Thread: MonStar's Journal: Absolute Dedication

Form in the second box squat video was just about spot on. Small tweaks to protect your back, but otherwise it looked great. Knees stayed still and you sat back into the squat.

One technique you can use to ensure you sit back properly is to put the box further back on your warmups. But that is something for another time, the form there looked great.

The 650 miss. It's not lockout strength that's lacking there, and it's certainly not explosion from the floor. It's a sticking point about 6-8" off the floor. That is overcome by both rack pulling and speed work. So the doctor is prescribing speed deads the next time it comes around, and some rack pulls.

Great job. After seeing that video it only seemed obvious that 635 would come up.

Tate presses, 3x15 with 40s!! Mike, you're my hero

Great workout today, man!

Jen- Thanks so much for the support, as you know I really appreciate it. Yeah I was definitely pleased as well with my PR's today. Especially in dips. Strength was really really good in them today. I wonder if one day I'll hit +225 for a single. Which would be 2x my bodyweight, or 450 lbs. That's such a huge amount of weight to use even if it is dips. Thanks again.

rock- Thanks man, appreciate it. Not a problem at all, like I said just PM me with what video you want to see, and your e-mail address.

GRIFF- Nice to see you around again, bro, havn't seen you in a while. Yeah 405 for 9 off the platform was a huge PR for me. I was expecting 4-5. I was most definitely pleasantly surprised---that's for sure. Everything is going pretty well I guess, same old sh*t. Hit a deer in my friggin' brand new car the other night, so I need to get that fixed before I can trade it in. If I didn't tell you I am trying my '04 Celica GT in for an '00-'01 Celica GT-S. Much faster, cheaper payments, and it's a 6-speed.

SF- Wow, okay so the 2nd video was the one where my legs were spread as wide as they could possibly go in the power rack. Basically a sumo stance squat, if you will. I'll have to start working on doing them on a regular basis. Okay so speed work and rack pulls huh? Sounds good to me. You do realize that I cannot pull sumo style in my power rack don't you? Because I can only take my feet so wide. I can either do conventional rack pulls, or do sumo rack pulls as wide as I can get my feet.

BTW, what do you have in mind in terms of me splitting up my squat and deadlift in different days---and what about splitting Upper my bench up into one day focusing on my strength off my chest and the other lockout strength? Can you lay something out for me? Also, my awaited lat training..?

Mavs- Funny you say that, because I was going extremely light on Tate presses today. I have handled I believe up to the 80's before, possibly more, I can't remember. Thanks for the support.

Morning Mike!! Hope you had a good Holiday !! Journal looks great, diets getting a lot better- keep it up hun!

Andrea- Hey there, my holiday was okay I guess, didn't do anything special at all. Trying to sort out this new accident that I got into with a friggin' deer. That's what has been consuming a lot of my time lately. Thanks for the support.

6-1-2004

Diet:
- MRP + 2% milk
- 1/2 turkey & cheese sandwich, banana
- 1/2 turkey & cheese sandwich, mixed fruit
- salad + vinegarette dressing, bruschetta
- Trioplex bar, Pure Protein bar
- breaded chicken
- whey protein + 2% milk
- low-carb bread
- whey protein + 1% milk, peanut butter

Sleep: 7.5 hours.

Weight: 225.5 lbs.

Rest

Ended up heading to the gym anyway and doing some calves. It's summer, I am wearing shorts regularly, I can't have skinny calves, lol.

Seated Calf Raises:

180 x 30
270 x 20
360 x 10! PR
270 x 20
180 x 30

CAT:
250 x 25
250 x 20
250 x 15
250 x 15
250 x 10
250 x 8
250 x 7

Followed this up with 10 minutes of incline walking, 3.5 MPH @ a 12% incline. Not bad at all.

Calves were on FIRE!

Day 16 of 6-OXO, still at 3 caps 2x per day. Just a few days left of this stuff. Then I am probably going to jump back on the M1T bandwagon. We'll see what happens.

---SF's pics made me decide to post progress pics. As you can see I am definitely losing definition weighing 225 lbs. I mean it's really frustrating comparing pics from a few months back to these. Maybe I am stronger now, but I am also a lot flabbier. So it's give and take. I want to drop about 10 lbs. of flab.

Bench Day 1
Flat Bench (or variation): sets of 3 to a 3RM
Variety Pressing (JM's, CG Decline, Dips, etc): high/low like you do now
Triceps: 2-3 sets of 4-8 (skulls, etc)
Shoulders: 4 sets of 6 (heavy like a db press or uprights) (waves, this will change often)
Shoulders: 2 sets of 12 (side laterals or front raise)

Deadlift Day
Deads/GoodAMs (sometimes we'll do speed work): to a 1RM (always mix it up)
Compound Assist: high/low (pick any leg lift you like. leg press, SLDL, etc)
Legs: 4 sets of 6 (prefer hamstrings here, hypers maybe?)
Back: 5 sets of 5 (rowing or chinning, etc)
Biceps: whatever you want

Bench Day 2
Close-grip Bench (or variation, treated as a warmup): sets of 5 to a 5RM
Rack Lockouts: to a 1RM (vary the lockout, 4", 6", etc)
Triceps: 8 sets of 4-6 (skulls, oh db press, etc and go HEAVY)
Triceps: 4 sets of 6 (pushdowns, dips, etc)
Shoulders: 4 sets of 6 (side laterals or front raises)

Squat Day
Squats/Good AMs (sometimes we'll do speed work): to a 1RM (always mixing it up)
Compound Assist: high/low (SLDL, Good AMs, etc)
Heavy Legs (something suspended, or even negatives): 6 sets of 4 (hypers, suspended AMs, etc)
Hamstrings: 4 sets of 6 reps
Heavy Back: 3-6 sets of 4-6 reps (rowing)
Heavy Back: 3 sets of 8 (chins, whatever)
Biceps: anything you want



Naturally, this will alter around a lot from session to session, sort of like what we do now. The only really noticable difference is that you have a squat and deadlift day instead of a general lower day.

Originally Posted by MonStar

---SF's pics made me decide to post progress pics. As you can see I am definitely losing definition weighing 225 lbs. I mean it's really frustrating comparing pics from a few months back to these. Maybe I am stronger now, but I am also a lot flabbier. So it's give and take. I want to drop about 10 lbs. of flab.

I know you dont want to hear it... but you look fine and I wouldnt say that if I didnt think so!
fine is just a nice word. I could say better but I shut my mouth

SF- Thanks so much man. I appreciate the time that it took you to write that up, really means a lot. Everything looks good. I am going to start this most likely tomorrow. Since I just hit a PR in deadlifts and PR in platform deadlifts, I am thinking that tomorrow should be my squat day, lol.

Squat Day
Squats/Good AMs (sometimes we'll do speed work): to a 1RM (always mixing it up)
Compound Assist: high/low (SLDL, Good AMs, etc)
Heavy Legs (something suspended, or even negatives): 6 sets of 4 (hypers, suspended AMs, etc)
Hamstrings: 4 sets of 6 reps
Heavy Back: 3-6 sets of 4-6 reps (rowing)
Heavy Back: 3 sets of 8 (chins, whatever)
Biceps: anything you want

I am thinking maybe suspended squats to a 1RM, following that up with high/low good mornings, and then maybe some hyperextensions or pull-throughs. Does that sound okay?

BTW, a few questions. Any reason for not splitting the bench days up into strength off my chest and then lockout strength? And also, my back work is the same---should I change anything up here or no? Such as high/low, etc.? Thanks again SF.

Jen- Thank you. Honestly, I will agree that I look fine. But I would prefer to be about 7-10 lbs. more lean look more than fine. I know that we are all always striving for more, but sheer bulk seems so common these days. With the available supplements and training knowledge, etc. I want to have bulk and cuts, like we all do.

Your thoughts for your Squat day sound great.

And I DID split up your bench days to cover the different halves of the ROM. Here's my notes:

Bench Day 1
Flat Bench (or variation): sets of 3 to a 3RM
Variety Pressing (JM's, CG Decline, Dips, etc): high/low like you do now
Triceps: 2-3 sets of 4-8 (skulls, etc)
Shoulders: 4 sets of 6 (heavy like a db press or uprights) (waves, this will change often)
Shoulders: 2 sets of 12 (side laterals or front raise)

The "variety pressing" as I've listed it will be excellent for low ROM work. I also followed up with light tris and extra shoulders. Shoulders play a bigger role in getting the bar off your chest than triceps do. Your back work, of course, also gets the bar up but is on your Sq/DL days.

Bench Day 2
Close-grip Bench (or variation, treated as a warmup): sets of 5 to a 5RM
Rack Lockouts: to a 1RM (vary the lockout, 4", 6", etc)
Triceps: 8 sets of 4-6 (skulls, oh db press, etc and go HEAVY)
Triceps: 4 sets of 6 (pushdowns, dips, etc)
Shoulders: 4 sets of 6 (side laterals or front raises)

Aside from the warmup 5RM work, you're doing almost exclusively lockout and triceps work. Since lockout and the upper half of a bench is ALL triceps.

I didn't want to shake up your bench too much since you just recently hit a 25lb PR.

SF- Some great points bro, GREAT points, as usual. I am going to create a new journal, I need some help creating the name for it though. I am thinking maybe, "MonStar's Journal: SF's Prototype."

Or something more related to my goals---since I am obviously not absolutely dedicated with anything but my workouts.

Maybe even "Road to Mindblowing Strength" or something like "1,700 Total" or just something more related to my goals, ya know?

Ooooooooh "MonStar's Journal: SF's Westside"

I like that.

LOL. SF's Westside... hmmm I don't know not enough people will know what that means. Maybe just Westside? Since that is basically what I am doing. Damnit... I hate thinking of a journal name. It has to sound great to me! LOL.

MonStar's Journal: Westsssiiidddeee!!!

It's such a modified routine now it's hard to say it's Westside. I PM'd it, but I like "Walking The Walk" now. That's my new favorite.

check ur PM's u nut.

as for fine, I highly disagree dont argue with a womans eyes! or perspective! case closed! !!!

I think I am going to use "Walking the Walk." Just because so many people it seems talk the talk, but so few actually walk the walk and achieve great strength, etc.

I think jen is trying to say, "DAMN, WHERE DO I GET ME SOMMA THAT?"

Originally Posted by Saturday Fever

I think jen is trying to say, "DAMN, WHERE DO I GET ME SOMMA THAT?"

no. do I look like some gangtsa woman to you?

haha. Aww I sorry Jen.

Originally Posted by Saturday Fever

I think jen is trying to say, "DAMN, WHERE DO I GET ME SOMMA THAT?"

Its supposed to have Canadian accents like:

"Where aboot might I get some of that, eh?"