Sean's going for strength. [Forum Archive]

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Sean's going for strength.

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Posted by: fufu

Powerlifting meet? 1337!! I'm also thinking of trying one but I'm kind of scared of the idea.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by fufu

Powerlifting meet? 1337!! I'm also thinking of trying one but I'm kind of scared of the idea.

Heh, why scared of the idea?

Posted by: WantItBad

where you looking to do the comp?

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by WantItBad

where you looking to do the comp?

No idea yet, some place local for sure.
I did a quick search for comps yesterday, and the only one I could find here was at Ohio State University, which would be great, but it's for April 15th

Posted by: WantItBad

there is one sometime in october i think b/c me and squaggle are looking to do that one

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by WantItBad

there is one sometime in october i think b/c me and squaggle are looking to do that one

Hmm, where is it?

Posted by: WantItBad

somewhere in OH....i'll try and find where

Posted by: Seanp156

Ah, nice. I forgot Squaggle lives in OH as well.

Anyway, I'm thinking I might take tomorrow off from training... Depends how I feel... I'm just feelin a little tired/run down physically... It might be time to take a week off, but then again I might just take tomorrow off...

Posted by: DeadBolt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Ah, nice. I forgot Squaggle lives in OH as well.

Anyway, I'm thinking I might take tomorrow off from training... Depends how I feel... I'm just feelin a little tired/run down physically... It might be time to take a week off, but then again I might just take tomorrow off...

Listen to the body bud....

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

Listen to the body bud....

Yep, yep... The only "downside" is if I take a week off, I'll be tempted to dump my current split and go on Westside again...

And if I do that, I might be tempted to stop cutting too...

Ah, maybe I'll just take the week off, go with my upper/lower for abour 3 more weeks, then switch to Westside, and still cut.

I'm just... really looking forward to fall, when I can eat eggs & cheese on whole wheat bread, bagels and PB, and not feel bad about it

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Yeah, I'm kinda iffy with using the dip belt on 5x8 week though... Usually whenever I use a dip belt it's for the 4-6 range (of which I only have one week out of three that's a 5x5 week)... on 5x8 I'll only be able to add about 10lbs or so, so I'm not really sure if it's worth using.

10 pounds is 10 pounds man! Fuck it, you can hold that between your feet. I hold it between my feet always. It feels better than using a belt, although I have access to one now.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

10 pounds is 10 pounds man! Fuck it, you can hold that between your feet. I hold it between my feet always. It feels better than using a belt, although I have access to one now.

Hmmm, how do you get in position with your feet put together? The dip station we have, the feet bars are right under the hand bars...

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Hmmm, how do you get in position with your feet put together? The dip station we have, the feet bars are right under the hand bars...

I stand in the station with the dumbbell resting on my feet. The head of the dumbbell is on my toes, and the rear end is behind my ankles. Then I just jump up into postition and curl my legs up. So, the bar portion of the dumbbell is pointing vertically and sitting in between my ankles.

Posted by: b_reed23

Okay...fair is fair...I finally visited your journal again, and you know what?? I'm impressed!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by b_reed23

Okay...fair is fair...I finally visited your journal again, and you know what?? I'm impressed!

Heh, thank ya.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Hmm, maybe I'll give it a try.

Ok, well I didn't workout yesterday, and I think it was for the better, but I most likely will on friday unless I feel like absolute crap...

Anyway, I have a little "cutting update."

Posted by: DeadBolt

Lookin leaner bro!

Do you flex like that on purpose?

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

Lookin leaner bro!

Do you flex like that on purpose?

Like what?

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Heh, why scared of the idea?

I think I may be intimidated. I don't how I would do with alot of people watching me. I'm not sure how many people would though. idk.

Posted by: CowPimp

I can definitely see the progress in that 1 month. The delt separation is more visible and your upper back is more clearly defined.

Posted by: DeadBolt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Like what?

Next time you pose rotate your palms inwards towards your head. Contracts the bi's more and gives some better shape.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

Next time you pose rotate your palms inwards towards your head. Contracts the bi's more and gives some better shape.

Yeah, I've tried it like that, but it doesn't help much... I think I have shitty genetics to show biceps in that pose....

Anyway, good workout today

_______________________________________

Standing Military Press

45-105 warmups

115lbs x 8 sets x 3 reps
75 sec RI's

Pronated Pullups
BW x 4 sets x 3 reps
75 sec RI's

Parallel Grip Pullups
10lbs DB x 4 sets x 3 reps PB
75 sec RI's

Flat DB Bench
45lbs x 4 set x 10 reps
45 sec RI's

Dorsi Flexor Rows
105lbs x 4 sets x 10 reps
45 sec RI's

Skull Crushers
55lbs x 2 sets x 10 reps
55lbs x 9.5 reps (failed, had to do a situp)
45 set RI's

15 mins Cardio "Natural Runner" - An elliptical type machine, it's pretty tough... 7/15 resistance hill course.

stretch.

Posted by: AndrewSS

geee wiz thanks for the free 3 day pass for your world gym! You are super dooper!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewSS

geee wiz thanks for the free 3 day pass for your world gym! You are super dooper!

OMFG you're so gay... THUPER DOOPER !

Posted by: Seanp156

Conventional Deadlifts
135-225 warmups
255lbs x 8 sets x 3 reps
75 sec RI's

Front Squats
45-135 warmups
155lbs x 4 sets x 3 reps PB
135lbs x 4 sets x 3 reps
75 sec RI's

Glute Ham Raise
BW x 4 sets x 10 reps
45 sec RI's

Hyper Extensions
10lbs x 4 sets x 10 reps
45 sec RI's

stretch

Posted by: Seanp156

Ok, well I think I'm going to take this week off pretty much 100%... After my break I might get straight into Westside again, I might continue upper/lower for about 2-3 weeks, then switch, or I might do a generic 4x6 setup for a week to get back into the groove, then go to Westside.

Anyway, Does anyone have any guesses as to my BF% from my most recent pics?

I got a new one here as well...

Posted by: BigDyl

omfg yer so hot

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDyl

omfg yer so hot

...

Posted by: AndrewSS

^ haha, dont act like you are scared

Posted by: Seanp156

Oh, but I am.

Posted by: b_reed23

well, here is my opinion Sean...you ARE hot

seriously, you have some great muscle size AND definition.

Posted by: fufu

I'm guessing your bf % is between 15%-16%. Just my uneducated guess.

Posted by: Seanp156

Just had some time to kill before my interview and school assignments later...

I went and dug up SF's old template, does this look alright? Originally it was 2 x 12 for shoulders and lat, but I changed both to 2 x 8... 12 reps generally doesn't do much for me personally... That or I'm just a pussy

.

ME Bench

Bench (or some variation)
work to a 1RM

Triceps 4 x 6

Triceps 3 x 8

Shoulders 2 x 8

DE Bench

Speed Bench (varying grips)
8 x 3

Shoulders 4 x 6

Shoulders 3 x 8

Triceps 3 x 8

ME Sq/DL

Squat/Dead (variations, always)
work to 1RM

Hamstrings 4 x 6

Hamstrings 4 x 6

Lower Back 3 x 8

Lats 2 x 8

Abs ~100 reps total

DE Sq/DL

Speed Squats/Deads (varying stances)
8 x 2

Lower Back 4 x 6

Lower Back 3 x 8

Hamstrings 3 x 8

Lats 5 x 5

Abs ~100 reps

________________________________________

Does this look alright? Feel free to add any input. Cowpimp, do I really need to have Hams and Lower back specifically worked twice on alternate DE/ME lower days, or is one exercise fine?

Of course, some days I might feel like changing things up with a different rep scheme, but this will probably be my general template again.

ME Squat/Deads will be on Mondays

ME Bench on Wednesdays

DE Squat/Deads on Fridays

DE Bench on Sundays

- One problem I had last time was working on deadlifts AND squats... Should I alternate them each week, every 2 weeks or what? Last time I did Westside I kind of ignored deadlifts... I think I only did them for like 4 workouts or something because my squat was low in comparison, which did change (went from 225 to 285-295).

- If I get this job I'm interviewing for, It might be hard to get my workouts in on Fridays and Sundays.... Sundays especially since the gyms not open 24 hours like on weekdays (only til 6pm, and I might work that late...). I might need to change my workout schedule accordingly, so I guess I'll know when I know if/when my work hours are going to be.

Posted by: CowPimp

Personally, I would put a lot more emphasis on back work. I noticed a huge boost in my bench press once I started beating the living shit out of my upper back. It's going to depend heavily on where your weakpoints are, but the upper back seems to be a big one for me personally. Furthermore, as you get stronger you're going to want a kickass upper back to make sure you have control over that weight. A strong back just makes you feel more confident in all 3 lifts.

I did used to do a Hell of a lot for my lower back and hamstrings, and my results were actually much better than they are now in terms of improving my squat and deadlift. In fact, my squat/deadlift days were a lot higher in volume than they are now. Nonetheless, I try to keep things a little more balanced at this point. As well, some feel that when you are squatting/deadlifting unsuited you need to do a little work for your quads as well, which I think makes sense.

All in all, I think the squat/deadlift template is pretty good. It's about what I used to use. The bench template doesn't cut it in my opinion though. That's just me; SF is a smart fella. I just don't feel it would work well for me.

The "template" I'm using right now looks more like this:

Bench Days:
Horizontal Press (Something like 4x8-12 on ME days and 4x6-8 on DE days)

Horizontal Pull (Same volume as the press)

Veritcal Press (Something like 3x8-12 on ME days and 4x6-8 on DE days)

Vertical Pull (Same volume as the press)

If I'm feeling really awesome I throw in additional upper back work here (Face pulls, reverse flys, scarecrows, etc.)

Grip Work

External Rotations of some kind or other shoulder prehabilitation movement

Squat/Dead Days:
Hamstring-dominant exercise (4x8-12 on ME days and 4x6-8 on DE days)

Quad-dominant exercise (Same or similar volume as the ham work)

Hip extension/lower back (3xkind of random, usually higher volume but occasionally go somewhat heavy here)

Hip flexion/abs (3xkind of random, volume is usually pretty close to that of the hip extension)

That's about what I do. I think I'm going to start adding another exercise on the squat/dead days for my posterior chain.

Posted by: P-funk

Is this place near you? At the bottom is says Columbus OH.

This place is sweet!

Posted by: Seanp156

Actually that's not too far from me at all, maybe a 15 minute drive... I've never heard of it before... However, my current gym membership goes until about the beginning of August or so.

Posted by: P-funk

you should go and check it out. those are some nice platforms they got there. you may be able to meet some serious dudes to train with.

Posted by: Seanp156

Hrmm... I wonder if it's a place you can actually have a membership to, or if it's specifically for training camps etc...

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Personally, I would put a lot more emphasis on back work. I noticed a huge boost in my bench press once I started beating the living shit out of my upper back. It's going to depend heavily on where your weakpoints are, but the upper back seems to be a big one for me personally. Furthermore, as you get stronger you're going to want a kickass upper back to make sure you have control over that weight. A strong back just makes you feel more confident in all 3 lifts.

I did used to do a Hell of a lot for my lower back and hamstrings, and my results were actually much better than they are now in terms of improving my squat and deadlift. In fact, my squat/deadlift days were a lot higher in volume than they are now. Nonetheless, I try to keep things a little more balanced at this point. As well, some feel that when you are squatting/deadlifting unsuited you need to do a little work for your quads as well, which I think makes sense.

All in all, I think the squat/deadlift template is pretty good. It's about what I used to use. The bench template doesn't cut it in my opinion though. That's just me; SF is a smart fella. I just don't feel it would work well for me.

Ok, the squat/dead day sounds better to me... I was wanting to put front squats in there on occassion, so the quad section would be a good place to put that.

So, you think I should do my pulling on bench days instead of squat/dead days then?

That may not allow me to do as much pressing as I normally would, but I suppose two pressing execises for accessory work is enough.

- Still, I have the question... When should I switch things up between working on deadlifts, and working on squats on lower days?

Posted by: Archangel

Excellent progress my Friend!!!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archangel

Excellent progress my Friend!!!

Thanks, been a while Arch... How's it going?

Posted by: Archangel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Thanks, been a while Arch... How's it going?

Going fairly decent, miss my carbs, but gotta do what I gotta do!!! I say go for the powerlifting meet, that would be incredible!!!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archangel

Going fairly decent, miss my carbs, but gotta do what I gotta do!!! I say go for the powerlifting meet, that would be incredible!!!

You and me both... I'm getting crabby, grumpy, tired, and out of things lately without them

... I still have at least 80-100g a day too...

Posted by: Archangel

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

You and me both... I'm getting crabby, grumpy, tired, and out of things lately without them

... I still have at least 80-100g a day too...

I hear ya there my Friend, I'm at 75 or less a day now, and I will be at that for another week and a half, then I'll have 3 consecutive days with 500+ carbs/day, then back to 100/day for about a week, then it gets CRAZY!!!

Posted by: Seanp156

500+ a day? That must be nice... I've NEVER had that much... Even when I was bulking a year ago, it was ~400. I'm thinking of stopping my cut sometime soon, probably another 4 weeks maybe though...

Posted by: DeadBolt

The hell with cutting LOL just eat a normal amount of cals and recomp.

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Definitely. There is no reason to try and cram so much crap on squat/deadlift days when there is all that room on bench press day. In fact, some people train their backs on bench press ME and DE days plus one of the squat/deadlift days because the upper back can generally handle a pretty high amount of volume.

Quote:

That may not allow me to do as much pressing as I normally would, but I suppose two pressing execises for accessory work is enough.

Certainly is in my opinion, as long as you pick the right moves. See how it works for you. If it doesn't work well, then go back to what worked before.

Quote:

- Still, I have the question... When should I switch things up between working on deadlifts, and working on squats on lower days?

Ya know, I still have trouble deciding this myself. Essentially, the accessory work should be the same in the end. In terms of the ME and DE lifts I kind of just wing it. I think I'm going to focus on my deadlift for a few weeks, retest my max, and then focus on my squat for a few weeks. I don't want to give you advice here as I've always just gone by feel. However, I must mention, I used to do a lot of good mornings for my ME exercises and that worked really well for both my squat and deadlift. The Westside guys are huge fans of box squatting for the DE exercise, but I feel like I need to do more speed pulls.

Where are you weakest on your squat and deadlift?

Posted by: Seanp156

On deadlifts my weakest point was off the ground... I can't really remember on squats though, it's been a while(back in november) since I've maxed. I never failed an ME Squat attempt last time, so my weakpoint's a little difficult to tell.

Posted by: Squaggleboggin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

On deadlifts my weakest point was off the ground... I can't really remember on squats though, it's been a while(back in november) since I've maxed. I never failed an ME Squat attempt last time, so my weakpoint's a little difficult to tell.

I'm sure you've thought of, or even done, this before, but I might suggest platform deadlifts if you find you're still weak off the ground. If you're weak in the bottom of the squat, take a leaf out of my book and give bottom squats a try (or squats w/a 3-5s pause). Who knows, you may even do them regularly like I decided after trying them.

You really should come to the comp with WIB and me. My brother and my cousin will probably come as well. I just need the info from WIB so I can give everyone else what they need to know too. It'd be great to have you, though, along with anyone else that would care to join us.

Posted by: WantItBad

http://www.nasa-sports.com/Events_Powerlifting.html

thats all i got to go off of right now scroll down to october

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by WantItBad

http://www.nasa-sports.com/Events_Powerlifting.html

thats all i got to go off of right now scroll down to october

Yeah, I saw that over in Squaggle's journal... I see it's the 7th of October in Springfield?

That part I'm confused on, is when I go to the entry form, it only shows it for Arizona with a late fee of 3-21-05 .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

Yeah, I've thought of doing platform deads before, but I haven't yet... I'm just slightly worried about the extra ROM making it easier to round the back, though I'm sure I'd use less weight than I would from the floor.

I haven't tried bottom squats yet either, mostly box squats in the past. I may try some of this stuff in the coming weeks/months.

Posted by: WantItBad

ya i just saw that i will look into it and get back to you

Posted by: Squaggleboggin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Yeah I know what you mean. You could always just use nothing larget than 25s or 35s for plates. That way you'd probably have to limit the weight anyways so you could still concentrate on form. I usually do power snatches with 25s or 35s and I don't have any problems with rounding. Of course, I'm using much less weight than you would for a deadlift, though.

Posted by: Archangel

Whats up BRother Sean!!!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archangel

Whats up BRother Sean!!!

Not much, just been taking this week off... My hips were bothering me for a bit, but they feel fine now... I kinda wanna get back to the gym tomorrow, but I'll probably wait til Monday to start back up.

Posted by: CowPimp

I also like the idea of using smaller plates or a platform for the deadlifts. I have done this in the past with good success. Don't foget to do speed pulls. I think I'm going to start doing speed pulls over box squats as long as my weak point in the deadlift is off the floor.

Posted by: Seanp156

So, you're going to be doing speed pulls on DE day, even if you squat on ME day?

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

So, you're going to be doing speed pulls on DE day, even if you squat on ME day?

For now yes. My new plan is to stick with speed pulls as long as my sticking point is at the bottom of my deadlift. When that sticking point begins to shift upward, then I'll rearrange things.

Posted by: Seanp156

I'm really having trouble deciding whether or not to go to the gym today... I really want to, but then it will have only been 5 days rest instead of 8... It would be DE squat/dead day if I were to go...

Posted by: Seanp156

I couldn't stay out of the gym today... I justified it by going relatively easy, and plus, I don't think it would be a good idea to go for a PR on squats monday having been out of the gym for 8 days...

5 min bike warmup

Speed Box Squats (parallel box)
45-95 warmup
135lbs x 2
155lbs x 7 sets x 2 reps

SLDL
135-165 warmups
185lbs x 8 reps (pronated & thumbless)
185lbs x 7 reps (DOH, grip failed

, sweaty hands)
185lbs x 8 reps (mixed)
185lbs x 8 reps (mixed)

Front Squats (these were good)
45-95 warmup
135lbs x 4 sets x 6 reps

Hyper Extensions
25lbs x 2 sets x 10 reps
35lbs x 10 reps

Cable Crunches
140lbs x 10 reps
150lbs x 2 sets x 10 reps PR

stretch

I need to order some chalk and creatine here soon... Oh, and I got the call today... I got the job I interviewed for last week !

Posted by: Archangel

Great w/o and CONGRATS on the job my Friend!!!

Posted by: Seanp156

Thank ya sir.

Posted by: fufu

Cable crunches make my abs lawlersk33t. What job did you interview for?

Posted by: Seanp156

What do you guys think I should shoot for as a PR on squats for monday? Back in november or so (last time I maxed on squats) I got 285 and felt like I could've gotten 295... So, I don't know if I should shoot for 295 or 305... I don't really have any idea where my PR strength is at since I haven't done a program like this for ~5 months.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fufu

Cable crunches make my abs lawlersk33t. What job did you interview for?

Why do you think cable crunches are funny? B/c they look funny? I interviewed for a job at this tuxedo rental place in my local mall (fairly big)... Not the most interesting job, but it pays base hourly rate & commision... Plus, I think I might get a discount to other places at the mall. Also, one of my friends from a class works there too.

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

What do you guys think I should shoot for as a PR on squats for monday? Back in november or so (last time I maxed on squats) I got 285 and felt like I could've gotten 295... So, I don't know if I should shoot for 295 or 305... I don't really have any idea where my PR strength is at since I haven't done a program like this for ~5 months.

Why do you think cable crunches are funny? B/c they look funny? I interviewed for a job at this tuxedo rental place in my local mall (fairly big)... Not the most interesting job, but it pays base hourly rate & commision... Plus, I think I might get a discount to other places at the mall. Also, one of my friends from a class works there too.

Nooo I used to do cable crunches but then my abs went all funky on me if I bent over so I stopped doing them. I would still do them if that didn't happen.
Comission for the win.

Posted by: Seanp156

What do you mean by the went all funky on you??

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

What do you mean by the went all funky on you??

Hard to explain. It felt like my lower abs turned into a bunch of little people and started running around in circles. Kind of like a muscle pull but it didn't hurt.

Posted by: Seanp156

Lactic acid build up?

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Lactic acid build up?

Possibly...

Posted by: Seanp156

Ok, well I took the time and added up my cals/macros everything... Fitday.com makes it really easy to do, took maybe 5 mins...

Here's what my diet looks like while I'm cutting (been eating this for the past 8 weeks or so)

The first one is on days I do NOT workout.

The second one is on days I DO workout.

Posted by: Squaggleboggin

Wow. That site is awesome. Thanks for letting us know about it, Sean.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

Wow. That site is awesome. Thanks for letting us know about it, Sean.

Heh, I'm suprised you didn't know about it... I found out about it from the diet/nutrition section... I forget if it was emma or jodi who mentioned it.

Posted by: CowPimp

Congrats on the job man. Good stuff.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Congrats on the job man. Good stuff.

Thank ya, I hope it turns out to be bearable...

Posted by: Seanp156

Weighed in and took some measurements this morning... 179.2lbs I don't plan to go below 175.

My waist is smaller than it has been for a LONG time...
measured 32" at the belly button, and 33" at the pantline

I have lost about .5-1" on my chest/arms/thighs/calves though.

Posted by: fufu

Looks like you are nearing the end of your cut. gj gj

Soon you can get back to pumping zee super heavy iron! yahl!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by fufu

Looks like you are nearing the end of your cut. gj gj

Soon you can get back to pumping zee super heavy iron! yahl!

Hehe yeah, I probably have ~4 weeks left. I kinda just wanna go crazy on eating, but then again, I kinda just wanna do a clean bulk barely eating above maintenance... Argghh ! Too many options.

kekeke @ your avatar.

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Hehe yeah, I probably have ~4 weeks left. I kind just wanna go crazy on eating, but then again, I kinda just wanna do a clean bulk barely eating above maintenance... Argghh ! Too many options.

kekeke @ your avatar.

Trust your feelings! Let the force flow within you.

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

I'm against bulking at this point. You just make it so you have to cut that much more once you balloon up. Furthermore, if most of your gains are muscle, then you don't have to put your LBM at risk for nearly as long when you cut back down. I think in the long run it is actually faster to do lean bulks.

In fact, I read an article from Lyle McDonald that explain why he felt the ideal range for bodybuilding males was to cut down to something like 8-12% body fat and not let yourself get over about 15%, as adipose tissue is a conversion site for testosterone to estrogen and fat gains start to snowball if you get much more above that point.

Posted by: Seanp156

Well, when I say "eat like crazy." It's more like this: I have 4 well balanced real food meals, and 2 protein shakes with oats,peanut butter, banana, strawberries, and whey with either milk or water. However, 2-3 times a week I won't really hesitate to have a protein bar, and other snacks I wouldn't exactly consider healthy such as whole wheat bread/bagel with peanut butter, or sometimes a sub from some place, chicken sandwich another place etc...

So, when I say "eat like crazy" it's not like I'm on a "see-food" diet... It's still regulated, but I tend to have a lot more room for things I enjoy eating...

For a "lean bulk" how much weight would you consider ideal each week/month?

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Well, when I say "eat like crazy." It's more like this: I have 4 well balanced real food meals, and 2 protein shakes with oats,peanut butter, banana, strawberries, and whey with either milk or water. However, 2-3 times a week I won't really hesitate to have a protein bar, and other snacks I wouldn't exactly consider healthy such as whole wheat bread/bagel with peanut butter, or sometimes a sub from some place, chicken sandwich another place etc...

So, when I say "eat like crazy" it's not like I'm on a "see-food" diet... It's still regulated, but I tend to have a lot more room for things I enjoy eating...

I understand. I'm sure you're doing really well, especially for being away at college.

Quote:

For a "lean bulk" how much weight would you consider ideal each week/month?

Highly individual. I just boost my calories a few hundred at a time over maintenance. If I gain a pound every 2 weeks, then that's fine. I wait until weight gain totally levels off and then add another few hundred calories. 10% increments seem to work well.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

I understand. I'm sure you're doing really well, especially for being away at college.
I'm not away, I'm at home, makes dieting much easier =p.

Highly individual. I just boost my calories a few hundred at a time over maintenance. If I gain a pound every 2 weeks, then that's fine. I wait until weight gain totally levels off and then add another few hundred calories. 10% increments seem to work well.
Hmmm, so when I'm done cutting, you think I should increment back up slowly? I was thinking about starting at ~3000 cals for a couple weeks, then incrementing, rather than incrementing from ~2100-2400/day.

Posted by: CowPimp

It's worked well for me, especially this time around. You can give that method a shot though. Just play around with things and see how you best respond. Eventually you will find the sweet spot in terms of calorie increases.

Just keep in mind that protein synthesis is limited. Your body can only produce so much muscle at a time, and eating any more calories than necessary for that won't help you gain muscle any faster.

Posted by: Seanp156

Is there any solid baseline for how much protein can be synthesized per day, per pound? I never take in more than ~44g at a time (2 scoops of whey). However, on my last bulk my protein intake went as high as ~300g per day, sometimes more depending...

Posted by: Cris2Blis

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Is there any solid baseline for how much protein can be synthesized per day, per pound? I never take in more than ~44g at a time (2 scoops of whey). However, on my last bulk my protein intake went as high as ~300g per day, sometimes more depending...

I'm sure that is dependant on way too many factors to be easily determined.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

I'm sure that is dependant on way too many factors to be easily determined.

That's kinda what I thought... 300g isn't too much for me being around 180 is it? That's not even 2x BW.

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

That's kinda what I thought... 300g isn't too much for me being around 180 is it? That's not even 2x BW.

How much protein do you shoot for everyday?

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by fufu

How much protein do you shoot for everyday?

Right now (during my cut) it's somewhere around 215-225g per day... When at the height of a bulk it's anywhere from 280-330g per day.

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Right now (during my cut) it's somewhere around 215-225g per day... When at the height of a bulk it's anywhere from 280-330g per day.

The whole protein intake thing seems to be debated. I usually get around 230 a day. I little more is better than a little less I suppose.

Posted by: CowPimp

I say that most people overestimate their protein intake needs. I probably take in about 275g @ 195lbs. Really, I probably should replace some of that with carbohydrates. 1.5g per pound of bodyweight is plenty, even if you are cutting weight. If not, carbohydrates and fats are far more important in my opinion.

Posted by: Seanp156

Pretty good workout today overall... Pressing strength wasn't great, I thought I'd be able to do more on dips, but my muscles were moderately fatigued from speed benching, and incline BB... I was debating whether to do DB or BB for incline, so I figured I better get used to BB since I'm on Westside again.

Anyway...
Speed Benches
warmups 45-115
125lbs x 8 sets x 3 reps (little to no RI's)

Incline BB Press
155lbs x 4
135lbs x 8
135lbs x 6
135lbs x 5

DB Rows
65lbs x 4 sets x 6 reps

Dips
BW + 25 x 6
BW + 25 x 5
BW x 8
BW x 8

Pronated Pullups
BW x 4+2
BW x 4+1 (tried 4+2, but failed on the +2)

Parallel Grip Pullups
BW x 3 (meh)

Parallel Grip Lat pulldowns
130lbs x 2 sets x 6 reps

Grip Work: Farmer's Walks
70lbs DB's x ~ 100 ft
70lbs DB's x ~ 80 ft

Stationary Bike
15 mins
10/20 resistance
83 avg RPM
18.8 avg MPH
103 cals
4.12 miles (PB for 15 mins I think?)
random hill course

Rotar Cuff Work/Prehab stuff

stretch

Posted by: Seanp156

Decent workout today...

BB Squats to parallel
45 x 8
135 x 6
185 x 4
205 x 2
225 x 1
255 x 1 (warmups to here)
295 x 1 PB (spotter said he just helped a "tiny" bit in the hole... I guess pausing in the hole, bottom squat, or "heavy" box squats next ME squat day?)

Glute Ham Raise
BW x 8
10lbs x 12
10lbs x 10
10lbs x 10

Leg Press (narrow + low on the pad)
270lbs x 12
270lbs x 10
270lbs x 8
320lbs x 10

- There was some fairly skinny guy on the leg press next to me that had 8 plates on it... he LITERALLY had a ROM of 1-2 INCHES... WTF is with people?

I felt like saying something.

Rack Deadlifts
135lbs x 7
185lbs x 7
225lbs x 2 (warmups to here)
275lbs x 0 (tried using straps... I can't use them for shit, that's probably a good thing)
275lbs x 7 PB - mixed grip
275lbs x 3+3 mixed
245lbs x 6+6 mixed
245lbs x 4+4 mixed

Hanging knee raised
BW x 4

Knee Raises (non hanging)
15lbs x 6
15lbs x 8 SS with leg raises 15lbs x 4
15lbs x 8

stretch

I talked to the trainer there that used to be a powerlifter, he's actually the one that spotted me on squats... I found out he charges $120 a week, or $420 a month (10% discount from $40 per session). He generally does 3 sessions per week...

I just don't know if it's worth that kind of money, I'm sure he's a great trainer, but that is expensive.

Posted by: fUnc17

Good session. What are his credentials?

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by fUnc17

Good session. What are his credentials?

Thanks, I'm really not sure about his credentials as of now, I haven't asked... I know he's with the gym I go to, and talking to him, he seems to know his stuff.

Posted by: b_reed23

that's some good weight your throwing for your DB rows and squats

Posted by: fufu

A squat and deadlift PB in the same workout. Awesome.

Posted by: Seanp156

Thank ya. I've done 275 before on Rack deads, but it was only for 4 reps I think.

Posted by: P-funk

looks like a westide type template....

looks like a lot of volume (like a westisde temple). I would scale it back (unless you are running a cycle, like a westside guy). People tend to get burned out doing all of the work in their tmeplate.

take what you need. get in the gym, hit it and get out. Be effcient, especially when training for strength. You want to bust your ass and go and eat!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-funk

looks like a westide type template....

looks like a lot of volume (like a westisde temple). I would scale it back (unless you are running a cycle, like a westside guy). People tend to get burned out doing all of the work in their tmeplate.

take what you need. get in the gym, hit it and get out. Be effcient, especially when training for strength. You want to bust your ass and go and eat!

That's difficult while cutting

So, you really think there is too much volume? I'll agree with that on my bench days, but I don't think my squat/dead days have too much...

Tomorrow is ME Bench, of which I have the following planned:

ME Bench Days:
Work to 1RM, 3RM or variant

Horizontal Press 4x8-12

Horizontal Pull 4x8-12

Vertical Press 3x8-12

Vertical Pull 3x8-12

Grip Work

External Rotations of some kind or other shoulder prehabilitation movement

I'm planning to work to a 1RM, which I haven't since... probably December and it was 205... Do you think 215 would be an alright target? (I am about 10lbs less than in Dec). Also, what should I take out as far as volume in your opinion?

Posted by: P-funk

a) that is a ton of volume for training twice a week!

b) that is a ton of volume for someone that is hypocaloric! i would dfenilty drop the volume if you are eating under maintenace calories.

Posted by: Seanp156

So, should I do less sets per movement, less movements, or both?

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-funk

I've found that a high level of volume works pretty well for myself. More recently I was trying to use a lower level of volume, particularly on squat/DL days, but kept my volume pretty high on bench days. My success with the bench press was much more pronounced than it has been with my squat and dead this time around, and that's coming back from a shoulder injury which set back potential progress for quite some time.

The first time I performed a WS type conjugate routine I did quite a bit of accessory work on squat/DL day and my results blew away what I obtained using a lower level of volume this time around. I'm going back to a higher level of volume on squat/DL days now, and hopefully it does me some good.

I would evaluate your progress at each level before you determine your body's recovery capacity. That's all I'm saying really.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

I would evaluate your progress at each level before you determine your body's recovery capacity. That's all I'm saying really.

I had good progress the first time I did Westside, but that could've been for a number of reasons:
1) I was eating a "shitload"
2) I was new to Westside training
3) I was new to very high intensity training (never tested 1 or 3RM on anything but deadlifts)
Bench went up 40lbs
Squat went up 70lbs
Deadlift went up 10lbs

All were within an 8-10 week period.

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

what was your training age at the time?

Posted by: Seanp156

So, the question remains, should I do less sets per movement, less movements, or both?

Posted by: fUnc17

keep the intensity, drop the volume slightly. your body will thank you for it. better to era on the side of caution.

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by fUnc17

keep the intensity, drop the volume slightly. your body will thank you for it. better to era on the side of caution.

what he said.

Posted by: Seanp156

So, just drop some sets, lower the rep ranges, drop some movements, or a combination of the three? THIS is what I'm confused about, where to drop the volume...

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

So, just drop some sets, lower the rep ranges, drop some movements, or a combination of the three? THIS is what I'm confused about, where to drop the volume...

some exercises, some sets....I don't know the exact template you are following.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-funk

some exercises, some sets....I don't know the exact template you are following.

Template =

DE Bench Days:
Speed Bench Presses 8x3

Horizontal Press 4x6-8

Horizontal Pull 4x6-8

Veritcal Press 4x6-8

Vertical Pull 4x6-8

Grip Work

External Rotations of some kind or other shoulder prehabilitation movement

ME Bench Days:
1RM or variant

Horizontal Press 4x8-12

Horizontal Pull 4x8-12

Vertical Press 3x8-12

Vertical Pull 3x8-12

Grip Work

External Rotations of some kind or other shoulder prehabilitation movement

DE Squat/Dead Days:
Speed box squats or speed pulls (deadlifts) 8x2

Hamstring-dominant exercise 4x6-8

Quad-dominant exercise 4x6-8

Hip extension/lower back 3x8-10

Hip flexion/abs 3x8-10

ME Squat/Dead Days:
1RM or variant

Hamstring-dominant exercise 4x8-12

Quad-dominant exercise 4x8-12

Hip extension/lower back 4x4-8

Hip flexion/abs 3x4-8

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-funk

what was your training age at the time?

Like 2-2.5 years. It was only about 6 months ago. We'll see how things go this next mesocycle or two where I ramp up the volume for my squat/DL workouts again. If I start sparking real positive results again then I'm going to be pretty damned sure my body likes the higher volume better.

Also, I kind of forgot Sean is cutting. I would definitely do less volume than I am (That template he posted is the one I am going to be used for the time being) if I were cutting.

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

I would drop the horizontal press here. Leave th vertical push and pull and the horizontal pull. May even lower the volume as the diet goes on, to somethnig like 2-3 sets x 6-8 reps

Quote:

ME Bench Days:
1RM or variant

Horizontal Press 4x8-12

Horizontal Pull 4x8-12

Vertical Press 3x8-12

Vertical Pull 3x8-12

Grip Work

External Rotations of some kind or other shoulder prehabilitation movement

I like the idea of switching to the higher rep ranges here. again, I would give myself the option of 2-3 sets as the diet moves on.

would defenitly drop the number of sets of the horizontal push and pull to 2-3 here also. Given the high amount of horizontal pushing you are doing with the 1RM work (which I don;t like doing each week. I wouldn't want to be hitting 1RM's every week. It burns me out) and the speed work, you have a lot of horizontal pushing as it. So, cut back the sets there.

I may add in some single joint horizontal extnesion work (rear delt flyes etc..). to hit the upper back a little more. high reps, in the 15-20 range for postural development.

Quote:

DE Squat/Dead Days:
Speed box squats or speed pulls (deadlifts) 8x2

Hamstring-dominant exercise 4x6-8

Quad-dominant exercise 4x6-8

Hip extension/lower back 3x8-10

Hip flexion/abs 3x8-10

again, dropping the sets to 2-3. reps are fine. make sure you are doing some sort of unilateral work as well.

Quote:

ME Squat/Dead Days:
1RM or variant

Hamstring-dominant exercise 4x8-12

Quad-dominant exercise 4x8-12

Hip extension/lower back 4x4-8

Hip flexion/abs 3x4-8

again, sets down to 2-3.

depending on whether the 1RM work is quad or hip dominant, you may want to take it easy on the reps work for that movement in this workout also.

I don't know how much you rotate your exercises around. I would stick with a few exercises for a couple of weeks to work on building strength with them and letting a little adaptation set in before switching them out.

hope that helps.

Posted by: Seanp156

By unilateral work you mean step-ups, split squats, etc?

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

By unilateral work you mean step-ups, split squats, etc?

Yeah, you got it. I usually try to include a unilateral movement or two each week. I am a huge fan of Bulgarian Squats. The "resting" leg gets a decent amount of work as a stabilizer, and you really have to fire your glutes if you want to maintain balance.

P-funk has some good suggestions too. I definitely think you should reduce the volume a good bit while you're cutting as recovery is impaired in a negative energy balance. Like I said, this is the general template I am using now while I'm maintaining. I forgot to take into consideration your dieting.

Also, as P suggested and I said before, I definitely like to throw in extra upper back work if I have time and feel up to it. A lot of times I will throw in some external rotation movements in my warmup and then do some face pulls or scarecrows in place of the prehab work in the routine (Although there is actually some external rotation involved in the face pull).

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

defenitly not discounting the higher volume work.....it is necessary in programs. But, you have to ramp up to it. I wouldn't start with that much volume. You can build up (accumulate) and then cut down (intensify). Defenitly, as you get more advanced your work capacity rises and you can use these two factors towards your advantage. I would just be careful of how much volume I load up on when dieting down also though.

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-funk

Yeah, I'm not even sure I would want to do Westside on a diet. It already beats the Hell out of me when I'm maintaining or bulking. If I did, it would definitely be a lower volume variant thereof.

I kind of accumulate and intensify in the same microcycle. That's why I like to go really high volume on the ME days (3-4 sets of 8-12), then back it down for the DE days and intensify (3-4 sets of 6-8). It definitely seemed to work really well this last mesocycle.

Posted by: Seanp156

Oh, and P-Funk, to clarify, I'm not going to be doing a 1RM on every ME day, that's what the "variant" is for... Not only varying exercises (using a trap bar for deadlifts, pulling from a platform, front squats instead of back), but also going for 2-5RM as well. When varying the exercises, I don't even know if I'll go for a 1-5RM, I might just keep the intensity relatively high, and do 2-3 working sets.

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Oh, and P-Funk, to clarify, I'm not going to be doing a 1RM on every ME day, that's what the "variant" is for... Not only varying exercises (using a trap bar for deadlifts, pulling from a platform, front squats instead of back), but also going for 2-5RM as well. When varying the exercises, I don't even know if I'll go for a 1-5RM, I might just keep the intensity relatively high, and do 2-3 working sets.

the linear scheme that I laid out in that moron Ironman's powerlifting thread would work well for your max effort lifts. It has you increase intensity weekly, and unload every 4th week...while making you keep the same exercise for those 4 weeks to really see improvement and yield necessary adaptations.

Posted by: Seanp156

So, in otherwords, I shouldn't change my ME lifts up too often?

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

So, in otherwords, I shouldn't change my ME lifts up too often?

I don;t see why you would? You want to build up strength in certain areas. You want the adaptation to set in and then move onto something else. It is to hard to know if you are making real progress if you constantly change up exercises. Your body adapts to exercises last and rep ranges first. Always look there to make the first change.

Posted by: Seanp156

Alright, well I'm heading to the gym shortly.... Post when I get back.

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Yeah, if you're doing that type of liner scheme witht he ME work then you don't need to change so often. The reason the WS guys recommend changing so frequently is twofold: they are constantly lifting in the 1-3RM range, and they are capable of recruiting such a high percentage of motor units that their max effort work is even more taxing. They need to alter the usage of certain neural pathways very frequently to prevent overtraining.

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

yea, they are elite. can they can tap their neural pathways out pretty quick. But I have even seen louie suggest changing the max effort lift every two weeks. I have seen tate and wendler suggest changing the max effort lift once ever 4 weeks. And one week a month (I think was wendler??) drop the max effort lift all together....hmm, that sounds familiar.....weeks 1-3 use a max effort lift and run up the intensity. Week 4 drop the lift all together for a week....kind of like 3 weeks run up, one week unlaod...wonder where i heard that one before?

Posted by: Seanp156

Decent workout...

5 min bike warmup

Flat Bench Press
45lbs x 8
95lbs x 6
135lbs x 2
155lbs x 1
175lbs x 1
195lbs x 1
215lbs x 0 (Stuck at about 3-4 inches up for 3-4 seconds, then had to drop it

)
205lbs x 1 (took a good 5-6 seconds to get it up, this was my previous PB, though I was 10-12lbs heavier then, and I haven't maxed since early December)

BB Bent Rows
45lbs x 8
95lbs x 5 (warmups)
125lbs x 2 sets x 8 reps
135lbs x 10 reps

Seated DB Shoulder Press
45lbs x 2 sets x 8 reps
45lbs x 7 reps

Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns
120lbs x 10 reps
130lbs x 8 reps
130lbs x 9 reps

Static BB holds, DOH
205lbs x 15 sec
185lbs x 18 sec

Gorilla Hangs with middle to pinky fingers
BW x 10 sec
BW x 8 sec

20 mins Elliptical
10/20 resistance
flat/manual course
~273 cals
1.96 miles
2726 strides

Rotar Cuff work

stretch

Posted by: fufu

Well your bodyweight to lift ratio is better now. Gj gj. You haven't really been benching low reps recently have you? How much longer for the cut?

Posted by: Seanp156

~ 3.5-4 weeks

Posted by: Devlin

By the way....Happy Birthday!

Sorry it had to be said, better late than never.

Posted by: fufu

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devlin

By the way....Happy Birthday!

Sorry it had to be said, better late than never.

Thanks Dev, I was wondering if you'd ever come round these parts

Quote:

Originally Posted by fufu

Where did you get that weird 80's picture?

Posted by: Devlin

Ohh I've been lurking in here for a while, just decided it was time to come out of hiding.

Especially since no one else had wished you a happy birthday.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devlin

Ohh I've been lurking in here for a while, just decided it was time to come out of hiding.

Especially since no one else had wished you a happy birthday.

Stalker !

. Yeah, I was half way expecting a happy b-day thread from BigDyl... My other stalker

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Thanks Dev, I was wondering if you'd ever come round these parts

Where did you get that weird 80's picture?

I searched "happy birthday" on google images and it caught me eye. It is nice isn't it?

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by fufu

I searched "happy birthday" on google images and it caught me eye. It is nice isn't it?

It would be, but the expression on her face, and the hair just kinda ruins it for me

.

Anyway, I've gotta head to bed (I was hoping to get some Obliv in tonight)... I have class in 9 hours, and then work at 4...

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

It would be, but the expression on her face, and the hair just kinda ruins it for me

.

Anyway, I've gotta head to bed (I was hoping to get some Obliv in tonight)... I have class in 9 hours, and then work at 4...

Posted by: Devlin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Stalker !

. Yeah, I was half way expecting a happy b-day thread from BigDyl... My other stalker

Me a stalker

I just admire from a distance

Posted by: DeadBolt

To much bullshit not enogh working out

Hey good lifts man...good shot at 215...you'll nail it next time!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

To much bullshit not enogh working out

Hey good lifts man...good shot at 215...you'll nail it next time!

???? I hit the gym 4 days a week

Just because there are a lot of posts recently doesn't mean I've been slacking in the gym

.

Hopefully I'll be able to hit 215 next time... I can't decide if I should go for it again next week or go for a 3-5RM instead.

Posted by: CowPimp

Looks like a good workout to me Sean. Volume seems very reasonable. Sounds to me like you might want to try a suspended bench press or some such thing next time for your ME lift. Only 3 inches off your chest means you most likely started slowing down right after the effect of the stretch reflex did its thing.

I have had very good results sticking to 1RMs, but periodizing the ME lift in its own right could work well. You might also try something like hitting 3 singles @ 90% for a week, 2 singles @ 95% next week, and then hitting your PR attempt the third week. I'm talking about sticking rest in between the multiple singles too. I haven't played with any variations like this much myself; I guess I should start.

Posted by: Archangel

You have a 360??? I'm so sorry I missed your Birthday, hope it was a GREAT one my Friend!!!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archangel

You have a 360??? I'm so sorry I missed your Birthday, hope it was a GREAT one my Friend!!!

Yep, I do Arch

. My Birthday was alright, but it usually comes at a stressful time in the middle of the week (I had a midterm, and was busy pretty much the whole day), and this year was no exception. I can't wait to be done with school... The next 5 weeks of school AND work are going to be quite stressful, I have much to do

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Yep, I do Arch

Are you a sophomore?

Posted by: Seanp156

Nope, "freshman."

Posted by: CowPimp

Oh, happy birthday too! How old are you?

Posted by: Seanp156

20.... Uh oh, I might be getting sick... Got a bit of a soar throat, and a little congestion... I just took about 1600% of Vitamin C... It's not too bad yet, so hopefully I still have a chance to fight whatever it is off before it gets bad.

Posted by: shiznit2169

Jesus, you're always getting sick dude

Posted by: Seanp156

Not really... I do have allergies, so that could be part of the problem... My eyes are a little dry/watery today.

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

20.... Uh oh, I might be getting sick... Got a bit of a soar throat, and a little congestion... I just took about 1600% of Vitamin C... It's not too bad yet, so hopefully I still have a chance to fight whatever it is off before it gets bad.

Sometimes I feel a slight stress in my throat later on in the day after really high intensity/volume workout, vitamin C usually does the trick for me.

Posted by: Seanp156

Decent workout today, got work in 2 hours, 20 mins...

8 mins treadmill warmup, varying speeds (3-7.5 mph), .71 miles

Speed Box squats (10-12" box)
45lbs x 7 reps
135lbs x 3 reps (warmups)
155lbs x 2 reps
165lbs x 6 sets x 2 reps

Front Squats
45lbs x 8 reps
95lbs x 6 reps (warmups)
135lbs x 6 reps
155lbs x 6 reps
175lbs x 3 reps PB

SLDL
135lbs x 6 reps
165lbs x 4 reps (warmups)
185lbs x 6 reps
205lbs x 4 reps

Split Squats (first time doing these)
45lbs x 8 reps each leg
65lbs x 7 reps each leg PB?

cable crunches
120lbs x 12 reps
140lbs x 10 reps
155lbs x 10 reps PB

Hyper Extensions
25lbs x 8 reps
35lbs x 6 reps
35lbs x 6 reps

stretch

Maybe a bit too much volume...

Posted by: fufu

Yay for PB's. I should probaly put some front squats in my routine.

I know there were like 2 pages worth of you deciding what kind of program you are going to do, what did you end up deciding to go with?

Posted by: Seanp156

Heh, I've been doing Westside (or a slight variation)... This is the completion of the first week.

I love front squats because it's so much easier for me to get good depth on them than back squats, the center of gravity is much more natural for me to work with (considering, I kinda have a long/lanky build).

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Heh, I've been doing Westside (or a slight variation)... This is the completion of the first week.

I love front squats because it's so much easier for me to get good depth on them than back squats, the center of gravity is much more natural for me to work with (considering, I kinda have a long/lanky build).

Hmm I am also lanky, maybe I should try these.

Posted by: Seanp156

What new avatar do you guys like better?

Posted by: fufu

second one!

Posted by: Seanp156

The second one it tis.

Posted by: Archangel

I like the first one, you look HUGE in it!!! You need to get Call of Duty 2, and go online with it, we could hook up and its a Great time!!!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archangel

I like the first one, you look HUGE in it!!! You need to get Call of Duty 2, and go online with it, we could hook up and its a Great time!!!

Yeah, that's one I got on my list to get eventually... You should try Ghost Recon, and maybe Project Gotham Racing 3... I haven't played those online yet though, mostly been playing Oblivion

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Yeah, that's one I got on my list to get eventually... You should try Ghost Recon, and maybe Project Gotham Racing 3... I haven't played those online yet though, mostly been playing Oblivion

Posted by: Seanp156

Didn't make it to the gym today damnit... Sick & tired, so I slept til 11:20, and I have work at 2 (in an hour)... The gym closes the same time I get off work

... DE bench is one of my favorite days too...

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Didn't make it to the gym today damnit... Sick & tired, so I slept til 11:20, and I have work at 2 (in an hour)... The gym closes the same time I get off work

... DE bench is one of my favorite days too...

I've felt kinda shitty this weekend. I know it is from overtraining.

Posted by: Seanp156

Lotsa random pics here.... Based off these, do you think it'd be alright to start eating at maintenance, and continue to do so until winter to bulk? What do you guys/girls think my approx BF% is?

Posted by: Seanp156

One more...

Posted by: The Monkey Man

15%

Posted by: DeadBolt

I think youd be ok...throw a bit of cardio in there and you'll get the look you want! Lookin awsome bro! "almost" makes me want to cut LMAO

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

I think youd be ok...throw a bit of cardio in there and you'll get the look you want! Lookin awsome bro! "almost" makes me want to cut LMAO

Heh, yeah I think I'm definately going to keep doing cardio even when I'm bulking for at LEAST 10 minutes twice a week, maybe 15 mins... "almost" want to cut, eh?

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey Man

15%

Grrr, that's too high, that should be the highest I get, not the lowest...

Posted by: b_reed23

looks good to me!!

Posted by: DeadBolt

Yea almost....dont get carried away now!

But probably another 2 months and I'll start cutting back....I'd like to hit 220 or so....

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

Yea almost....dont get carried away now!

But probably another 2 months and I'll start cutting back....I'd like to hit 220 or so....

Don't get carried away with what??? Cardio? Eating too much?

Posted by: DeadBolt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Don't get carried away with what??? Cardio? Eating too much?

Cardio...I'm not a big fan for it AT ALL! LOL I have no problem cutting some cals and making my workouts a little more intense but cardio does nothing for me! Makes me feel like a rat in a cage!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

Cardio...I'm not a big fan for it AT ALL! LOL I have no problem cutting some cals and making my workouts a little more intense but cardio does nothing for me! Makes me feel like a rat in a cage!

"Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage!" - Smashing Pumpkins

I like cardio personally, I think the benefits are worth it to keep going even when bulking (no longer than 15 mins though)... Helps keep the metabolism up there, and it's good for overall health as well.

Oh, and my weight was 177.6lbs this morning

- That's the lightest I've been since around September.

Posted by: DeadBolt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

"Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage!" - Smashing Pumpkins

- That's the lightest I've been since around September.

LOL I was thinkin of the song after I posted it heh.

I just hate sitting there doing it but I need to start again. Even if its only 15 minutes. My cardiovascular system has gone to shit!

Wow your gettin shredded man! Good work!

Posted by: Seanp156

It helps if you have an mp3 player, I don't know what I'd do without it in the cardio room when they have soap operas on the TV's ... Heh, thank ya sir... I don't really want to go below 175. Anyway, off to the gym.

Posted by: Seanp156

Not a bad workout, especially for being half sick/frustrated with my job (though maybe that frustration helps a little

)

Anyway...

BB Back Squats
45lbs x 6
135lbs x 6
165lbs x 4
185lbs x 2
205lbs x 2
225lbs x 2 - Ok, here's the deal... For some reason up to 205lbs felt very heavy, but once I got to 225lbs, I cranked up my MP3 player, and really focused thinking "This is easy, I've done it before, just keep my core and back tight... Doing this for 225 and 255 made them feel easier than my warmup sets

255lbs x 5 PB - New 5RM This used to be my 3RM back in the winter when I was 12-13lbs heavier

Glute/Ham Raise
25lbs x 8 reps PB
10lbs x 10 reps
10lbs x 10 reps

Leg Press
180lbs x 6 reps
270lbs x 4 reps (warmups to here)
360lbs x 10 reps
360lbs x 8 reps

Rack Deadlifts
135lbs x 8 reps
185lbs x 6 reps
225lbs x 4 reps
255lbs x 3 reps (warmups to here)
285lbs x 6 reps PB
275lbs x 6 reps

Leg Raises
BW x 3 sets x 10 reps

stretch

Posted by: b_reed23

Nice work on those squats!!

Your right...an Mp3 player does help, but today at the gym they hand the Munsters playing on TV...it was an easy 30 minutes on the treadmill

Posted by: fufu

great workout, very impressive.

Posted by: Archangel

Great w/o and Awesome Pics my Friend!!!

Posted by: Seanp156

Thanks guys !

Posted by: DeadBolt

Damn good work bro!! I see you nailed 285 on the deads! Good work! And killer squats....I envy you I can't squat for the life of me!

Posted by: Seanp156

Thanks DB, I was a little scared on the squats... When I was warming up with 165-205 I thought "Damn this feels heavy, wtf?" , but I focused really hard on 225 and up and it worked out !

Posted by: DeadBolt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Thanks DB, I was a little scared on the squats... When I was warming up with 165-205 I thought "Damn this feels heavy, wtf?" , but I focused really hard on 225 and up and it worked out !

Yea some days it feels like a house on your shoulders heh! But other days you dont even feel the weight till you break parallel LOL.

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadBolt

Yea some days it feels like a house on your shoulders heh! But other days you dont even feel the weight till you break parallel LOL.

When I was bulking it always felt like that up to about 285.

Posted by: Archangel

Rock n Roll my Friend, doing great!!! Can I have your abs???

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archangel

Rock n Roll my Friend, doing great!!! Can I have your abs???

What abs?

You can only see the top two

Maybe genetically I only have a 2 pack and a "v"

Posted by: Burner02

looks alot better then my mini-keg....

Posted by: Seanp156

Grrr missed 215 again... I hate BB flat pressing... Though there are a lot of factors that could have caused me to miss it... Still recovering from being sick, calorie deficit, the rep before was slightly out of control etc...

Weight was 176 today... I think I'm going to start slowly increasing cals again until I get to about 3000 per day (which is about maintenance for me), then just sit there for about 5 months.

Flat BB Bench
45lbs x 8
96lbs x 6
135lbs x 3
155lbs x 1
175lbs x 1
195lbs x 1 (warmups to here)
215lbs x 0

I didn't want to stop after the miss, so I did this...

Suspended bench press
185lbs x 1 PB for suspended Took a decent amount of time to get up

VERY slow eccentric, fast concentric presses
155lbs x 5 reps

BB Bent Rows
45lbs x 10 reps
95lbs x 6 reps
115lbs x 4 reps (warmups to here)
135lbs x 3 sets x 10 reps (this is the most consistent I've gotten 135 for high reps, set wise)

Standing BB Press (left shoulder felt a little tight, so I took these easy... Was going to start with 115 for working sets, but I didn't)
45lbs x 8 reps
85lbs x 6 reps (warmups to here)
95lbs x 8 reps
105lbs x 5 reps

Lat Pulldowns
110lbs x 6 reps (warmup)
130lbs x 10 reps
130lbs x 8 reps
120lbs x 8 reps (lats were screaming at this point between these and BB rows)

Static BB DOH Holds
205lbs x 19 or 20 seconds
205lbs x 13 seconds

Farmer's walks
60's x down the aisle and back
60's x down the aisle and back

15 mins elliptical
~200 cals
1.46 miles
10/20 resistance
_|-|_|-|_ course

rotar cuff exercises/prehab

stretching

Posted by: fufu

I see you did some static holds. Very good.

Posted by: Seanp156

I did them last week too =p

Posted by: Burner02

how long did itr take to do all that? heckuva workout!

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burner02

how long did itr take to do all that? heckuva workout!

Not very long... I do the warmup sets pretty quickly, and most of the exercises only have 2-3 working sets...

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

I did them last week too =p

orly?

Posted by: Archangel

Great w/o, I LOVE static holds!!! You'll HIt it next time, have faith!!!

Posted by: Devlin

Fantastic workouts!!!!

I'm a fan of cardio, but have to have my mp3 player and a view of the weights so I can people watch

Posted by: Seanp156

Quote:

Originally Posted by fufu

orly?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devlin

Fantastic workouts!!!!

I'm a fan of cardio, but have to have my mp3 player and a view of the weights so I can people watch

Thank ya miss, yeah I sometimes have somewhat a view of the weights, but watching people is boring to me unless they're A) Total retards, B) Really strong or C) A hot girl

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archangel

Great w/o, I LOVE static holds!!! You'll HIt it next time, have faith!!!

Thanks Arch. Yeah, I think I'll keep doing static holds for a while... I don't want to neglect my DOH grip, but I won't want my deads and rack deads to have crappy workouts because of my grip strength either. I'm not sure I'll go for a 1RM next time, I'll probably do something different... I probably should've done something different this week, but I thought I had it

. I felt really strong up to 195 too...

Posted by: fufu

hahahah that gif is gold sweetness on a bun.

Posted by: Archangel

Good Stuff!!!

Posted by: Devlin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Thank ya miss, yeah I sometimes have somewhat a view of the weights, but watching people is boring to me unless they're A) Total retards, B) Really strong or C) A hot girl

I right with you except replace the hot girl with hot guy for me

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

BB Back Squats
45lbs x 6
135lbs x 6
165lbs x 4
185lbs x 2
205lbs x 2
225lbs x 2 - Ok, here's the deal... For some reason up to 205lbs felt very heavy, but once I got to 225lbs, I cranked up my MP3 player, and really focused thinking "This is easy, I've done it before, just keep my core and back tight... Doing this for 225 and 255 made them feel easier than my warmup sets

255lbs x 5 PB - New 5RM This used to be my 3RM back in the winter when I was 12-13lbs heavier

Happens to me ALL the time. When I did box squats the other day 295 felt heavy as shit. I got all angry and did some visualization. I focused on what I needed to do: "KEEP TIGHT; SPREAD THE FLOOR; FIRE YOUR GLUTES; PUSH YOUR HEAD BACK INTO YOUR TRAPS; EXPLOSE QUICKLY AND DON'T SLOW UP; etc." I got the next two attempts up pretty solidly. 1RMs, or really any heavy training for that matter, are a serious mental game.

Posted by: Seanp156

Heh yeah... Any advice on my benching CP? I'm not really sure what to do... There are a lot of options...

Posted by: CowPimp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanp156

Heh yeah... Any advice on my benching CP? I'm not really sure what to do... There are a lot of options...

Where are you having trouble?

Posted by: Seanp156

3-4 inches up, same as last week... After I missed (215)this week, I did one suspended press with 185, and then 5 reps of really slow eccentric, and fast concentric with 155.

Posted by: fufu

Quote:

Originally Posted by CowPimp

1RMs, or really any heavy training for that matter, are a serious mental game.

Very true.

(CLICK HERE here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Sean's going for strength.

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