Another Hex Bar Dead PR to end the year

The PR of 451 last time left me wondering if I could do more. Since I had one more workout left in 2014, I decided to find out. But, first....

Planks
Regular: 1:00, 1:00

Pushups
33

Planks
1:00

Hex Bar Deadlift
150/10, 240/5, 330/3, 420/1, 460/1 (PR)
    *HELL YEAH! 460 is a true PR. I used everything I had to get that rep! 460 is 9 pounds closer to 500!

Bodyweight Chins (My weight now is ~224.)
12, 10, 8, 8, 7

DB Curls
25's/15, 10, 10

Pushups
26

And so ends 2014. Definitely a crazy year for me, lifting wise, as I completely changed what I do because of injuries. No more bench pressing, back squats, OHPs, or conventional deadlifts. Enter hex bar deads, front squats, pushups, and the beginning of sumo deadlifts.

Yes, this year has been a huge shot to the ego, and depressing at times. At the end of the day, I am not too upset about replacing conventional deads and back squats because my injury was so painful, that I really don't want to ever experience that again.

However, I am bummed about my left shoulder situation. I really want to bench (in some capacity, even if only decline) and overhead press again. Doing the pushups has been OK on my shoulder, so I am hopeful that at some point in 2015 I can add more chest & shoulder work.

I plan on lifting again on Tuesday, January 6. Between now and then, I will continue doing pushups and cardio.

Happy New Year!

Run & Pushups

I went for a 2 mile run/jog this morning just to get some cardio in to battle all of the poor eating.

I also did a set of 33 pushups this evening.

One more lifting session for 2014- Tuesday. I will center it around hex bar deads. If I am feeling well, maybe I will go for another 1RM to close out the year. If not, I'll try for a multiple rep PR.

Regarding pushups, I will pick up the hundredpushups.com program starting with Week 5, at some point. I am just not sure when that will be, as I will be traveling for the New Year. In any event, I will continue to do sets of pushups, but I am not sure if I will follow the program while away or just wait until I return. 

Pushups, Front Squats, Chins, etc.

Bodyweight: 225- fat. Christmas Eve & Day eating. Felt pretty sluggish in the gym. 

Pushups
26, 26

Front Squats
bar/10, 136/10, 186/5, 226/3, 246/1, 206/10 (10RM)

Sumo Deadlifts
136/10, 226/5, 276/5
   * I feel like the form is getting there.

Lying Hamstring Curls
90/20

Bodyweight Chins
12, 9, 8

Cable Crunches
4 sets, 15-20 reps each

Pushups
25

I was supposed to do a pushups failure test after Week 5 of the hundredpushups.com program tonight. The goal was to be able to do at least 45. There was no way in hell that was going to happen. So, I just did three total sets of 25+. I am going repeat the Week 5 program since I did not reach the goal.

The 10RM with the front squat was one tough set! I had to rest against the bar for a bit after I racked it.

Hex Bar Dead PR, Pushups, etc.

Pushups
Protocol: 13, 13, 15, 15, 12, 12, 10, at least 30
Performed: 13, 13, 15, 15, 12, 12, 10, 23
   * Womp womp.....it started getting difficult at the first set of 12. Knew I was in trouble then.

Hex Bar Deads
150/5, 240/5, 330/1, 380/1, 420/1, 451/1 (PR)
    * Year end goal met!! I knew I had it once it came off the ground. Between this and the front squat PR a few days ago, that's not a bad way to close out the year!

Supersets
Lat Pulldowns at 150
Cable Crunches at 150
Close Grip Seated Rows at 120
    * 4 total sets, high reps for each exercise.

Hammer Curls
25's/21 each arm

Pushups W5D2

Protocol: 10, 10, 13, 13, 10, 10, 9, at least 25

Performed: 10, 10, 13, 13, 10, 10, 9, 26

* Good session. Not as difficult as last time. 

Front Squat PR- Year End Goal Met

Front Squats
 bar/10, 138/10, 188/5, 228/1, 248/1, 262/1 (PR), 228/3, 203/8
    * I felt pretty good today so I figured why not try to go for my end of the year goal of 260/1. My singles of 228 & 248 were solid, so I felt pretty good about trying 262. My knees did cave in a bit on the ascent, but the up and down went very smoothly. Did not hit a snag at all. Never in doubt.

Sumo Deadlift
138/10, 228/5, 228/5, 228/5, 228/10
    * I am not going to increase the weight until I know for sure that I have the form down. I don't know that yet.

Lying Hamstring Machine
90/15

Concentration Curls
30/15 (r), 30/15 (l), 35/12 (r), 35/12 (l)

Abs
Cable Crunches- 4 sets, 85 total reps

Bodyweight Chins
11, 9

* I'm definitely pumped about the front squat PR because I blew it out of the water. If I wanted to be greedy, I would have tried 270. The reason that I didn't is because my knees did have that cave in motion, so I didn't want to push my luck. The other year end goal that I have is to do a hex bar dead at 450.

Pushups W5D1

Protocol: 17, 19, 15, 15, at least 20

Performed: 17, 19, 15, 15, 20

* The first two sets were fast. Started to struggle with the 3rd set. The set of 20 was a killer, but I made it......barely.

Post Week 4 Pushup Test

33

Progression!

Hex Bar Deads & Chins

Bodyweight- 220

Hex Bar Deads
150/10, 240/5, 330/5, 380/1, 420/3, 420/3, 420/3
   * Went to a different gym tonight...the hex bar at this gym weighs 60 pounds.
   * 420/3 is a 3RM. These felt really good tonight, so I decided to do a few sets at 420.
   * Wore Cons instead of just socks & this bar is designed to hold more weight. Not sure if either of these explain the session tonight or I just happened to wake up on the right side of the bed this morning.

Bodyweight Chins
12, 9, 7
    * Felt my body favoring my right side (my dominant side) during the movement. Tried to curtail it as much as I could.

Pushups W4D3

Pushups
 
Protocol: 16, 18, 13, 13, at least 20

Performed: 16, 18, 13, 13, 24

* Blew this out of the water. Next is an AMAP test, probably Friday, perhaps Wednesday. 

Pushups W4D2, Front Squats, etc.

Pushups
Protocol: 14, 16, 12, 12, at least 18
Performed: 14, 16, 12, 12, 20
   * The set of 20 was very difficult, but I still was able to do 2 more than what was called for.

Front Squats
bar/10, 138/10, 188/5, 228/3, 248/2, 248/2, 208/8
   * 248/2 is a 2RM and I did it twice.
   * 208/8 was a killer set. After racking the bar, I squatted down and leaned against the squat rack for a bit to catch my breath.

Sumo Deadlift
138/5, 228/1
   * I didn't like how my lower back felt after picking up 228. There is no way that I am going to risk an injury like I had at the beginning of this year, so I will be overly careful with these.

Lying Hamstring Machine
90/20, 90/15, 90/13

Bodyweight Chins
12, 8

EZ Bar Curls
70/12

Not sure when I am going to lift next week because of basketball/yoga and a couple of holiday dinners. I will continue with the pushups, at least. Maybe I can squeeze in a quick hex bar dead session on Tuesday, or if basketball isn't particularly busy, on one of those nights. If not, I probably won't lift again until Friday.

Pushups W4D1

Pushups

Protocol: 12, 14, 11, 10, at least 16

Performed: 12, 14, 11, 10, 20

* I am going to do front squats and sumo deads on Saturday. I had a long/tough yoga & basketball session last night, so I could use the lower body rest.

Pushups W3D3, Hex Bar Deads, Back

Pushups
Protocol: 11, 13, 9, 9, at least 13, 120 seconds rest in between each set
Performed: 11, 13, 9, 9, 22, I rested roughly the full 120 seconds in between each set.

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 365/1, 405/7 (7RM!!!)
   * Pretty pumped about the 7RM. I should have loosened up more before the workout, though, because my lower back felt pretty stiff and uncomfortable throughout all of the sets.

Bodyweight Chins
13, 8, 8 (I've been ignoring these lately, and tonight's results confirm that.)

T-Bar Rows (underhand grip)
135/5, 115/7, 115/8

Lat Pulldown (regular grip)
150/10, 130/15, 130/12

Abs
Crunches- 3 sets of 20

EZ Bar Curls
Drop Set: 100/7, 60/7, 30/11

Pushups, W3D2

Protocol: 10, 12, 8, 8, at least 12, 90 seconds rest in between each set

Performed: 10, 12, 8, 8, 17, I rested less than 90 seconds in between most of the sets.

NOTES: While the first day was too hard, this one seemed too easy. But, it's a good starting point and I will just build from this.

Pushups

Tonight, I started the hundredpushups.com program, which is run three times per week. According to the site, the first thing to be done is an initial test, just to see where you are. On Tuesday, I took the initial test and was able to do 27 pushups. The site recommends starting at Week 3 of the program if your initial test resulted in more than 20 pushups. Each week is broken down into three different options based on how many pushups were completed.

27 put me in the most difficult part of the Week 3 program. Sets of 14, 18, 14, 14, and at least 20 were called for, with a recommended rest period of "60 seconds (longer if required)" in between sets.

I was able to get 14 on the first set and 18 on the second. However, I only managed 10, 10, and 10 on the remaining three sets. I took longer than 60 seconds in between each set, as well.

Despite my initial test results, I obviously did not come close to handling the recommended sets. As a result, I will move down to the easiest part of Week 3 for my next workout and progress from there.

Front Squats & Sumo Deadlifts

Front Squats
133/10, 183/5, 203/3, 223/1, 243/3, 223/7

Sumo Deadlifts
133/10, 133/10, 223/5, 223/5, 273/5

Front Squats
183/8

Planks
Regular- 2:00

NOTES:
a) 243/3 is a 3RM;
b) 223/7 ties a 7RM;
c) Tonight's front squat workout was similar to my October 16, 2014 session, but this time I did 243/3 instead of 243/1;
d) I've read about sumo deadlifts recently and felt like trying them out. They are supposedly not as rough on your lower back as conventional deads, and hit the posterior chain more than the hex bar variety. I could definitely feel that tonight. For the time being, they will be done after front squats. I will continue to try to get the form down on lighter weights before moving up, so as not to risk injury. 

Hex Bar Deads, etc

Planks
Regular 1:00, Right 1:00, Left 1:00, Regular 1:00, Regular 1:00

Pushups
27

Concentration Curls
30/15 right, 30/15 left, 30/12 right, 30/12 left

Chins
BW/11

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 405/3, 405/3, 405/3, 405/3

T-Bar Rows (underhand grip)
90/12, 90/12, 90/12

Chins
BW/6

Seated Close Grip Cable Row
140/12

NOTES:
a) I am going to use the set of 27 pushups as the starting point for the hundredpushups.com program that I will start later this week;
b) The hex bar was in use when I arrived, so I had to wait. Hence, deads occurring in the middle of the workout. Volume triples at 405 felt good;
c) Both sets of bodyweight chins were pretty tough. I did the first set after curls and the second set after rows.

Post Thanksgiving Lift

On Thanksgiving morning, I ran an 8k.... first race I've ever participated in and the first time I've ever run that distance in my life. My sister asked me if I was interested, and for some reason, it spoke to me, so I did it. This was with no training, not having run more than 1.5 miles in probably 4 years, and only 2 hours of sleep the night before due to being out drinking and general sleeping issues when I have to wake up early the next morning. The bottom is line is that I completely winged it, and somehow, completed the entire course without stopping and without finishing in last place.

After the race, I ate and drank a ridiculous amount for Thanksgiving, as did everyone else.

Today, I decided to train:

Planks
Regular 1:00, Right Side 1:00, Left Side 1:00, Regular 1:00

Front Squats
135/5, 185/5, 215/3, 230/3, 240/3, 240/3, 240/3, 240/2
     * 240/3 might be a 3RM. 

Chins
+15/6, +15/6, +15/6

Pushups
25, 12, 10 

Maxing out with Front Squats

Front Squat
I was in the mood to test my 1RM today.

138/5, 188/3, 208/2, 228/1, 238/1, 248/1, 254/1 (PR), 258/0, 188/10

I came to a brief stop just out of the hole in the concentric portion of the rep of 248, but was able to power through it. Oddly enough, the rep of 254 felt better than 248. Since 254 went relatively well, I decided to try 258, but never made it out of the hole. 254 may only be a PR by 1 pound, but it is a PR nonetheless. Going into the session, I was hoping for 260, based on how strong I've been lately. Ah well... not tonight, but maybe by the end of the year/early next year??? The set of 188/10 definitely taxed my abs. 

1 Legged Kettlebell Deadlifts
5 sets of 10 for each leg, using light weight. Never did the exercise before/decided to try something new.

Standing Calf Raises on a box
4 sets, 10lb DBs in each hand, over 20 reps per set

DB Lunges
2 sets of 40s/10 for each leg

Back

Planks
Regular 1:00, Right 1:00, Left 1:00,
Regular 1:00, Right 1:00, Left 1:00, 
Regular 1:00, Right 1:00, Left 1:00

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 405/1, 420/1, 365/10 (10RM)
  * I was in Las Vegas from Friday-Monday. That meant a lot of drinking, poor eating, and poor sleeping. 405/1 & 420/1 both felt heavy. Before I started the workout, I thought tonight might be the night to try 3 sets of 420/3. I knew that wasn't going to happen when I picked up 405. So, I made an adjustment at hit a 10RM at 365.

Hex Bar Rows
195/6, 200/5, 200/5

Chins
+10/7, +10/5

T Bar Row (underhand grip)
135/5, 135/5, 135/5

Seated Close Grip Cable Row
160/9, 160/9

EZ Bar Curls
85/18

Pushups
24
  * On Saturday, I did  a few sets of pushups and planks in my hotel room, just for peace of mind. My shoulder felt OK then, as well as tonight. I am not going to start the hundredpushups.com program quite yet, as I really want to ease into pushing motions slowly to see how my shoulder reacts.

All in all, a good workout.

Front Squats

Planks
Regular- 1:00, 1:00, 1:00, 1:00, 1:00

Front Squats
133/10, 183/5, 213/3, 238/5 (5 rep PR), 183/8
   * The fifth rep on the set of 238 wasn't the best, as I could feel my back doing some weird things. I did complete it, though, resulting in a new 5RM in three consecutive workouts.

Lying Hamstring Machine
110/10, 130/7, 130/7

Back

Planks
13 minutes total, including rest:
1:00 regular, 1:00 regular, 1:00 right side, 1:00 left side, 1:00 regular, 1:00 regular, 1:00 yoga right, 1:00 yoga left, 1:00 yoga regular

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 365/1, 415/5 (5 rep PR)
* I am loving the steady progression with these. Maybe I will try 450/1 by the end of the year.

Hex Bar Rows
185/8, 185/8, 185/7

Chins
BW/12, 10/6, 10/7

Seated Close Grip Cable Row
160/8, 160/7, 160/7

DB Curls on Preacher Bench
30/8 each arm, 3 sets

Legs

Planks
Yoga Style- 2:00

Front Squats
133/10, 183/5, 203/3, 233/5 (5 rep PR), 248/1, 183/10 

Planks
Yoga Style-1:30

Lying Hamstring Curl Machine
5 sets of 10 at 90, 1:00 rest max in between each set

Standing Calf Raises
4 sets, various reps, holding 15 pound DBs in each hand, using a box

* Good session, happy with the 5RM at 233 in the front squat. It was tough to hold my position with the calf raises.  Onward.

Hex Bar Deads & Back/Biceps

Planks
15 total minutes: various sets of regular, right, left, yoga, yoga right, and yoga left. Very little rest in between each set.

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 365/1, 405/6 (6 rep PR), 405/4
   * 10 total reps between the two sets of 405 is definitely the most I've done. In fact, I don't recall ever doing multiple sets of 405 for reps.

Chins
13, 11

DB Rows (off the rack)
Right Side         Left Side
120/5                 120/5
120/5                 120/5 

Close Grip Lat Pulldown
160/12, 180/8

Concentration Curls
30/8 (r), 30/8 (l), 60 seconds rest, 30/8 (r), 30/8 (l)

Front Squats & Update on the shoulder issue

Morning Weight: 217

Planks
3:00 (switched to Yoga style for about 25 seconds at around the 2 minute mark, then switched back to regular)

Front Squats
138/10, 188/5, 208/1, 228/3, 228/3, 228/3, 228/3, 228/3

Poor sleep last night and I wasn't feeling very strong. I decided to bang out 5 sets of 3 at a heavy weight. That's probably the most volume I've ever done at 228.

1 Legged Hamstring Curl Machine
Right Side            Left Side
90/12                    90/12
90/12                    90/12
90/12                    90/12

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
45/30 (30 second rest), 45/20 (30 second rest), 45/15 (30 second rest), 45/15 (30 second rest), 45/20 (30 second rest)
This weight sounds like baby weight, but after all of that volume, damn, did my calves burn!!


Yesterday, I went to my chiropractor and he suggested that I might want to get an MRI on my shoulder since it just isn't healing. Before doing that, though, he wants me to try one more type of rehab exercise. So, I am going to do that, and put off hundredpushups.com until afterward. As a result, there will be a complete hiatus from shoulders/chest/tris. SIGH , but if it works, then it will be worthwhile.

Hex Bar Dead PR, new thought re: Shoulders/Chest/Tris

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 385/1, 440/1 (PR), 315/12
   440/1 was tough, but I did it and am pretty pumped about it! I was mentally drained afterward, so instead of doing a lot of volume, I just banged out a set of 315 until I didn't feel like doing it anymore. 

T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
135/7, 135/6, 135/6

Seated Close Grip Cable Row
140/15, 160/8, 160/9

Standing Cable Curls
4 sets, short rest, weight not important 

Chins
BW/8  (yes, only 8! My arms were shot at the end of the workout.)

So, instead of being stubborn with my left shoulder injury, I've decided that pushups will be my sole method of training shoulders, chest, and triceps for the foreseeable future. To keep me motivated, I will follow the program at hundredpushups.com and see how far it takes me. Shoulder willing, I'll start it at some point next week and post the results accordingly. Adapt or perish.

Shoulder injury that never goes away

Planks
3:00 (mostly regular, switched to Yoga a couple of times)

Hammer Strength Incline Press
98/15, 188/10, 188/9, 188/10, 208/7, 208/7
   *Left shoulder hurt, did the exercise anyway. Probably stupid. Just so frustrated for words. Really at a loss at what to do. Maybe just keep everything light and rep the hell out of it?? 

Chins
BW/13, +10/6, +10/7

Rope Pulldowns
5 sets of 10, 1 minute rest in between each set

Poundstone Curls
47/50

Front Squats & DB Presses

I was able to work out as a guest at the WWE gym tonight. (yes, that WWE) Since I don't know the weights of the bars, I am going with 45, but the one I used felt lighter. On the flip side, the DBs I used felt heavier than what they were labeled at, so who knows.

Planks
2:45 (held the regular pose the entire time)

Front Squats
135/10, 185/5, 205/3, 230/5 (5 rep PR), 245/2
   * I felt really strong with these, but was the bar lighter than I thought??? In arguing that it was not lighter, tonight's session was a natural progression from last week's. It's not like I threw up ridiculous weights and reps in comparison.

Neutral Grip DB Overhead Press
60s/10, 70s/3, 70s/5, 70s/5, 70s/5
   * Wow, did these DBs feel heavier than the ones at my regular gym! I felt it right away when I started repping the set of 60s. I wasn't in love with the benches here, either, so perhaps that had something to do with it???

Hamstrings - 5 sets of accessory work, light weight, short rest

Hex Bar Deads, Chins, Back

Hex Bar Deads
During the day, I decided that I would do more volume tonight and try once again to pull 435 off of the floor. I finally accomplished it, and believe it or not, it wasn't tremendously hard. I'm not sure why it wouldn't even budge off of the floor on previous attempts. I knew I was good for it the second I lifted it off the ground.

135/10, 225/5, 315/3, 385/1, 435/1 (PR), 385/3, 385/3, 385/5, 315/11

Exhausting, but I loved it. 

Chins
14, 11, 10
 
T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
135/5, 135/5, 135/5

DB Rows (off the rack)
Right Side         Left Side
120/5                 120/5
120/6                 120/6
120/5                 120/5

Shoulders & Chest

Planks
3:15 (mostly regular, switched to Yoga a couple of times)

Neutral Grip DB Overhead Press
60s/11, 70s/7, 75s/5, 80s/3, 85s/0 (I was stronger last time. 85s wouldn't budge.)

Hammer Strength Incline Press
148/12, 188/8, 188/8, 208/6, 208/6

Decline Bench Press
137/13 (Didn't feel the shoulder during the inclines, felt it here. The realization is that I am going to have to take some time off from these. Sigh.)

EZ Bar Curls
85/16

Rear Delt Machine
90/15, 100/10

Front Squats & Chins

Front Squats
133/10, 183/5, 203/3, 223/7 (7 rep PR), 243/1
  * Tried a bit of a different format tonight. I felt strong during the set of 203, so I decided to see if I could set a rep PR with 223. I gave it my all during that set, so I didn't have much left when I tried 243. I was thinking 3 reps at first, but knew I was done after 1.

1 Legged Hamstring Curl Machine
Right Side            Left Side
110/10                  110/10
120/8                    120/8
120/8                    120/8

Chins
13, 11, 9

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
135/20, 30 second rest, 135/15

* I was strong tonight. Let's keep it continue, as Sammy Sosa would say.

Back

Planks
3:31 (mostly regular, switched to Yoga a couple of times) (time PR)

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 295/20 (felt like doing a 20 rep set, inching closer to 315/20)

Hex Bar Rows
195/5, 195/5, 195/6

DB Rows (off the rack)
Right Side         Left Side
115/6                 115/6
120/6                 120/6
120/6                 120/6

T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
135/5, 135/5, 135/5

Single Pulley Pushdowns
75/10, 75/10, 75/10

Solid session.

Chest, Abs, Arms

Planks
2:00 regular, 1:30 right, 2:00 regular, 1:30 left, 1:30 regular

Decline Bench Press
135/15, 155/5, 175/4, 205/3, 225/5, 225/4
   * I was at the gym where I don't know the weight of the bars, so I am assuming 45 pounds.
   * Felt the shoulder pain on the lift off portion.  

Hammer Strength Incline Press
98/20, 148/12
    * No shoulder pain at all. Perhaps this can be my go to for incline presses now. That would be great.

Chins
10, 10

Double Pulley Pushdows
130/15, 130.12

DB Concentration Curls
30/10 right, 10 left
30/8 right, 8 left

Legs, Shoulders

Front Squats
133/5, 173/4, 193/3, 213/2, 233/1, 213/8 (8 rep PR, +2 reps from last week)
 
1 Legged Hamstring Curl Machine
Right Side            Left Side
100/10                  100/10
110/10                  110/10
120/7                    120/7

Neutral Grip DB Overhead Press
50s/12, 60s/10, 70s/7, 75s/5, 80s/3

Front Squats
138/16

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
135/20, 30 second rest, 135/10

* I was strong tonight. During the 54321 portion of the front squats, the 213/2 & 233/1 went up really well, so I was thinking rep PR before the work set of 213.  Hamstrings went up a lot compared to last week. Shoulders felt strong, as well. Even went up a rep in the high rep front squat set at the end of the workout. If only all workouts were like this one!

Yoga & Back

Tonight, I decided to take a yoga class and follow that up immediately with lifting. Normally, I do yoga and then play basketball, but I felt like trying something different today.

After a 75 minute yoga class where I sweated like a fool as always, I did the following:

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 365/1, 415/1, 435/0,0
* I knew that high rep sets would be out of the question after yoga, so I tried some heavy singles. 415 went up really well, so I thought I was good for 435. Nope. Didn't budge off the ground on either attempt. Blah.

Hex Bar Rows
185/7, 185/7, 185/7

T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
115/8, 135/6, 135/6

DB Concentration Curls
30/10 right, 10 left
40/6 right, 6 left

I definitely did not have tremendous stamina during the lifting portion of the workout. To try and help with this, I drank a protein shake in between the yoga class and the lifting session. I really thought that I'd nail the 435 after 415 went up so smoothly. Very disappointed that I couldn't even get it off the ground. Not sure why that would be, as it's only 20 pounds more.

Chest, Chins, Abs

Decline Bench Press
137/15, 157/5, 177/4, 197/3, 217/2, 227/4, 187/10

Hammer Strength Incline Press
98/20 
  * Decided to do some high rep inclines since my shoulder wasn't screaming at me.

Chins
Bodyweight: 11, 10
15/6

I've been getting kind of bored with planks, so I decided to do various ab exercises through the workout.

Shoulder felt "OK" during the declines. I'm sure I will be paying for it over the next couple of days.

Legs

Front Squats
138/5, 178/4, 198/3, 218/2, 228/1, 238/1, 213/6

1 Legged Hamstring Curl Machine
Right Side            Left Side
100/8                    100/8
100/8                    100/8
100/10                  100/10

DB Lunges
Right Side            Left Side
45s/8                     45s/8
35s/12                   35s/12
40s/10                   40s/10

Front Squats
138/15

Seated Calf Raise Machine
170/16, 210/11

Lunges were killers. As was the set of front squats after them. Good workout.

Shoulders & Back

Planks
2:00, 2:00, 2:00

Neutral Grip DB Overhead Press
65s/8, 70s/6, 75s/4, 75s/4, 75s/5

DB Rows (off the rack)
Right Side         Left Side
105/7                 105/7
110/6                 110/6
115/5                 115/5

Hex Bar Rows
135/15, 135/15

T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
135/4, 115/7, 115/7, 135/6

EZ Bar Curls
85/15

This was a solid session. I'm getting stronger on the shoulder presses and I don't feel any pain whatsoever while performing the exercise. The source of my shoulder pain is the chest movement. Declines have been OK, but I felt some pain last time. Not sure how to really train my chest at this point. 

Post Basketball Deads

I only played two games of basketball tonight and I felt like that wasn't enough of a workout. So, I decided to do my hex bar deads afterward.

Hex Bar Deadlift
135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 365/1, 405/5
  * Haven't done 405 for reps in quite a while. Felt good.

Chins
14

Front Squats, Declines, Shoulder Press

Front Squats
133/5, 173/4, 193/3, 223/2, 243/1, 213/7 (7 rep PR)

Decline Bench Press
137/15, 187/5, 207/5, 207/5, 207/5
   * Felt my shoulder some. Eh. Blah.
 
Neutral Grip DB Overhead Press
60s/8, 65s/6, 70s/4, 70s/5, 70s/5

Hammer Curls
40s/8, (30 seconds rest), 30s/8

Back

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 285/20, 345/8
   I felt like I had some left in the tank after the set of 20, so I banged out a set at 345. 

Chest Supported DB Row (a/k/a DB Incline Row)
60s/10, 70s/5, 70s/6, 70s/8

Planks
2:00 

Seated Plate Loaded Rows
Close Grip: 147/8 right, 147/8 left, 147/8 right, 147/8 left, 147/8 right, 147/8 left 

Chins
12, 9

Standing Cross Body Hammer Curls
40/8 right, 40/8 left, (30 seconds rest), 30/8 right, 30/8 left

Chest & Shoulders

Decline Bench Press
137/12, 157/10, 177/10, 187/8, 207/5, 207/4, 207/4

Neutral Grip DB Overhead Press
50s/10, 60s/8, 65s/5

Chins
11

* I felt the shoulder a little bit during some of the decline reps, but not at all during the overhead presses.   

Legs & a little Back

Pause Front Squats
Pause: 138/5, 158/4, 188/3, 228/1, 228/1, 228/1 (this one was barely paused)
Non-pause: 233/1
Pause: 188/8
   * Thought I might go for 233/5 with the non-pause variety, but nope. The heavy paused singles wore me down. 188/8 paused was a grinder, too.

1 Legged Hamstring Curl Machine
90/10 (right), 90/10 (left), 100/8 (r), 100/8 (l), 100/8 (r),100/8 (l) 

Leg Press (high & wide, hamstrings concentration)
270/10, 360/8, 360/8 

Seated Plate Loaded Rows
Close Grip: 147/8 right, 147/8 left, 147/7 right, 147/7 left, 147/7 right, 147/7 left  

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
135/15, 30 second rest, 135/15  

Chins
13

Hex Bar Deads, Chest, etc.

Planks
Total time: 9:00
Regular 2:00, Right Side 2:00, Left Side 2:00, Yoga 1:00
2:00 total rest mixed in.

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 275/21
* Since I wasn't able to do 315/20 when I tried it, I decided to see if I could do 275/20 tonight. I knew I was good for it right away, as the first 10 or so reps flew up. I was really breathing heavy, though, by the time rep 17 hit. Perhaps I will try 285/20 next time, depending on what I'm feeling.

Decline Bench Press
Decline is supposed to be better for the shoulders, so they say. I did a bunch of reps with the bar to see if I felt any pain, and I did not. So, I decided to do three light sets.

137/12, 137/12, 137/15

* I was very conscious of my form and made sure that I did not flail my shoulders. No pain at all. If I can bench like this without pain, I will take it. Funny enough, I was really feeling my chest during these light weight sets.

DB Rows (off the rack)
Right Side         Left Side
100/7                 100/7
105/6                 105/6
110/5                 110/5
115/5                 115/5

Olympic Barbell Curls
83/12

Single Pulley Pushdowns
* Shoulder felt fine, so I decided to do some triceps work.
60/15, 65/10, 70/10     

Shoulders & Back

Planks
Total time: 7:22
Regular: 2:00, (1:30 rest), 1:30, (1:22 rest), 1:00

Neutral Grip DB Overhead Press
35s/10, 50s/10, 60s/8, 65s/5, 65s/5, 65s/6
  * No shoulder pain at all. I've realized that the source of my shoulder pain is from chest work. 

Chest Supported DB Row (a/k/a DB Incline Row)
35s/10, 45s/10, 55s/10, 65s/5, 65s/6, 65s/8
  * First time ever trying this exercise (shout out to On/Apron). I like it.

Chins
11, (30 second rest), 4

Pause Front Squats

Wake Up Weight: 214
Before Bed Weight: 217

Pause Front Squats
Pause: 138/5, 158/4, 178/3, 198/2, 218/1
Non-pause: 228/5
Pause: 188/8
   * This was a good session trying out the paused fronts for the first time. I really felt my abs during the regular set of 228.

Chins
12, 10, 9 (one minute rest), 3

Standing Cross Body Hammer Curls
30/12 (left), 30/12 (right), 30/12 (l), 30/12 (r)

* Practiced some yoga poses at the end.

Hamstring Work

I decided to take some time off from the hex bar deads and do some hamstring work.

Planks (one minute break in between sets)
Regular 2:00, Yoga 1:00, Regular 1:00, Yoga 1:00, Regular 1:00

Lying Hamstring Curls
100/10, 110/10, 120/10, 130/6, 130/6

Glute Ham Raises (holding a bar)
10, 9, 9, 20
* Did them on a whim tonight, but I need to work on doing these without holding anything. Must research the form some more.

Chins
12, 10, 11

Leg Press (high & wide, hamstrings concentration)
225/10, 270/10, 270/10, 270/10

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
115/20, 30 second rest, 115/20

Sunday Workout

Flat Neutral Grip DB Chest Press
60s/15, 70s/10, 80s/5, 80s/5, 80s/5

Neutral Grip DB Overhead Press
45s/10, 45s/10, 55s/8

T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
115/8, 115/8

Plate Loaded Pulldowns
182/12, 232/7, 232/7, 232/7

Olympic Barbell Curls
45/20 (30 second rest), 45/20 (30 second rest), 45/20 (30 second rest), 45/15 (30 second rest), 45/15

Short Workout

Planks
Regular: 2:00
Yoga Style: 2:00
Regular: 1:00

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 275/3, 315/10
   * During the day, I put it in my mind that I was going to 315/20 tonight. When I reached the 8th rep, I knew that I wasn't going to get 20. Lost steam/motivation and put the bar down after 10. Blah.
Excuse 1: not fully recovered from the 5x5 front squat session on Tuesday.
Excuse 2 (the real answer): I'm just not ready for 315/20. Yet.
There will be other days.

Chins
10, 10, 9, 8

5x5 Front Squats

Planks
Yoga Style: 2:15
Regular Style: Right Side 1:30, Left Side 1:30, Regular: 1:00  

Front Squat
Warm Up: 138/5, 168/4, 198/3, 228/2
5x5: 208/5, 208/5, 208/5, 208/5, 208/5
      * Happy with tonight's session. It did not seem as grueling as last week's, despite the increase in weight.  

Chins
10, 10, 8, 7

Full Body Workout

Planks
Yoga Style:
    Regular: 2:00, Right: 1:00, Left: 1:00
 Regular Style: 1:00

Chins
14

Flat Neutral Grip DB Chest Press
50s/10, 60s/10, 70s/8, 70s/8, 70s/8

Seated Plate Loaded Rows
Close Grip: 147/8 right, 147/8 left, 147/7 right, 147/7 left, 147/7 right, 147/7 left

Lying Hamstring Curls
120/10, 130/8, 130/7

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
90/30, 30 second rest, 90/20 (feel the burn!!!!!)

Standing Cross Body Hammer Curls
40/9 (right), 40/9 (left), 40/8 (r), 40/8 (l)

Chins
11

Hex Bar Deads

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 365/5, 365/5, 315/10
   
Hex Bar Rows
195/5, 195/5, 195/5 

DB Rows
Right Side         Left Side
95/8                   95/8
100/6                 100/6
100/6                 100/6     

EZ Bar Curls
85/13

Good workout. Little else to say about it other than that. :)

5x5 Front Squat Session

Planks
3:00 (1:00 regular, switch to ~1:20 yoga style, switch to 0:40 regular)
Right Side, regular: 1:00
Left Side, regular: 1:00
Right Side, yoga: 1:00
Left Side, yoga: 1:00

Front Squat
I decided to do a 5x5 front squat session tonight. It was tough, but I battled through it. I took 5 minute breaks in between the last few sets. Pretty sure this is the first time I've done 5x5 with fronts. Definitely a marathon.

Warm Up: 133/5, 173/4, 193/3, 223/2, 243/1
5x5: 203/5, 203/5, 203/5, 203/5, 203/5 

Chins
13, 10, 9

Flat Neutral Grip DB Chest Press
70s/5, 70s/5, 70s/5, 50s/15
I felt my shoulder while lowering the first rep of the first set. Not screaming pain, but it's still there. This sucks. No other way to describe it. 

Friday Deads

As usual, Wednesday was yoga. Last night, however, was something out of the ordinary. My cousin's friend works at a gym where she hosted a group workout session that I was invited to attend. We started off with some spinning, which I had never done before. From that alone, I worked up a good sweat. After that, we were divided in to smaller groups which amounted to a form of circuit training. There were a lot of kettlebell squats, battle ropes, tire flipping, various forms of push ups, planks, rowing, tire jumping, wall throws, etc. The entire session was probably about 90 minutes and I worked up a pretty big sweat. I was glad to be invited. That said, I think tonight's lifting session suffered a bit, perhaps due to a combination of last night and poor sleep over the last two days.

Hex Bar Deads
135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 365/1, 315/12
   * 365 was heavier than I wanted it to be, so instead of going up to the 400's, I decided to rep out with 315. I was really feeling it by that 12th rep.

Chins
13

DB Rows
Right Side         Left Side
75/10                 75/10
85/8                   85/8
95/8                   95/8
    * Haven't done these in ages, and I like doing them. (off the rack style)

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
90/30, 30 second rest, 90/20 (feel the burn!!!!!)

Lying Hamstring Curls
110/15, 110/15

EZ Bar Curls
85/11

* My legs were completely fried at the end of this workout, largely due to yesterday's session, I'm sure.

Front Squats Return

Planks
Yoga Style: 2:15, 1:00 

Front Squat
138/5, 168/4, 198/3, 218/2, 238/1, 198/9 (9 rep PR)
   * Good session after a week off. Happy with the 9 rep PR. 

Incline Neutral Grip DB Chest Press
50s/10, 60s/10, 60s/10
   * Shoulder felt fine after Sunday, so I decided to do some light sets of incline tonight.  

Hex Bar Rows
185/8, 185/7, 195/5  

Standing Cross Body Hammer Curls
40/9 (right), 40/9 (left), 40/8 (r), 40/8 (l)

Chins
10

* Practiced a couple of yoga poses at the end.

Sunday Workout

Planks
Regular- 3:30 (PR)

Hex Bar Deads
I worked out in a different gym today. They have a hex bar with lower handles, so I gave it a try. The handles were wobbly, however, so when I tried 365, they started moving and I couldn't control the bar. The last thing I wanted to do was injure myself, so I just put the weight down and walked away.

135/10, 225/5, 315/5

Flat Neutral Grip DB Chest Press
60s/10, 60s/10, 60s/10, 60s/10

Shoulder has felt OK for a bunch of days in a row now, and this is the way I am going to have to "bench press" going forward. I decided to start with a light weight to see how the movement felt. No pain as of yet, but I guess I will know more in the days to come.

Chins
13, 10

T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
135/4, 115/7, 115/7

More Back, Pushups, Biceps

Chins
12, 10, almost 8

Hex Bar Rows
185/5, 185/5, 185/5 

Close Grip Lat Pulldown 
190/6, 190/7, 190/6

EZ Bar Curls
80/15

105 Pushups- done throughout the workout

* I looked in the mirror tonight. My quads are noticeably bigger, which is what they say happens when you do more front squats.  On another note, I literally almost passed out in yoga last night. I was really concentrating on holding the crow pose longer, which I did, but that wiped me out. I became really light headed and had to skip some of the poses immediately afterward. In the end, it was worth it since I improved on the pose that I really wanted to.

Planks PR, Back, Legs, etc.

Off week from hex bar deads & front squats. 

Planks
Regular 3:15 (PR), Right 1:00, Left 1:00, Right 1:00, Left 1:00 

Seated Plate Loaded Rows
141/8 (close right), 141/8 (close left) , 141/6 (wide right), 141/6 (wide left),
141/8 (close right), 141/8 (close left) , 141/6 (wide right), 141/6 (wide left)

T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
115/8, 135/5, 135/5

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
180/12, 180/12, 180/12

1 Legged Hamstring Curl Machine
90/10 (right), 90/10 (left), 90/10 (r), 90/10 (l), 90/10 (r), 90/10 (l)

Standing Cross Body Hammer Curls
40/8 (right), 40/8 (left), 40/8 (r), 40/8 (l)
 
Pushups- lots, both regular and rehab style, done in between sets throughout the workout.

Bounce Back Front Squat Workout

Front Squat
138/5, 168/4, 198/3, 228/2, 248/1, 228/6 (6 rep PR)
I could tell from the beginning that this would be a good session. The 6th rep on 228 was sloppy, but I did it.

T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
125/5, 125/5, 125/5

Lying Hamstring Curls
   110/15

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
   180/15

EZ Bar Curls
   80/13

Pushups- lots, both regular and rehab style. I'm being smart about this, but mark my words: I will OHP again, one way or another.

* Ever try the crow pose in yoga? Yeah, it's a beginner hand balance pose, but if you have no idea what I am talking about, look it up and see if you can do it.

Hex Bar Dead PR

Planks
   Regular 2:30, Right 2:00, Left 2:00

 Hex Bar Deads
   135/10, 225/5, 315/3, 365/1, 415/1, 430/1 (PR), 315/10  
        FINALLY GOT 430! It was solid, too. Pumped about this!

Hex Bar Rows
   175/8, 185/6, 185/5 

Close Grip Lat Pulldown 
   150/10, 170/10, 190/5

Shoulder Rehab Pushups
   12, 12, 12, 12

Standing Cross Body Hammer Curls
   35/10 (right), 35/10 (left), 40/6 (r), 40/6 (l)
 

Some Cardio

I'm going to the Yankee game tomorrow night, so I will miss basketball.

I decided to test my one mile run today. A little under 8 minutes. Not bad since I don't run much anymore outside of hoops.

After the run, I did 3 sets of regular planks, 1:00 each. They were much more difficult to do after running.

I then shot some baskets for practice.

Crappy Front Squat Workout

Been on a roll for so long, that eventually it would stop. Tonight was the night. Felt tired before the workout, warm up sets felt heavy, so I knew it was one of those battle through workouts. There was no way I would be able to do a heavy set of 5, so I decided to drop the weight and do a set of 10. It was good cardio!

Front Squat
138/5, 168/4, 198/3, 228/1, 248/1, 208/1, 188/10

T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
115/7, 115/7, 115/7 (felt stronger & more comfortable this week)

Seated Plate Loaded Rows
131/7 (close right), 131/7 (close left) , 131/7 (wide right), 131/7 (wide left)

EZ Bar Curls
80/12 

100 Pushups (2 sets of 20, 2 sets of 15, 3 sets of 10 done intermittently throughout the
workout)

* Didn't bother with pull-ups... low energy level and knew the amount that I would be able to do would depress me. :)

Hex Bar Deads, Pushups, etc.

Planks
   Yoga Style- Regular 2:00, Right 1:30, Left 1:30, Regular 1:00
         These are much harder for me than standard planks.
 
Hex Bar Deads
   135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 365/1, 405/5 (5 rep PR)
         405/5 was never in doubt tonight. Solid set & felt strong.  

Hex Bar Rows
   175/5, 175/5, 175/6 

1 Legged Hamstring Curl Machine
   70/10 (right), 70/10 (left), 70/10 (r), 70/10 (l), 70/10 (r), 70/10 (l) 

Standing Cross Body Hammer Curls
   35/10 (right), 35/10 (left), 35/10 (r), 35/10 (l)

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
   160/10, 180/10, 180/10

100 Pushups (3 sets of 15, 5 sets of 10, 1 set of 5 done intermittently between sets of hamstrings through the end of the workout)

Front Squat Rep PR

Front Squat
138/5, 168/4, 198/3, 228/2, 248/1, 228/5 (5 rep PR)
* Didn't feel that strong. 248/1 was heavy, but despite that I managed a 5 rep PR at 228. I will take it.

Weighted Neutral Grip Pull-ups
15/6, 15/5, 0/7, 15/5, 15/4 (paused at the bottom of a lot of the reps; made it much more difficult)

T Bar Rows (underhand grip)
115/5, 115/5, 115/6 (haven't done these in forever)

After mixing in a couple of sets of the rehab Smith shoulder push-ups, I decided to do 4 sets of 10 of regular push-ups. They felt fine. It's a good starting point.

EZ Bar Curls
80/11

I would rate the workout as good only because I had the front squat PR. Overall, though, it was "eh".

Hex Bar Deads

Planks
   Yoga Style- Regular 2:15, Right 1:30, Left 1:30

Hex Bar Deads
   135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 365/1, 405/4
          In the middle of the set of 405, I felt like I was good for 5 reps. Then after the 4th rep, my mind had that split second of relaxing/loss of intensity and I was done. Not sure why that happened, but in any event, I haven't done 405/4 yet on the hex bar, so I will take it.
    
Hex Bar Rows
   155/5, 165/5, 175/5  (feeling stronger with these)

Lying Hamstring Curls
   130/7, 100/15, 100/15  

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
   135/15, 135/15, 135/15 

Standing Hammer Curls
   30s/15, 35s/8

*Also mixed in some of the shoulder rehab work throughout the workout.

Front Squats keep rollin' along

Planks
Yoga Style
2:00 regular, 1:30 right, 1:30 left
   
Front Squat
138/5, 168/4, 198/3, 228/2, 248/1, 223/5
   * Went back to the 5,4,3,2,1 method. Felt strong. Decided to try a set of 223/5. Nailed it. Tough, but very solid set. Rep PR at that weight.

Weighted Neutral Grip Pull-ups
15/6, 15/7, 15/6 (finally managed a set of 7 at this weight)

Seated Plate Loaded Rows
262/7 (wide), 262/7 (close) , 262/7 (wide), 262/7 (close)

EZ Bar Curls
75/16 

Mixed in the rehab Smith shoulder push-ups in between the sets of rows and after the set of curls.

Hex Bar Deads, inter alia

Planks
   Regular 3:00, Right 2:00, Left 2:00 (tied PRs on all three)

Hex Bar Deads
   135/10, 225/5, 315/3, 365/1, 385/7 (rep PR at this weight)
    
Hex Bar Rows
   145/5, 145/5, 155/5, 155/5, 155/5 

Lying Hamstring Curls
   130/7, 130/7, 130/7 

Seated Plate Loaded Calf Raises
   135/12, 135/12, 135/12 

Standing Hammer Curls
   25s/25, 25s/15

*Also mixed in some of the shoulder rehab work throughout the workout.  Really good workout overall- felt loose and strong.

Basketball was too crowded, so I banged out some pull-ups

I was only able to get into two games tonight, so instead of barely getting any exercise, I decided to do some neutral grip bodyweight pull-ups:

11, 9, 6, 6, 6

What a drop off starting with set 3, hmm?

Front Squats

Planks
Yoga Style
2:00 regular, 1:00 right, 1:00 left, 1:00 regular
  
Front Squat
138/5, 188/1, 208/1, 228/1, 213/5, 213/5, 213/5
   * Changed things up a bit. Kept the warmup light and did three sets of 213/5. I don't recall ever doing 213/5 before. If I have, I know I didn't do it for three sets.

Seated Plate Loaded Rows
242/8 (wide), 242/8 (close) , 262/6 (wide), 262/6 (close)

Lying Hamstring Machine
130/7, 130/7, 130/7

EZ Bar Curls
70/25

* The chiropractor told me to do some shoulder rehab work for the next couple of weeks, so I started that tonight, Essentially, it consists of push ups against the Smith machine bar at various heights to get the blood flowing and to ease back into push movements.

Hex Bar Deads

Planks
   Regular 2:20, Right 2:00 (PR), Left 2:00 (PR), Regular 1:30

Hex Bar Deads
   135/10, 225/5, 315/5, 385/3, 385/3, 385/3, 385/3, 385/3

Weighted Neutral Grip Pull-ups
   15/6, 15/5, 15/5

Hex Bar Rows
   155/5, 135/5, 135/5, 135/8

Standing Hammer Curls
   25s/25

* Seeing the chiro tomorrow. Hope to get the OK to resume push exercises on Thursday.

Front Squat PR

Planks
Yoga Style
2:00 regular, 1:00 right, 1:00 left, 1:00 regular
    * These are more difficult than traditional planks because my arms become more fatigued due to being fully extended.

Front Squat
138/5, 188/1, 208/1, 228/1, 238/1, 248/1, 253/1 (PR), 208/8 (rep PR @ this weight)
   * Great session. 248/1 was paused. 253/1 was solid. I was probably good for 260.

Lying Hamstring Machine
120/8, 120/8, 130/7

Seated Plate Loaded Rows
212/8 (wide), 212/8 (close) , 242/8 (wide), 242/8 (close)

EZ Bar Curls
70/15, 70/15

This ended up being a really good workout. After an initial 1 mile stationary bike warm up, the planks, and the first few warm up sets of front squats, I didn't feel like I had much energy. That all changed once I did the paused front squat at 248.

Hex Bar Deads & such

Planks
Yoga Style:
   Regular 2:00, Right 1:00, Left 1:00, Regular 1:00, Right 1:00, Left 1:00

Hex Bar Deads
   135/10, 225/5, 275/1, 315/1, 365/1, 415/1, 435- nope!

Weighted Neutral Grip Pull-ups
   15/6, 15/6, 15/6

Hex Bar Rows
   135/8, 135/8, 135/8

Standing Hammer Curls
   25s/20, 25s/15

* Not a bad session. Really was hoping to get 435 on the deads because 415 wasn't that bad. Oh well.  

Front Squats PRs

Front Squat
    135/5, 165/4, 195/3, 225/2, 245/1 (PR), 250/1 (PR), 205/7 (rep PR at this weight)
    * Nice session...250/1 was slow, but I feel like I did a good job with it. Will try it again before moving up to make sure.
Neutral Grip Pull-ups (Bodyweight)
    12, 9
Plate Loaded Seated Row
   192/10 (C), 192/10 (W)
Planks
   2:00 regular, 1:30 regular, 1:30 right, 1:30 left


Not a bad little session.

Hex Bar Deadlift & shoulder injury update

On Wednesday morning, I told my chiropractor about my chronic left shoulder pain. He diagnosed me with tendonitis and strongly suggested that I switch from regular bar bench pressing to neutral grip DB chest presses. He said the same thing that he said to me when he encouraged the switch to hex bar deads & front squats... 'unless you are competing in powerlifting, you don't have to do those specific exercises.' 

As painful as that was to hear in January, I bought in, made the switch and my body hasn't felt better. So, as painful as it was to hear it again yesterday, I am going to give his suggestion a shot. Before I do that, however, I was told to not do any "push" exercises for two weeks, as my shoulder needs rest.

I started lifting weights a little more than 15 years ago. When I started, I had zero guidance. I wasn't an athlete in school and my friends didn't lift. As a result, I was being that idiot in the gym that put too much weight on the bar and had horrible form. I trained like this for a few years before I ran into someone who had a bit of clue what was going on and told me how horrible my training was.

Unfortunately, 15+ years later, I have a feeling that my body is finally communicating to me what damage I caused. I don't know if this is true, but I'm only 36 years old.... not 56. Should I really be at a point in life where I can't do traditional squats, deads, and bench presses???? It's not like I ever lifted THAT heavy...especially compared to guys that have been lifting as long as I have. It's very frustrating, but as I said above, my body really hasn't felt better since I made the switch to the hex bar and the front squat. As HHH would say, you either adapt or perish. I've been perishing with the way I've been beating up my shoulder. Looks like it's time to adapt.

Tonight's workout:

Hex Bar Deadlift

225/5, 275/5, 315/5, 365/3, 315/15 (full stop... NOT touch and go)
   * I wasn't feeling too strong tonight... shoulder definitely messing with my mind. As a result, I decided to do a 15 rep set at 315...huffing and puffing big time by the end!

Weighted Neutral Grip Pullups
15/5, 15/5, 15/5

Plate Loaded Seated Row

192/10 (close grip), 192/10 (wide grip), 192/10 (C), 192/10(W)
   * Haven't done this in years... kept it light

Standing Hammer Curls

30s/10, 30s/10, 30s/10
   * Alternated arms each rep

Lying Hamstring Machine

120/8, 120/8, 120/8

Front Squat & Bench Press

Planks:
   Regular- 2:00, Right Side- 1:30, Left Side- 1:30, Regular- 2:00
   
Front Squat:
    138/5, 163/4, 193/3, 223/2, 243/1 (PR), 208/6, 208/5
     * 243/1 was tough, but not too bad. +1 rep from last week on the first set of 208. Good session.

Bench Press:
    137/10, 187/9, 187/8, 187/7
    * Left shoulder has been killing me, even though I haven't lifted since last Tuesday. I decided to lower the weight and do higher rep sets tonight. It's still killing me. I really need to address this...I really hope that I don't have to quit benching.

Neutral Grip Pullups: 11, 8

Plank PR, Front Squat, Bench Press, Pullups

Planks:
   Regular- 3:00 (PR), Right Side- 1:15, Left Side- 1:15
   
Front Squat:
    138/5, 168/4, 198/3, 218/2, 238/1, 208/5, 208/5
     * Upped the weight in the warm up sets; 238/1 ties a PR- it went up pretty quickly.

Bench Press:
    132/5, 152/4, 182/3,  222/4, 222/3, 222/3, 222/3
      * Eh.

Traditional Overhand Grip Pull-ups: 8, 8, 8 (Bodyweight: 215 + clothes + shoes)
      * Both neutral grip handles were taken and the gym was about to close.

Yoga & hoops tomorrow, then off until hoops again on Monday & lifting on Tuesday.

Overhead Press & some planks PRs

Planks (performed on forearms)
    Regular: 2:40 (PR)
    Right Side: 1:35 (PR)
    Left Side: 1:35 (PR)

Overhead Press
    113/10, 133/10, 143/6, 143/6, 143/6

Weighted Neutral Grip Pullups
    15/6, 15/5, 15/6, 15/6

* I am going to do the usual basketball on Monday & Wednesday, front squats & benching Tuesday, and yoga on Wednesday next week. From Thursday-Sunday, I have a number of family & friend obligations that will prevent me from lifting. So, no deadlifting and OHP next week. After this upcoming Tuesday, I will next lift again on the following Tuesday. 

Hex Bar Deads, et al

Planks
   Regular- 2:35 (PR), Right- 1:30, Left- 1:30

Hex Bar Deadlift
    225/5, 275/5, 315/5, 365/3, 405/3, 315/10
    *  Solid session... decided to go all out at the end and do 315/10. Talk about cardio!

Single Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 60/20, 60/20

Lying Hamstring Curl Machine: 110/12, 120/7, 120/7

Weighted Neutral Grip Pullups: 15/5, 15/4, 15/5, 15/5
    * The gym brought in some dip belts, so I decided to try out some weighted pullups with 15 pounds.

Front Squats & Bench Press

Planks:
one arm on left forearm- 1:00, Right Side- 1:30, Left Side- 1:30, one arm on right forearm- 1:00
   
Front Squat:
    138/5, 158/4, 188/3, 208/2, 233/1, 208/5, 208/5
     * Great session. 233/1 flew up. Decided to try 208 for my work sets. Really had to work to get the last two reps of the second set. (Dusted off the Nike Romaleos tonight... they felt fine. I am hoping that I don't get the same leg pain that I used to get when I wore these shoes during traditional back squats.)

Bench Press:
    137/5, 157/4, 187/3,  227/3, 227/3, 227/3, 187/9
      * Stronger than last week, but I still can't get more than 3 reps on 227. I was hoping to get 4 on the first set, but I knew I wasn't good for it after three.

Neutral Grip Pullups: 10

Olympic Bar Curls:
     82/10, 82/8

Accessory Shoulder Work:
      Rear Delt Pulley Machine: 90/12, 90/12
      Standing DB Lateral Raises: 15s/30

Hex Bar Deads & OHP

Planks
   Regular- 2:30 (PR), Right- 1:30, Left- 1:30

Hex Bar Deadlift
    225/5, 275/5, 315/5, 365/3, 405/3, 225/12
    * Felt slower than last week. Tried 430 after the set of 405 and it wouldn't budge.

Overhead Press
     118/8, 138/5, 148/2, 158/1, 168/1
    * Felt like testing my 1RM tonight as I haven't done that in forever. Failed at 173, surprisingly, because 168 wasn't too difficult. Not bad overall, though, considering how long it's been since I've gone heavy on this exercise.

Neutral Grip Pullups: 12, 8  (best set of 12 yet)

Single Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 60/15, 60/15

Front Squat & Bench Press

Planks:
Regular- 2:00, Right Side- 1:00, Left Side- 1:00, Regular- 54 seconds, inadvertent 3 second break, 1:00
     
Front Squat:
    138/5, 158/4, 188/3, 208/2, 228/1, 198/7, 198/6
     * Much faster than last week and increased the first set of 198 by 1 rep. Awesome session.

Neutral Grip Pullups: 12

Bench Press:
    137/5, 157/4, 187/3,  227/3, 227/3, 207/5, 187/8
     * Weaker than last week for whatever reason. The sets of 227 & 207 felt heavy. Maybe doing the set of pullups first had an impact.

EZ Bar Curls:
     60/20, 60/20

Accessory Shoulder Work:
      Rear Delt Pulley Machine: 80/15, 90/12
      Standing DB Lateral Raises: 15s/15, 15s/15

Overhead Press

Straight Arm Planks:
      V- 1:10, Right- 1:00, Left- 1:00, V- 1:10

Overhead Press
       118/10, 138/8, 148/5, 148/5, 148/5

Neutral Grip Pullups: 12 (PR)

Hex Bar Deads

Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 60 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 60 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Hex Bar Deadlifts:
     225/5, 275/5, 315/5, 365/3, 405/3, 425/1
          * Strong tonight. 405 went up quick enough, so I decided to hit a single at 425. I haven't done that weight in a long, long time.

Neutral Grip Pullups: 10

Front Squat & Bench Press

Front Squat:
    138/5, 158/4, 188/3, 208/2, 228/1, 198/6, 198/6
     * Heavier weights were kind of slow, but I managed to increase the work sets by 1 rep each.

Bench Press:
    137/5, 157/4, 187/3,  227/3, 227/3, 227/3, 207/5, 207/4 drop set to 157/7
     * Much stronger this week; put 25lb. plate under front of bench

Neutral Grip Pullups: 9.5, 9

* Earlier in the week, I was in San Francisco. I used the hotel gym to do accessory work for shoulders, triceps, and biceps. I also did 60-65 close, neutral grip pullups over the course of two days. In addition, I did a tremendous amount of walking throughout the city..... 15+ miles (no exaggeration)

Yoga & basketball last night.... yoga continues to make me sweat profusely. 

Hex Bar Deadlift & Overhead Press

 Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 60 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 60 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Hex Bar Deadlifts:
     225/5, 275/5, 315/5, 365/3, 390/5

Overhead Press:
   113/10, 133/9, 133/8, 153/3, 153/3

Neutral Grip Pullups: 11

Poundstone Curls: 30/50, 30 second break, 30/25, 30 second break, 30/25

Single Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 50/30

* Good workout. +5 lbs. on the last set of deadlifts. +1 rep on the first set of 133 OHP.  I did yoga again last night. Without a doubt, it is the most difficult physical activity I've ever done. I can't believe how much I sweat. Just outrageous. 

Bench Press

Rare morning workout!

Planks: 2:00 regular, 1:00 right side, 1:00 left side

Bench Press:
    137/5, 157/4, 187/3, 207/2, 227/3, 207/4, 207/4, 207/4, 207/4 drop set to 157/6
    * Stuck a 25 pound plate underneath the front of the bench to create a slight decline- supposedly better for the shoulder. I didn't feel any shoulder pain throughout the workout. Strong session, too.

Neutral Grip Pullups: 10

Front Squat

Front Squat:
    138/5, 158/4, 188/3, 208/2, 228/1, 198/5, 198/5
    * Felt really good and fast tonight.

Neutral Grip Pullups: 11

Played basketball afterward.

Overhead Press

Planks:
   2:00 regular, 1:30 right side, 1:30 left side, 1:05 regular

Overhead Press:
   113/10, 133/8, 133/8, 153/3, 153/3
   * Felt good- didn't push myself

Neutral Grip Pullups: 11 (PR!!)

Poundstone Curls: 30/100 (love the pump)

Single Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 50/30 drop set to 25/40

Hex Bar Deadlifts & Yoga

Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 60 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 60 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Neutral Grip Pullups: 10, 9, 8

Hex Bar Deadlifts:
     225/5, 275/5, 315/5, 345/3, 385/5

Played basketball afterward.

Last night, I tried yoga for the very first time. Talk about a fish out of water. 5 girls, all of whom were really flexible and me, who can't even touch his toes. As predicted, it was very difficult and I'm VERY inflexible. The one thing that I did not expect was the amount that I sweated. I was like a faucet. It even got to the point that I was slipping on the yoga mat due to the puddles of sweat I produced.

After yoga, I went to the gym to play basketball. I was extremely loose, which was awesome.

I'm going to try to do that Wednesday yoga class regularly, and maybe try to find the time to do another day, as well. I clearly need it. 

Front Squats & Bench Press

I decided to take a week off from OHP and bench press to rest my left shoulder. When I did a warm up set of reverse grip bench presses at 132, I felt the shoulder a little bit. This angered me a great deal. Naturally, I felt it again when I did a set at 182. After that set, I decided to try the traditional bench press grip and thankfully, did not feel a thing! So, we'll see how that goes in this continuing battle against aches & pains.

Front Squat:
    138/5, 158/4, 188/3, 208/2, 228/1, 188/8 (+1 from last week)
     * Weights felt kind of heavy, but I did manage to increase the set of 188 by 1 rep. Goal reached.

Bench Press:
     Reverse Grip: 132/10, 182/5
     Regular Grip: 182/8, 202/4, 202/4, 202/3 drop set to 152/9
     * Weaker than normal, but I expected to be as a week off from benching always results in a sub par performance on the first day back. It's just how they built me for some reason.

 Neutral Grip Pullups:  8, 7, 7
      * On a side note, I did 40 chinups on Sunday. We had a Mother's Day picnic and the park had a pullup bar. So, I decided to do some chins. 2 sets of 5 and 3 sets of 10.

 Accessory Shoulder Exercises:
      Rear Delt Pulley Machine: 80/15, 80/15
      Standing DB Lateral Raises: 15s/15, 15s/15

I am going to try yoga for the very first time tomorrow night. If I can add this consistently, I am thinking it will help me out in the aches & pains department, as well as make me much more flexible, which I desperately need.

I am going to try OHPs on either Thursday or Friday. (whichever day I do not deadlift)

Hex Bar Deadlift

Planks:
   2:00 regular, 1:00 right side, 1:00 left side, 1:00 regular

Hex Bar Deadlift:
    Regular: 225/5, 275/5, 315/3, 365/3, 405/1, 405/1
    Deficit (standing on a plate): 315/7, 315/7

Neutral Grip Pullups: 9, 7, 6

Accessory Shoulder Exercises:
     Rear Delt Pulley Machine: 70/25
     Standing DB Lateral Raises: 15s/15, 15s/15
     Face Pulls- pulley: 50/20, 50/15
     Standing Front Raises: 45/10

I am not going to do OHPs this week to rest the sore left shoulder. I will play the bench press by ear on Thursday, as well.

Front Squats

Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 60 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 60 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Front Squat:
    138/5, 158/4, 188/3, 208/2, 228/1, 238/1, 188/7       
      *Same weights as last time with an increase in one rep on 188. Also, 228/1 was very smooth. 238/1 was difficult, but I feel that it was better than last time.

Neutral Grip Pullups: 10, 9 (best second set ever)

Rear Delt Pulley Machine: 80/15, 80/15, 80/15 (decided to do these for the left shoulder soreness, per On/Apron)

Reverse Grip Bench Press, et al

Reverse Grip Bench Press:

     132/5, 152/4, 172/3, 192/2, 222/3, 222/3, 222/1, 182/8, 182/8, 182/8

     * My left shoulder was really bothering me tonight and I just never felt comfortable doing the movement. Last week, I did a set of 222 at 2. This week I was able to do that weight for two sets of three, so that's an improvement. Instead of doing work sets of five, I decided to lower the weight and do a few sets of eight because of how I was feeling. I really enjoy doing the OHP, but I am afraid that is what is causing my left shoulder pain when I bench.

Neutral Grip Pullups:
     9, 7, 6

 Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 45 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 45 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Poundstone Curls:
    30/100

Single Pulley Triceps Pushdown:
    70/10, 55/20, 40/20

Hex Bar Deads, Pullups

Hex Bar Deadlift:
       225/5, 275/5, 315/3
       365/9, 415/1
       * I had it in my mind that I would go all out on the set of 365 tonight. Happy with the 9 reps. Since I was feeling good after that set, I decided to try 415, which I failed with a couple of weeks ago. It went up pretty nicely tonight. 

Neutral Grip Pullups:
       10, 7

Played basketball afterward.

Front Squat, OHP, Pullups

Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 60 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 60 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Front Squat:
    138/5, 158/4, 188/3, 208/1, 228/1, 238/1 (PR), 188/6
        * While I hit a PR and was able to do 188/6, I am going to stay with these weights for a bit, as I could feel my upper back bending forward.

Overhead Press:
    113/10, 133/5, 153/5, 153/5, 158/3

Neutral Grip Pullups: 10, 6, 6

Lying Hamstring Curl Machine: 110/10, 120/8, 120/8

Reverse Grip Bench Press & Pullups

Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 60 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 60 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Reverse Grip Bench Press:

     132/5, 152/4, 182/2, 202/5, 202/5, 202/5, 222/2, 202/5, 202/5

     * Really liking the reverse grip. I was feeling good so I decided to see if I could do 222 in the middle of my sets of 202. Happy with the 2 reps, as I honestly didn't know if I would be able to do one.

Neutral Grip Pullups:
     9, 7, 6, 6, 6

Hex Bar Deadlift

Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 60 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 60 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Hex Bar Deadlift:
     225/10, 275/5, 315/5, 365/3, 365/3, 365/3, 365/3, 365/3

* Played basketball afterward.

Front Squats & OHP

Ever have a great workout out of nowhere? That was me, tonight. +10000 workout. My body felt really loose tonight and I had a lot of energy. Strange, considering I was doing work related activity for 12 hours prior.

 Bodyweight: 217

 Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 60 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 60 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Front Squat:
      138/5, 158/4, 178/3, 208/2, 228/1 (PR), 178/8
      * The PR of 228/1 flew up.

Overhead Press:
      113/10, 133/5, 153/5, 153/5, 163/1 drop set to 133/4
      * I haven't been able to do 153/5 for one set since before my back injury. Inexplicably, I was able to do it for two sets tonight. I tried 173/1, but failed halfway up. Lowered it to 163/1 and did a drop set with 133.

Neutral Grip Pullups: 10
       * 10 is not a typo. If you've been following this site, you would know that I have never done more than 8 in a set. Unfortunately, I only had time for one set tonight, but I have no idea where the 10 reps came from. I'll take them!

Reverse Grip Bench Press & Hex Bar Deadlift

Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 60 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 60 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Reverse Grip Bench Press:

     132/10, 152/4, 172/3, 192/2, 202/3, 182/8, 192/5, 202/5
     * My left shoulder has been bothering me lately, so I'm going to do reverse grips for a while. After researching and using the proper form, I like doing the movement. The possible issue is that since I don't have a spotter, I can only do these in a squat rack.  Unfortunately, the gym only has one full squat rack so I foresee availability issues.

Deficit Hex Bar Deadlift:

     225/8, 275/5, 325/3, 325/3, 325/3  (stood on a plastic board.. the height is slightly more than two 45 pound plates stacked, so I more than doubled my deficit from last week)

     No deficit: 375/3 (finished with a non deficit set... slow moving, but went up)

Neutral Grip Pullups: 8, 7, 7 (finally was able to hit 7 after the first set)

Single Pulley Triceps Pushdown: 75/10, 10

Bar Curls: 75/10, 10

Off to Cape Cod... Happy Easter!

Plank Variations, Front Squat, OHP, Pullups

Planks:
    1 arm- 45 seconds per arm
    Bosu Ball- 45 seconds
    Swiss Ball Decline- 60 seconds
    Knee to Elbow- 60 seconds
    V- 60 seconds

Front Squat:
    138/5, 158/4, 178/3, 198/2, 223/1 (PR)
    168/10 (+1 rep from last week)

Overhead Press:
    113/10, 143/5, 153/4, 153/3, 153/4 drop set to 92/10

Neutral Grip Pullups: 8, 6, 6, 6

Lying Hamstring Curl Machine: 110/10, 110/10, 120/8

* Good workout. Very happy with the front squat session: new PR and +1 rep from last week on the volume set. OHPs felt pretty good, considering I did not do them last week. Only one more lifting session this week (Thursday), as I am going away for Easter weekend on Friday afternoon.

Hex Bar Deads & Deficits

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Hex Bar Deadlift: 225/5, 275/5, 315/5, 365/3
Deficit Hex Bar Deadlift (stood on a 45 lb. plate): 225/10, 275/5, 325/3, 325/3, 325/3
Bar Curls: 75/10, 75/10, 75/10
Single Pulley Pushdowns: 75/10, 75/10, 75/10

* First time ever trying deficits. Interesting feeling. Will definitely incorporate them in going forward. Upped the volume on deadlifting big time tonight. Felt "it", in a good way.

Bench Press

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Bench Press: 137/5, 187/3, 222/3, 222/3, 222/2, 187/9, 207/4, 187/6
Reverse Grip Bench Press: 97/10, 137/10, 157/8 (decided to try this on a whim- will research proper form)
Neutral Grip Pullups: 7, 6, 6

I feel like my benching is leveling off... can't seem to get past 3 reps on 222 for some reason.

Front Squats

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20
Front Squats: 138/5, 158/4, 178/3, 198/2, 218/1, 168/9
Neutral Grip Pullups: 8, 6, 5, 5

Pretty sure that 218/1 is a PR. It was a tough rep and I felt my back moving forward during the second half of it. 168/9 was solid- I really felt my abs burning during the last two reps.

Yesterday, I went to the track and ran 8, 100 meter sprints. 

Bench Press

Planks: 1:00 regular, 1:00 right side, 1:00 left side, 1:00 regular
Bench Press: 152/5, 172/4, 192/3, 212/2, 237/1, 222/3, 222/3, 222/2, 197/6
Incline Press: 172/7, 152/11, 132/14
Neutral Grip Pullups: 7, 6, 6

Upped the volume a bit on the heavier weights, which is probably why I only mustered 197 for 6.

Will do some cardio on Sunday- maybe run at the track for the first time this year, if it's available. 

Hex Bar Deads

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Hex Bar Deadlift: 225/5, 275/5, 315/5, 365/5, 405/1
Lying Hamstring Curls: 100/10, 100/10, 110/8
Neutral Grip Pullups: 8, 6, 6, 6
Double Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 150/10, 150/10
Bar Curls: 80/10, 80/10

Jump rope.

I didn't go into the workout planning on hitting 405, or even 365/5 for that matter. I figured I would try 365 again after doing it for a rep last week, but I didn't know how many reps I would do. After the third rep, I figured I'd do one more. Then after that rep, I knew I was good for another. Since that set went so well, I decided to try the 405/1. It was slow, but it went up. Solid session.

Front Squats, OHP, & Pullups

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Front Squats: 133/5, 153/4, 173/3, 193/2, 213/1, 163/10
Overhead Press: 113/10, 143/5, 148/5, 153/4, 153/4
Neutral Grip Pullups: 8, 6, 6, 6, 5
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20

Felt really refreshed and strong tonight. 213/1 was deep and even paused. 163/10 was a nice set and +1 rep from the last time I worked this weight.  OHPs & pullups are getting stronger, as well.

Normally, I play basketball on Mondays & Wednesdays and do squats & deads on Thursdays. In light of how beat up I felt last week and how strong I felt tonight, I will do squats on Tuesdays and deads later on in the week going forward.

Bench Press & Pullups

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Bench Press: 157/5, 177/4, 197/3, 217/1, 227/3, 227/3, 197/8
Hammer Strength Incline Press: 208/9, 238/4, 238/4 drop set to 188/4 drop set to 98/10
Neutral Grip Pullups: 7, 5, 6, 6

Been battling a cold and cough for the last couple of days, which I am sure also contributed to the poor workout on Thursday. Happy with how today went, though. I needed those two days off. 

Front Squats & Hex Bar Deads

OK- this was definitely a "just get me through", "-10", "-100000" workout. I am simply exhausted- played almost three hours of basketball last night and had a lot of trouble sleeping. I really had no business working out tonight, as my body was trying to tell me. However, I have plans tomorrow and Saturday so I pretty much had to force myself through the workout today. I made some modifications, as I knew I wouldn't be able to get through any high rep squat sets. 

Planks: 1:00 regular, 1:00 right side, 1:00 left side, 1:00 regular

Front Squats: 135/5, 155/4, 175/3, 175/3, 175/3, 155/6
   * Tried doing these by holding straps, as I've seen John Phung do them. One of the straps snapped as I was unracking the 3rd set. Threw the straps out and went back to doing them with a cross arm grip. Everything was heavy tonight. All three sets of the 175/3 were chores, as was the set of 155/6. 

Hex Bar Deads: 225/5, 275/5, 315/3, 365/1
  * For psychological reasons, I decided to do 365/1. I haven't done that weight in a long time and since the workout was total crap to begin with, banging out a rep with that weight made me feel like tonight wasn't a total waste of time. It was tough, but I did it.

Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20

Lying Hamstring Curl: 100/10, 100/10, 100/10

No chance whatsoever of me even attempting to do pullups or jump rope. Last night killed me, tonight poured dirt on top of the casket. Much needed two days off are here.

Overhead Press & Pullups

Planks:
     Regular- 2:00
     Side- 1:00 each side
Standing Overhead Press: 98/12, 138/5, 138/5, 138/5, 143/5, 143/5
Neutral Grip Pullups: 8, 6, 6, 6, 6
Single Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 70/10, 70/10
Bar Curls: 70/10, 70/10

Jump rope.

* 8 pullups on the first set! Woo hoo!!
* Used a more narrow grip on the OHPs- no shoulder pain.

Bench Press

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:20 each side
Bench Press: 135/5, 155/4, 175/3, 195/3, 215/2, 235/2, 195/9
Incline Press: 185/5, 185/6, 195/3, 205/1 drop set to 135/12
Neutral Grip Pullups: 7, 6, 6, 5

Jump rope.

Good session. Happy with the pullups. Added an extra rep to the 235 set. No complaints.

Front Squat & Hex Bar Deadlift

Planks: 2:00

Side Planks: 1:00 each side

Front Squats: 133/10, 153/8, 173/5, 193/3, 213/1, 163/9

Hex Bar Deads: 225/5, 275/5, 315/5, 345/4

Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20
super set with
Neutral Grip Pullups: 5, 6, 6, 5

Lying Hamstring Curl: 90/12, 90/12, 90/12

Front squats are hard. There's no other way to say it. +1 rep on the 163 work set from last week. I also increased the weight on the over warmup sets. 213/1 was tough. I may not have gone deep enough. Will try it again next week to make sure that I do. Deads were fine, but I was pretty gassed after squats, so they were harder than I thought they'd be. Glad to do 345/4, though, as I haven't picked up that amount of weight in a while.

Return of the OHP!

I decided to give the ole overhead press a try, as I've been wanting to get back to them. My back injury was 2.5 months ago now, I've been rehabbing it the smart way, it feels good, so I thought it was time to give them a go.

Planks:
     Regular- 2:00
     Side- 1:10 each side
Standing Overhead Press: 93/15, 113/10, 133/6, 133/6, 153/2
Neutral Grip Pullups: 7, 5, 5, 6, 5
Single Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 60/15, 60/15
Bar Curls: 60/15, 60/15

Jump rope to close it out- getting better at this.

Back felt fine- no issues at all. My left shoulder started bothering me in the middle of the OHP sets. Perhaps I was holding the bar a little too wide? I don't know. I'll narrow it up next time and see how it feels.

I was happy to get 7 pullups on the first set, as well!

Slowly, but surely, getting back!

Bench Press

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Bench Press: 152/5, 172/4, 192/3, 212/2, 232/2, 192/10
Incline Press: 182/7, 182/6, 182/6, drop set to 132/7
Neutral Grip Pullups: 5, 4, 5, 4, 5 + 1

Jump rope & shot baskets.

Liked the workout. Went up one rep on the volume set of bench press, but the weight was 3 pounds less. Not sure what to make of that. I've been benching in a gym in NJ lately, where I don't know the weights of the bars, so I've been assuming 45. I was back in my regular gym tonight and benched with the 42 pound bar, hence the 3 pound difference.

Front Squats, Hex Bar Deads, Pullups

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:20 each side (PR)
Front Squat: 133/10, 153/8, 163/6, 183/2, 193/2, 163/8
Hex Bar Deadlift: 225/5, 275/5, 315/5, 315/5, 315/3
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20
Glute Ham Raises (off of the seat on a lat pulldown machine):
10, 10 (holding bar); 7, 7 (no bar, touching Bosu ball); 10 (holding bar)
Pullups- Neutral Grip: 6, 5, 6, 5, 5

Jump rope.

This was a good workout. I decided to ramp up the volume & weight on the front squats and the weight on the deads. On a whim, I did glute ham raises for the first time in a very long time. I am going to have to stick with holding the bar because my Bosu ball sets weren't very good. They were essentially me crashing to the Bosu ball and pushing myself off of it. As a result, there wasn't much hamstring work going on in those two sets. I'm going to start doing pullups in every workout, or at the very least, almost every workout.

Shoulders & Back

Planks:
     Regular- 2:00
     Side- 1:00 each side
     Regular- 1:00
Hammer Strength Shoulder Press: 150/15, 170/10, 200/8, 210/5, 210/5
Pullups- Neutral Grip: 6, 5, 5, 6, 5, 4
Double Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 120/15, 120/15
Bar Curls: 60/15, 60/15

* I did supersets with the last two sets of pullups and the pushdowns. 

Ended with a jump rope session. 

Bench Press

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:15 each side
Bench Press: 155/5, 175/4, 195/3, 215/2, 235/1, 195/9
Incline Press: 185/6, 185/6, 185/6
Hex Bar Deadlift: 225/12

Jump rope session afterward.

Shoulders & Back

Planks: 2:00
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Hammer Strength Shoulder Press: 150/15, 170/10, 190/8, 200/6, 200/6
Pullups:
    Wide- 3
    Palms facing each other (neutral grip): 5, 5, 6, 5
    Wide- 2
Double Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 120/20, 120/20
Bar Curls: 60/20, 60/10

I ended the workout with some jump rope. I need to increase my agility and speed on the basketball court, as I am painfully slow.

Squat & Deadlift

Front Squat: 158/5, 158/5, 168/5, 173/5, 173/5
Hex Bar Deadlift: 225/5, 245/5, 265/5, 280/5, 300/5
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20
Planks: 1:20 regular, 1:00 right side, 1:00 left side, 0:45 regular
Lying Hamstring Curls: 90/12, 90/12, 90/12

* Good workout. I realize that it's a hex bar, but being able to type "300" again feels pretty nice.

Bench Press & a little deadlifting

Bench Press: 145/5, 165/5, 185/5, 205/5, 225/3, 225/2
Incline Press: 185/8, 185/6, 185/6
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20
Planks: 2:00 (PR)
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Roman Chair Hypers: 12, 12, 12
Hex Bar Deadlift: 225/5, 275/5

I haven't benched 225 in months, so I wanted to see where I was. I was hoping for 225/5, but I suppose three isn't so bad. 225/5 will be a short term goal.

Happy to finally hit 2:00 with planks! That was my ultimate goal when I started doing them in January.

275/5 with the hex bar took some effort, and I didn't feel any pain. Looks like I am pretty much recovered from the injury now and it's time to focus on increasing my strength.

Shoulders & Back

Well, I played basketball last night. Boy, are my legs stiff...but in a good way! No back pain, either! I will play again in a week, as I will ease back into it.

Tonight's workout:

Pushups: 30
Hammer Strength Shoulder Press: 150/10, 170/10, 190/5, 190/5
Pullups: 5, 5, 4, 4, changed to a wide grip, 3, 3, 3
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20
Roman Chair Hypers: 12, 12, 12
Planks: 1:30
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Poundstone Curls: 42 pound bar/51
Single Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 75/10, 80/8, 80/8 drop set to 50/10

Squats & Deadlifts

Front Squat: 153/5, 153/5, 153/5, 163/5, 163/5
Hex Bar Deadlift: 185/5, 225/5, 225/5, 225/5, 225/5
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20
Planks: 1:42
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Lying Hamstring Curls: 90/12, 90/12, 90/12

I even shot some baskets afterward.

I feel good- think I will try playing in a couple of games tomorrow.

Bench Press

Elliptical: 20 minutes
Bench Press: 137/15, 197/5, 197/5, 197/5, 197/5, 197/5
Incline Press: 185/5, 195/5, 195/5
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20
Planks: 1:00, 1:07
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Roman Chair Hypers: 12, 12, 12

* I did essentially the same weight for bench and incline. The incline actually felt smoother, which causes some head scratching. The bar that I used for the bench press was thicker than the incline bar, so perhaps that had something to do with it. In any event, a strange session, in that I don't know if I've ever used the same weight in both movements with the incline feeling easier.

Front Squats

Elliptical: 20 minutes
Front Squats: 133/5, 143/5, 143/5, 153/5, 153/5
Roman Chair Hypers: parallel- 12, 12, 12
Planks: 1:55 (PR!!)
Side Planks: 1:00 each side

Upper Body

Pushups: 30
Hammer Strength Shoulder Press: 100/10, 120/10, 140/10, 160/10, 180/10
Pullups: 5, 5, 5, 4, 5
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20
Poundstone Curls: 42 pound bar/50
Single Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 65/10, 70/10, 75/10

* Going to stick with the Hammer Strength Shoulder Press until I can do a traditional standing shoulder press again. Shouldn't be too much longer.

Added some weight in the deadlift

Elliptical: 25 minutes
Planks: 1:50 (PR)
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Hex Bar Deadlift: 135/10, 155/10, 155/10
Roman Chair Hypers: parallel- 12, 12, 12
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20, 20, 20, 20

When I am "officially" back, I am going to run a form of the 5X5 format for a while in order to build my strength back up. The conditioning will come through basketball.

Bench Press

Yesterday's workout: 

I decided to increase the weight a bit, but did not force out any reps where I would put strain on my back.

Elliptical: 20 minutes (so, so boring)
Bench Press: 135/15, 205/5, 205/3, 205/4, 205/4
Incline Press: 175/5, 180/5, 185/5, 185/5
Chins: 6

I worked out as a guest at my sister's gym. Love their incline bench.

More Rehab

Treadmill: 30 minute walk
Front Squats: 95/10, 135/5, 135/5, 135/5
Planks: 1:40 (PR)
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Roman Chair Hypers: parallel- 12,12,12
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20,20,20,20
Chins: 6,6 (got the OK to do these again)

Short Workout

Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20,20,20,20
Hex Bar Deadlift: 95/10, 95/10, 95/10
Curls: 60/10, 70/10, 75/10
Single Pulley Triceps Pushdowns: 60/10, 70/10, 75/10
Roman Chair Hypers: parallel- 12, 12, 12

* I feel good so I am very much tempted to ramp things up, but I know that's a trap. Plus, the chiropractor is costing me a boatload of money, so I may as well listen........

Upper Body

Elliptical: 25 minutes (so boring, can't wait to play basketball again)
Bench Press: 132/15, 192/5, 197/5, 202/5
Hammer Strength Incline Press: 188/10, 188/10, 188/10
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20,20,20,20
Planks: 1:00
Side Planks: 1:00 each side
Close Grip Lat Pulldowns: 170/7, 170/7, 170/7

Lower Body Rehab

Elliptical: 25 minutes (really tough for some reason, got winded about 15 minutes in)
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20,20,20,20
Roman Chair Hypers: parallel, 12,12,12
Planks: 1:35 (PR)
Side Planks: 45 seconds each side
Front Squats: 98/10, 98/10, 98/10

* Happy to do three sets of front squats. Felt good to do the movement again. 

Added some new things

Bench Press: 137/15, 177/10, 187/10, 187/8
Incline Press: 157/10, 157/10, 157/10
Bodyweight Calf Raises: 20,20,20,20
Roman Chair Hypers: parallel, 3 sets of 12
Planks: 1:30
Side Planks: 30 seconds each side
Hex Bar Deadlift: 95/10
Front Squat: bar/10
Close Grip Lat Pulldown: 150/10, 150/10, 170/7

* So happy to squat and deadlift again!!!!!