Thread: Beached Whale Chronicles

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 16 - Week 1
Deadlift Day

Beginning Thoughts:

I went in last night got this workout in....I have finals going on this week and the next and I had just consumed 4 scoops of protein and 2 chicken breasts over the course of the whole day before I hit this workout.

Workout:

Deadlifts:
415 lbs x 1 rep (91%)
435 lbs x 1 rep (96%)
455 lbs x 1 rep (100%)
455 lbs x 1 rep (100%)
425 lbs x 2 reps (93%)
I was supposed to get in 9 Singles but I slept in such a weird position my upper trap was hurting and in extreme pain and my form went to shit....I applied some tiger balm at night but it's still hurting today though the pain has subsided considerably.

Weird Ab Exercise:
BW x 6 reps x 3 sets

Pallof Press:
32.5 lbs x 12 reps
37.5 lbs x 12 reps
42.5 lbs x 12 reps
47.5 lbs x 12 reps

Videos:

Deadlifts and Core Training:
IronScene | Powerlifting Videos

Overall Impression:

My diet has gone to shit recently but I am making changes. And I hope my trap heals up. I hate it when I get these tweaks...and I got it while sleeping!

BIG Deads Brother!!! Rest that trap up, funny how smaller muscles come into play and DESTROY the lift huh???

Great workout, love the videos, Best Wishes!!!

Originally Posted by Archangel

BIG Deads Brother!!! Rest that trap up, funny how smaller muscles come into play and DESTROY the lift huh???

Great workout, love the videos, Best Wishes!!!

Thank you as always.

I did some foam rolling on my traps and some tennis ball work as well. I think it is feeling better but I'm not too sure of it.

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 16 - Week 1
Press Day

Beginning Thoughts:

This is Friday's workout. Tonight I'm gonna go do Squats...

Workout:

Military Press:
175 lbs x 1 rep (95%)
185 lbs x 1 rep (100%)
185 lbs x 1 rep (100%)
175 lbs x 2 reps (95%)
155 lbs x 5 reps (83%)
I weighed in at 190 lbs that morning. I am pretty pleased with this workout. The Press was definitely hard and 185 was a bit of a grinder but I think all this cross-training of bench and dips have definitely helped me.

Dumbbell Rows:
120 lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
My calluses were hurting a lot after Deadlifts on Thursday and I've ripped some flesh off my palms. So it was very painful to do this exercise which is why I cut it a bit short. I need to figure out what to do about this problem I have with my calluses.

Wide Grip Pull-ups:
BW x 5 reps x 5 sets

Cable Rows:
170 lbs x 10 reps x 3 sets

Lat Pulldown Crunches:
80 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets

Videos:

My Military Presses:
IronScene | Powerlifting Videos

My boy Conner Wilson hit a 715 Box Squat @ 18 years of age:
IronScene | Powerlifting Videos

Overall Impression:

I'm done with 2 finals and I have 2 left: Wednesday and Thursday. After that I am a free bird lol...

I hope everyone's having a good weekend.

I went and saw Invictus last night. What an awesome movie. "I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul."

Awesome workout, excellent Milli presses too!!!

Half way through your finals... Good stuff!!!

Best Wishes!!!

Thank you, Archie!

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 16 - Week 1
Squat Day

Beginning Thoughts:

I am going to be starting the 4 squat workout this Mesocycle. I dunno how long I will run it but I am going to gradually get into it. This session involved only 3 squat variations but come next week I will add in the 4th variant.

Workout:

Overhead Squats:
135 lbs x 3 reps
145 lbs x 3 reps
155 lbs x 3 reps
175 lbs x FAIL
I am just getting back to doing this exercise. It wreaks havoc on my shoulders and whenever I start doing this exercise after a big layoff (in this case a month or two), I need to relearn it in terms of hand placement. As you can see in the video, my sets with 135 and 145 lbs were kinda shoddy but my form was spot on with 155. Thats because through trial and error I finally found the sweet spot for my grip on the bar come 155 lbs. Too bad I lost it and failed at 175 though.

Front Squats:
225 lbs x 5 reps
255 lbs x 3 reps
275 lbs x FAIL
275 lbs x 1, FAIL
I am in a dilemma about this exercise. I tried using the clean grip with wrist straps (coz I lack wrist flexibility) but it feels extremely unstable on my shoulders. With all my shoulder injuries, this grip makes me feel like I am ripping my shoulders out and I don't know how to hold the bar in place. If I use that gay ass cross grip, I end up making the bar roll forwards as what happened with 275 lbs. Also, the safety bars distract me for some reason because they make me want to touch them on every rep. I've spent so much time doing Anderson Front Squats that regular front squats baffle me at times!

Back Squats:
275 lbs x 5 reps
305 lbs x 3 reps
335 lbs x 1 rep

Farmers Walks:
110 lbs x 2 trips x 3 sets
120 lbs x 2 trips
Finally moved up to the heaviest dumbbells in my gym (which isn't saying much).

Pallof Press:
37.5 lbs x 12 reps
42.5 lbs x 12 reps
47.5 lbs x 12 reps

Videos:

Overhead Squats, Front Squats, Back Squats and Farmers Walks:
IronScene | Powerlifting Videos

Also, here is my boy Paul who doesn't believe in Pre workout nutrition who almost got killed doing Full Clean and Presses with 205 lbs:

Overall Impression:

Decent workout...Time to get back to studying. Tomorrow is going to be Pistol Squat Day.

I hope everyone had a fun weekend! Thanks for reading!

GREAT Workout my Friend!!! I LOVE to squat!!!

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 16 - Week 1
Pistol Squat Day

Beginning Thoughts:

This is last night's workout...

Workout:

Pistol Squats:
7 + 4 = 11 reps
Decided to cut this short today. I wasn't feeling it and my legs were too sore for me to control my form properly.

Pull-ups:
(BW + 20 lbs x 2 reps x 5 minisets) x 3 sets
Total Reps = 30
Decided to do a cluster set for this today. I got all 3 sets on video...

Dumbbell Rows:
120 lbs x 4 reps
120 lbs x 2 reps x 3 sets
I absolutely hate it when my calluses hurt like this. It makes lifting VERY hard.

Unilateral Lat Pulldowns:
60 lbs x 8 reps x 3 sets

Lying Dragon Flags:
BW x 7 reps x 3 sets.

Videos:

Pistol Squats & Pull-ups:
IronScene | Powerlifting Videos

Overall Impression:

Nothing special to think about. I need my calluses to heal because they're beginning to really piss me off!

Originally Posted by Archangel

GREAT Workout my Friend!!! I LOVE to squat!!!

Thanks Archie. While I absolutely hate squats, I do know how important they are which is why I do them in as dedicated a fashion as I can

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 16 - Week 2
Deadlift Day

Beginning Thoughts:

I am finally done with exams. I leave for my hometown Bombay, India come Saturday afternoon. I am not looking forward to spending 20 hours on a freaking plane....I will workout tomorrow (Friday) and then I'll be gone for 2 days that it takes to travel to India. Then once I am home I'll be back online as regularly as always.

Workout:

Deadlifts:
415 lbs x 3 reps
455 lbs x 1 rep
475 lbs x 1 rep
455 lbs x 1 rep
I was supposed to do 3 singles. This is the last week of the Singles Training. Next week I begin clusters.

Videos:

Deadlifts:
IronScene | Powerlifting Videos

Overall Impression:

Diet has been super-gay during these exam weeks. I think I've gained 5 pounds just from eating tacos every night.

One of the cuisines which I really miss when I am home in Bombay is Mexican food. Otherwise, I'm all set to go

I hope everyone's had a good week. Friday is almost here and so is the weekend!

Explain the clusters to me.

Originally Posted by Double D

Explain the clusters to me.

Take 90% of your max or your 3 rep max. I am being conservative and taking 425 which is basically 89 point something of my max.

So, you take this weight and you do 1 rep. Then, you rest 20-30 seconds right there. Then, do another rep. This is rep 2. Then, rest 20-30 seconds, do one more rep. Rest again and perform another. Rest again and do one more. This is rep 5.

Then you take your usual break because you have just finished one cluster set. You took your 3RM and did 5 total reps. Now, you will perform ANOTHER cluster set with that same weight.

So, you've taken your 3RM and done 10 reps in total with it. And you build from there.

So, in short:
Perform rep #1
Rest 20-30 seconds
Perform rep #2
Rest 20-30 seconds
Perform rep #3
Rest 20-30 seconds
Perform rep #4
Rest 20-30 seconds
Perform rep #5
Rest for usual time between sets which for me in the case of Deadlifts is 5-10 minutes.
Do Cluster set #2 now.

This is just the first workout of the cycle. With the later workouts you add weight to the bar and try to keep progressing with a heavier doing this exact thing. Or you reduce rest intervals keeping the same weight if adding weight to the bar is not possible.

Fantastic workouts, and HUGE Deads my Friend!!! Glad you stick to Squattin, they are KING in my book!!!

^^^ Thanks Archie As much as I don't like Squats, I still give it my 100% every time. Hopefully with this new minicycle I've started consisting of OH Squats, Front Squats and Back Squats, I should make some progress in getting back into the groove

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 16 - Week 2
Press Day

Beginning Thoughts:

This is yesterday's workout. I leave for Bombay in 20 minutes so I'm gonna me this quick...

Workout:

Incline Close Grip Crazy Bell Bench Press:
155 lbs x 5 reps
175 lbs x 3 reps
195 lbs x 2 reps
215 lbs x FAIL
185 lbs x 2 reps
This was super hard lol...

Dumbbell Rows:
120 lbs x 3 reps x 5 sets

Pull-ups:
BW x 8 reps x 3 sets
Definitely a PR...

Cable Rows:
170 lbs x 10 reps x 3 sets

Weird Ab Exercise:
80 lbs x 6 reps x 3 sets

Videos:

Press, Rows and Abs:
http://www.ironscene.com/play_hd.php?vid=3511[/url]

Overall Impression:

Time to go...

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 16 - Week 2
Squat Day

Beginning Thoughts:

So I arrived at 5 am today. I slept a lot on the plane...

Workout:

Overhead Squats:
135 lbs x 5 reps
145 lbs x 5 reps
155 lbs x 4 reps, FAIL on 5th

Front Squats:
225 lbs x 5 reps
255 lbs x 4 reps
265 lbs x 3 reps
Tried to focus on form.

Back Squats:
295 lbs x 5 reps
315 lbs x 5 reps
345 lbs x 1 rep
365 lbs x FAIL because spotter helped my wrists
My goal next week is to get 315x5. That would be AWESOME!

Barbell Static Holds for Grip Work:
295 lbs x 10 seconds Over/Over Grip
205 lbs x 15 seconds x 3 sets Hook Grip

Weird Ab Exercise:
This exercise is damn hard to do on a Smith Machine. I just did some static holds.

Videos:

Overhead Squats, Front Squats and Back Squats:
IronScene | Powerlifting Videos

Overall Impression:

I had a Pizza today. First time in 4 months. My replacement for Tacos I guess....

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 16 - Week 2
Pistol Squat Day

Beginning Thoughts:

Eating too much shit....I might end up putting on a lot of fat if I'm not careful or if I haven't already. I had a Pizza for the first time in 4 months and I followed that with 2 burgers and a shitload of coke. Awesome.

Workout:

Pistol Squats:
3 + 3 + 3 + = 12 reps
MUCH better form than last week.

Pull-ups:
(BW + 20 lbs x 2 reps x 5 minisets) x 4 sets
Total Reps = 40
This destroyed me. I wasn't gonna do my 4th set but I decided to anyway. I got Cluster Set #4 on record.

Pallof Press:
17.5 kgs x 12 reps
20.0 kgs x 12 reps
22.5 kgs x 12 reps
25.0 kgs x 12 reps

Videos:

Pistol Squats & Pull-ups:
IronScene | Powerlifting Videos

Overall Impression:

I'm gonna eat better tomorrow.

The clusters sound interesting. I think Stewart did clusters a long time ago.

Originally Posted by Double D

The clusters sound interesting. I think Stewart did clusters a long time ago.

Ah. I dunno who Stewart is, sir, but I'll let you know how Clusters go tomorrow. Deadlift Day is after all, tomorrow.

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 16 - Week 3
Deadlift Day

Beginning Thoughts:

I was in no mood to go train...

Workout:

Deadlifts:
425 lbs x 1 rep x 3 minisets
405 lbs x 1 rep x 5 minisets
425 lbs x 1 rep x 3 minisets
Ok several things to note here. Firstly, I need to desperately eat better. All I had eaten from 8:00 am till 5:00 pm was 500 grams of chicken and 2 scoops of whey. Secondly, I definitely overestimated my abilities here. I was supposed to take my 3RM and knock out 2 clusters of 5 reps each. However, I have never done clusters on Deadlifts before and they whooped my ass. Next time I am going to take 415 and stick to the plan. Lastly, this is a battle of the mind. You have to mentally go through the set.

Side Plank Rows:
Black Band x 30 seconds x 3 sets
Black Band + White Band x 30 seconds x 3 sets

Videos:

Deadlifts:
IronScene | Powerlifting Videos

Overall Impression:

Initially I was pretty disappointed with myself regarding this workout. But then I decided to take this as a learning experience. I've never done clusters before and this gives me something to work towards in the near future.

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 16 - Week 3
Press Day

Beginning Thoughts:

This is today's workout.

Workout:

Standing Unilateral Overhead Press:
66 lbs x 5 reps
70.4 lbs x 5 reps
70.4 lbs x 5 reps
74.8 lbs x 3 reps
79.2 lbs x 1 rep
57.2 lbs x 10 reps
I am pretty pleased with myself. Got all of these on video...

Chest Supported Rows:
180 lbs x 3 reps x 2 sets
190 lbs x 3 reps

Pull-ups:
BW x 6 reps
BW x 9 reps
BW x 10 reps
Total Reps = 25

High Cable Rows:
75 kgs x 10 reps x 3 sets

Renegade Rows:
18 kgs x 7 reps x 3 sets

Reverse Wrist Curls:
Some weight x 15 reps x 7 sets with 30 seconds rest in between

Videos:

Unilateral Shoulder Press and Chest Supported Rows:
IronScene | Powerlifting Videos

Overall Impression:

My diet has been spot on today.