Week 21: Recovery Day

Squats

Warm Up: 42/15, 133/8
Work Sets: 253/5,5

Press

Warm Up: 42/11, 93/7, 133/5
Work Sets: 160/5,5,5

Pullups

6,6,6

Pendlay Rows

173/3, 203/3,3,3

Video- Pendlay Rows: 203/3

I concluded the workout with 3 sets of crunches on the decline bench for 15 reps each.

Week 21: Volume Day

Squats

Warm Up: 42/20, 133/5, 223/4, 253/3
Work Sets: 288/5, 293/4, 308/3, 318/2, 328/1, 293/5
* I really like how I have been feeling since switching to a 5,4,3,2,1, extra set(s) progression.
* Depth and overall form feel very good lately.

Bench Press

127.5/5, 148/4, 173/3, 192/2, 204/1, 217/1, 230/1, 192/11

3 sets of biceps curls to conclude the workout.

Week 20: Intensity Day

Very strange workout. I wanted to do squats at 313 for 5, but only managed 4 reps. Not terrible, but definitely below my goal, so it wasn't a great way to start the session.  Deadlifts were pitiful, to be quite honest. My goal was to do 318 for 5, 368 for 3 and 388 for 1.  318/5 was fine, but I was only able to do 368 for 2. I couldn't even get the third rep off of the ground. I haven't had many good deadlifting sessions lately, so I think I may need to change how I train that exercise.

As I moved to the overhead press, I was thinking that the workout was going to be an overall failure for the day, so I had no set goals. The warm up sets felt pretty easy, so I decided to try a new personal 5 rep record, and I nailed it!!! (168/5) In fact, my confidence was so high, that I decided to try a one rep personal record at 176. I ended up doing it for 2 reps, as you will see in the video below.

After overhead presses, I did 3 sets of chinups and felt strong throughout. I finished the workout with some biceps curls and ab wheel.

All in all, I don't understand it. I followed up a horrible deadlift session with two personal records on the overhead press. I wish I knew why.

Bodyweight: 220 (pretty low-I guess that's what a lot of basketball does.)

Squats

Warm Up: 47/16, 138/6, 228/4, 278/3
Work Set: 313/4


Deadlift:

Warm Up: 138/10, 228/5
Work Sets: 318/5, 368/2


Press:

Warm Up: 42/10, 93/8, 133/4, 153/3
Work Sets: 168/5 (5 rep personal record), 176/2 (personal record)

Video: Press- 176/2

 

Chinups

9,9,8

Workout concluded with 3 sets of biceps curls and 2 sets of 15 each on the ab wheel.

Week 20: Recovery Day

Squats

Warm Up: 42/15, 133/7
Work Sets: 243/5,5

Bench Press

127.5/5, 148/4, 173/3, 191/2, 201/1, 212/1, 224/1, 179/13

Pullups

5,6,6

Pendlay Rows

163/5, 183/3, 193/3, 203/3

Week 20: Volume Day

Squats

Warm Up: 47/18, 138/6, 228/4
Work Sets: 281/5, 288/4, 303/3, 311/2, 323/1, 308/2, 298/3, 278/5

Press

Warm Up: 47/15, 97/6, 137/3
Work Sets: 165/4, 160/5, 160/3, 157/5, 157/4

I had a very good squat session and felt strong. That feeling did not translate to the press, however, and I am not sure why.  The gym has 47 pound bars (thicker) and 42 pound bars (thinner).  For some reason, I am able to lift heavier weights for more reps on the 42 pound bar.  Tonight, I used the 47 pound bar.

Week 19: Intensity Day

Squats

Warm Up: 42/10, 133/5, 223/4, 273/2
Work Set: 310/5
    * Concentrated on keeping my knees pushed out. Solved the cave in problem I had last week.

Deadlifts

Warm Up: 133/10, 223/6, 313/3
Work Sets: 365/3, 313/5
     * 365 was much more difficult than I thought it would be. I had a goal of 5 reps this week, and am surprised that I only managed 3.

Chins (w/pause)

7,8,7
      * I was spent after deadlifts, so my performance on chins suffered.

* Workout concluded with 2 sets of 15 each on the ab wheel and 3 sets of biceps curls.

Week 19: Recovery Day

Squats

Warm Up: 42/12, 133/7
Work Sets: 225/5,5

Press

Warm Up: 42/10, 92/6, 132/3
Work Sets: 152/5,5,5

Pullups (w/pause)

6,6,6,5,5+1
*First time being able to do 6 reps for 3 sets

Week 19: Volume Day

Squats

Warm Up: 47/12, 138/5, 228/4
Work Sets: 278/5, 283/4, 298/3, 308/2, 318/1
* I felt like my depth was excellent tonight.

Bench Press

123/5, 143/4, 168/3, 185/2, 205/1, 217/1, 235/1

Incline: 157/14,13

* Finished the workout with 3 sets of close grip decline bench presses at 137 pounds for reps

Week 18: Intensity Day

Squats

Warm Up: 42/13, 133/5, 223/3, 273/2
Work Set: 308/5
Glad to finally do a 5 rep set on Intensity Day again! My knees caved in on the last couple of reps, though, so I need to work on forcing them out.

Deadlifts

Warm Up: 133/10, 225/5, 315/4
Work Sets: 375/3, 380/2

Press

Warm Up: 42/12, 92/6, 132/3, 155/2
Work Set: 166.5/5 (5 rep personal record)

Chins (no pause)

9,7,7
Not used to doing them without the pause at the bottom. I felt my body swinging back and forth a lot, and it was hard to prevent that.

* I finished the workout with 3 sets of biceps curls and 3 sets of abs.

Week 18: Recovery Day

Squats

Warm Up: 42/15, 133/5
Work Sets: 223/5,5

Bench Press

123/5, 143/4, 168/3, 185/2, 199/1, 211/1, 222/1

Incline: 137/17,15

Pullups (w/pause)

6,6,5,5,5+1 (took a 10 second break after the 5th rep of the 5th set, then did another rep)
* I was finally able to get a 6th rep on the first and second sets.

Week 18: Volume Day

Squats

Warm Up: 47/12, 138/5, 228/3, 278/2
Work Sets: 273/5, 283/4, 293/3, 303/2, 313/1, 320/1, 330/1

Press

Warm Up: 42/12, 92/6, 132/6
Work Sets: 163/5, 165/4, 168/3, 171/2, 174/0 (made it halfway, then stalled), 133/10

Week 17: Intensity Day

Deadlifts

Warm Up: 138/12, 228/5, 318/3
Work Sets: 368/3, 375/3

Video- Deadlifts: 375/3

Squats

Warm Up: 47/11, 138/5, 228/3, 278/2
Work Set: 318/3
I was really hoping to do 318/5 today, but I really struggled to get just three reps up.  Maybe it's because I did an extra work set of deadlifts, or maybe it's because I am just not ready to do 318/5.  I've been trying to do 315 or 318 for 5 for quite some time now, and I can't seem to break through that barrier. The Romaleos were great, though, as I was squatting deeper much easier with the heavier weight.

Chinups (w/pause)

9,9,9

I finished the workout with 3 sets of 10 ab wheel and 3 sets of 10 biceps curls.

Week 17: Recovery Day

My first pair of weight lifting shoes arrived today- Nike Romaleos 2.  I've read a number of rave reviews, such as this one from John Phung: (http://www.johnphung.com/product-reviews/1956/nike-romaleos-2-weightlifting-shoes-review/).  So, I decided to give them a try.

Squats

Warm Up: 42/15, 135/6, 185/5
Work Sets: 250/5,5

Press

Warm Up: 47/10, 98/8, 138/3
Work Sets: 150/5,5,5

Pullups (w/pause)

5,5,5,5,5+1+1 (waited 10 seconds after the 5th rep of the 5th set, then did another rep, followed by another 10 second break and rep)

Back Extensions

5/10, 10/10, 10/10, 15/10, 15/10


I really enjoyed how the shoes felt during squats. They felt very stable and it was easier to go deep. Hopefully, this feeling continues when I do heavier weights on Intensity Day & Volume Day.  I didn't notice any difference during the rest of the workout, however.  In addition, walking was quite different in that I felt very stiff. But, I didn't buy these shoes for walking- I bought them for squatting.  Deadlifting will still be done barefoot, as the heels of the Romaleos would cause too much of a deficit for my liking.

Week 17: Volume Day

Squats

Warm Up: 47/15, 138/6, 228/3, 278/2
Work Sets: 303/5,5,5,5,5
This was probably the most difficult Volume Day I've ever had.  I knew I was in for a rough night after the first set of 303.  After the 4th set, I was seriously wondering how I would complete the 5th.  When I say I barely made it through the 5th set, I mean that in the truest sense of the phrase.  I think this week was so difficult because I have not done a Volume Day in two weeks.  Unfortunately, I am the type of person that loses strength very quickly when I take only a little time off.

Bench Press

I came across the website lift-run-bang.com, authored by Paul Carter, an accomplished strength athlete.  As you may be aware from my previous posts, I have been stagnant in the bench press.  In light of that, I have decided to give Carter's 5/4/3/2/1/1/1 bench press program a try.  So, for bench press only, I will be doing this program instead of the Texas Method.

123/5
143/4
168/3
185/2
195/1
205/1
217/1

Incline Press:

123/15 (I paused for 2 seconds with the bar on my chest in between each rep.)
123/18 (no pause)

After the incline press, I did 3 sets of triceps pushdowns.