

Superset: Machine rope bicep curl/ machine tricep push:

• 60 x 10/ 70 x 15
• 60 x 10/ 70 x 15
• 60 x 10/ 70 x 15

Close grip pullups:

• 15
• 10
• 10

Abs:

• 110 x 20
• 90 x 15

Supplements + Diet update

I've been meaning to write a quick anecdote on how I have been able to add and maintain weight throughout this program, and now that I've been asked the question, I'll take the time to do it.

One can sum up my dietary habits into three big changes, none of which were that difficult to set into motion:

1. Taking my multivitamin and fish oil once a day, every day
2. Cooking in bulk, and portioning out my meals using tupperware or ziploc baggies throughout the week
3. Creating a massive proteing/gainer shake to consume after my workout

1. Taking my multivitamin and fish oil once a day, every day


Buying from Bodybuilding.com is hands down the best way to acquire your supplements, for many reasons. Aside from the lowest prices online (which is lower than you'd find at brick-and-mortar stores), they offer you up to 3 free samples on protein, pre-workouts, fish oils, or other niche supplements. The shipping is standard, yet because of their distribution in Jacksonville, it usually arrives within 1-2 days of ordering, so if you can stick it out for a 48 hours, this is the way to go.  I have never used fish oil or multivitamins before starting this program, but from the reviews, it seemed like a staple from all ranges of athletes. I can't say I feel a major difference, but I don't feel sore and I've been making steady gains so they may be working..

2. Cooking in bulk, and portioning out my meals using tupperware or ziploc baggies throughout the week


It's cheaper than buying lunch (which I still occasionally do if I want some Pollo Tropical or Del Taco), it's an easy way to track your macro nutrients, and it's usually pretty tasty. I have made some variation of the same meal for the past 3 or 4 weeks, but it always contains rice, chicken, and vegetables.  In the picture I am showing what I ate today: yogurt, chicken fried rice, del taco (love the coupons), a liter of chocolate milk.. and then I'm ready for my workout. After I drink the milk, I refill the liter a couple times with water.  Once I finish my workout and have my shake, I eat a medium sized dinner, usually pasta.


3. Creating a massive proteing/gainer shake to consume after my workout


I highly, highly recommend Muscle Juice as a protein powder to those who have a high metabolism, or to those who are trying to gain weight. It does have high amounts of cholesterol (though remember, dietary cholesterol doesn't equal body cholesterol).. but it is loaded with carbs, L-amino acids, protein, fat, and over 1000 calories per full serving. I usually create a monster shake with 2-3 cups of milk(300cal), 1/2 serving of Muscle Juice (500 cal), 1 banana, 1 scoop peanut butter, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 cup frozen berries.

My caloric intake is not nearly up to where it should be (probably about 1000 calories less), but it's more than I've normally eaten as well, which has made a big difference in my recovery and progress.

Week 8: Legs

In an effort to work on technique, I implemented several pieces of advice received from last week before going into squats:

1. Reduced 3 sets of warm ups to 2, to avoid excessive lifting before the working sets
2. Reduced lift by about 30 to 40 lbs, to readjust balance
3. Brought out a dumbbell to serve as a stool for touch-and-go squats, to increase depth
4. Avoided the knee turns as I came out of the hole

My form can still use work, though I think another limiting factor is my underdeveloped hamstrings and core strength.  We switched the accessory exercises today to focus on stabilizing and mobility, by doing long stride lunges and glute raises. I may throw in another leg exercise in a few days on Back day.

The results were obviously less impressive numbers than before, but it's better to readjust now than continue to struggle with broken form. Here is the breakdown:

Barbell squats:

• 135 x 10
• 135 x 10
• 245 x 3
• 295 x 3
• 335 x 3
• 335 x 1 (tried a narrower stance, and failed)
• 315 x 3

Machine glute raise

• 150 x 10
• 150 x 15
• 150 x 15

Dumbbell Long stride lunges:

• 35 x 10
• 40 x 10
• 45 x 10

Abs:

75 crunches

Final thoughts: I feel like the problem with trying to fix any of the three big lifts is that the other two, and the rest of my workout is compromised. I think the only really effective way to fix my squats is to work on them three days a week, but I can't do that without decreasing my focus on the other muscle groups. I'll slip some more leg work into my routine, I just hope it doesn't drag the workouts on too long.

Week 8: Chest

Happy Memorial Day weekend! I hope everyone used the extended weekend to their advantage. Whether it was to be with family and friends, to reflect on lives lost or lives still living, to set new challenges or conquer old ones.. for the purposes of this blog, the long holiday gave my body an additional day of rest, which was put to good use today as I upped the ante and increased my lifts.

As I plan to add accessory work to my squats and deadlifts, I still see no wall on my chest routine, so until then it's same old, same old. I did read up on a complaint someone was having about not seeing improvement after several months of lifting, and the consensus was there was too much warm up volume.. so I tweaked my typical 3 set warmup and decreased it to 2 sets. I don't know if that had anything to do with my improvement, but it didn't hurt. Here is the breakdown for today:

Barbell flat bench:

• 135 x 10
• 135 x 10
• 245 x 3
• 295 x 3
• 325 x 2, 1 assisted
• 325 x 2, 1 assisted
• 275 x 6 (huge finish)

Barbell incline bench:

• 195 x 10
• 195 x 8
• 195 x 8
• 185 x 8 (just not feeling it like I should have.. incline is awful)

Pushups:

• 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Abs:

• 30 x 90
• 31 x 110

Week 7: Back

Welp, today was one of those days.. I had been dreading this, but eventually it had to happen; my routine has surpassed my lifting ability.. the back program I'm following was definitely not tuned to be realistic (well over 100lb increase in 10 weeks), and frankly I'm surprised I was able to stick with it for this long.

So getting back to what I was alluding to in the last post, the one thing that has become obvious to me in the last week (as I start to see a plateau in progress), is the need for more accessory work in order to aid my big-three lifts. I had asked r/fitness for a form check on my squats, and the main feedback was to deload and work on depth, and work on hamstrings and glutes. As far as my deadlifts go, lower back extensions, pull ups, and face pulls can serve as the assistance to strengthen my upper body.  With five more weeks of this 'program', I feel like without changing much the extra attention to supplement these lifts will be a good move.

Here is the breakdown:

Barbell deadlift:

• 135 x 10
• 225 x 8
• 315 x 5
• 455 x FAIL
• 455 x FAIL
• 455 x FAIL
• 415 x 1 (thank goodness)
• 375 x 3
• 375 x 3
• 375 x 3
• 375 x 3
• 375 x 2

Wide grip pull ups:

• 3 sets of 10

Abs machine:

• 50
• 30