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Yates rows: 135 x 10, 195 x 8, 195 x 8, 195 x 8
Shrugs: 295 x 8, 295 x 8, 305 x 8 (new PR)
Wide-grip pulldowns: 165 x 8, 172.5 x 8, 180 x 5
Standing DB curls: 40 x 5, 40 x 5 (hammer), 40 x 0 (new PR)
Cambered bar curls: 90 x 8, 90 x 6

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Had a great workout last night at karate. It was hot, sweaty, and felt like a major detox, especially after what I ate this weekend (mmm...chicken pot pie...)

Anyway, we did the usual plyometrics, including some horse squats, probably a couple hundred of those. The pushups felt especially good and I feel primed for chest / triceps tonight at the gym.

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Felt like crap tonight for some reason, probably because I'm still getting rid of a cold I had over the weekend - Monday.

Flat bench: 135 x 8, 185 x 8, 185 x 7, 185 x 6
Incline DB press: 60 x 8, 60 x 6, 60 x 8
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 6
Weighted dips (+35): 8, 7, 6

Does anyone read this? Heh... I know I don't push / pull as much as most of you, but... hi!

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...guess not!

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Good karate session last night. A full two hours. Included some weaponry which is a great workout, swingin a 7' bo staff around. Even broke one of the staffs during a sparring session. Oops.

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Squats: 135 x 8, 275 x 8, 295 x 6, 295 x 8
SLDLs: 225 x 8, 245 x 6, 265 x 4
Seated calf raises: 180 x 11, 180 x 10, 180 x 11
Seated DB shoulder press: 50 x 8, 50 x 8, 55 x 6
Bent-over reverse flies: 20 x 8, 20 x 8, 25 x 6

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Your favorite journal-maker is back with an update from karate last night.

Very intense session, to the point that I actually had to stop for a second and shake out my legs. They were SITLL killing me from those squats on Sunday.

The new kata (Seyunchin) is coming along very slowly. It's very technical and unusual. I love it.

M.J.H.

Damn bro, I can't imagine squats and then trying to do karate, lol. I don't know how you do it!

Stats!
23 years old, 5'11.5", 206 lbs., ~8% bodyfat

380/455/655 bench/squat/deadlift (current)
405/495/675 bench/squat/deadlift (goals)

The M.J.H. Chronicles

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Yeah, it can be tough, but I actually find that it helps stretch them out and take care of the sharper part of DOMs, if that makes any sense. It kinda feels like rubbing out a bruise or something like that.

Last night was especially brutal since the sensei decided it was time for us to work on our kicks and horse stance, which is a deep, squatting stance. Yay. My quads were not loving it.

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Yesterday's diet was pretty decent, but something's amiss, I think. My energy levels could be better and I end up feeling bloated at night. Here's what I had:

Breakfast:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 scoop ON whey w/ water
Green tea

Lunch:
Grilled chicken (about 1 breast)
1/2 cup brown rice (at the most, didn't eat much of it)
1 cup broccoli
Green tea

Snack:
1% cottage cheese, 6 oz

Snack 2:
1 cup Kashi GoLean cereal w/ 1/2 cup 1% organic milk

WORKOUT

Post-workout shake, 1 scoop ON whey w/water

Dinner:
Grilled chicken over romaine lettuce
2 tsp natural ranch dressing

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Flat bench press: 135 x 8, 185 x 8, 185 x 7, 185 x 7.5
Decline DB press: 65 x 8, 65 x 8, 65 x 8
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 8, 105 x 8
Weighted dips: +35 x 8, +35 x 7, +35 x 6
Cable crossovers: 70 x 10, 70 x 8, 70 x 9

Felt great tonight - going to up all those weights next week.

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Squats: 135 x 8, 275 x 8, 295 x 8, 295 x 8
SLDLs: 225 x 8, 265 x 6, 265 x 5
Mule calf raises: 400 (stack) x 12, 400 x 12, 400 x 12
Military press: 95 x 8, 115 x 8, 135 x 8
Front raises: 25 x 8
Bent-over reverse flies: 25 x 8, 25 x 8, 25 x 8
Knee raises: 30, 20
Incline crunches: +25 x 12

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Oh... diet was horrible this weekend. Went out for a very nice 7-course dinner at a high-end restaurant Saturday night. Was delicious, but surely filled with all sorts of evil things.

Drank Sunday night and ate one cheeseburger and one hot dog from the grill. Was yummy, but felt like crap. Still feel like crap. It'll take a couple days to feel clean again. Going to karate tonight, so that'll be a good sweat-cardio session to help things along.

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90 minutes of intense karate last night. Well, not THAT intense, but enough to get me sweating pretty nicely and get the heartrate up.

Diet yesterday was much better:

Kashi GoLean cereal w/milk
1 scoop whey
Tuna salad on whole wheat
Smart food popcorn
Green tea
Kashi GoLean cereal w/milk
[workout / cardio]
1 scoop whey
4 eggwhites, 1 yolk
steamed broccoli

Tonight will be back & biceps at the gym.

sftwrngnr

Hey Stencil,
Good workout. My .02 would be to focus on your form and make sure you aren't upping the weight just for the sake of upping the weight. Keep your form good, and the weight will come. Patience! BTW... diet looks good... sigh... I gotta start focusing on my diet at some point. Wife just made chocolate chunk cookies... YUMM! BTW. In my book, there isn't anything wrong with having a high end dinner every once in a while!
-Dan

"Dude... thats a lot-a weight... I mean yer like... what... 50??" Said to me by a 17 year old when I was doing deadlifts.
--------------------------------------
Current Stats:
Age: 39
Squat: 585 Bench: 265 (STILL Pathetic) Deadlift: 565 Weight: 218
Goals:
Interrupted due to accident !
Rehab journal:
Dan's rehab journal
Training journal:
Dan's westside training journal

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Sftwrngnr: Thanks for the comments. Yeah, I'm not too worried about the high-end dinner. It's mostly what I ate during the day while playing videogames for 8 hours and then what I drank while playing poker for 7. I had a good time, though.

As far as form, I totally agree. I'm a form nazi. As you can see from my reps, I'm not going crazy with powerlifting just yet because I'm a relativel newb (1 year now) and don't want to screw anything up. I am, however, reading up on Westside and starting to bug SF as I plan to ponder my max lifts soon. I'd really like to know what's under the hood at this point, if you know what I mean.

sftwrngnr

Hi back Stencil,
I am new to Westside routine myself, and am just getting back into serious weightlifting after quitting for a number of years. Thus far, what I can say about a Westside routine, is that it is pretty dang intense. I would also say that powerlifting isn't for everyone. I like it, because it is something I can do to truly challenge myself... I'm the one who determines whether or not I fail .
Best of luck,

-Dan

"Dude... thats a lot-a weight... I mean yer like... what... 50??" Said to me by a 17 year old when I was doing deadlifts.
--------------------------------------
Current Stats:
Age: 39
Squat: 585 Bench: 265 (STILL Pathetic) Deadlift: 565 Weight: 218
Goals:
Interrupted due to accident !
Rehab journal:
Dan's rehab journal
Training journal:
Dan's westside training journal

Mavs

Hey stencil - Just wanted to say awesome journal, man! Sounds like you've really come a long way since the 20% bf. Let me ask you a question - what exactly are Yates rows? I'm needing some good ideas for back movements. Keep up the good work!!

"I'm so terrifical, I have my own toll free numba - 1-800-UNBELIEVABLE...ooohhhh!!" Diceman

"Why is the Rum gone??" Capt. Jack Sparrow

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Yates rows are just underhand barbel rows. I like them a lot more than standard bent-over overhand rows. You don't bend over as much as standard rows. Give them a shot - you should be able to lift a bit more than standard rows with them, though. Keep the chest out, stick your butt out, and squeeze the shoulder blades together.

Mavs

That sounds like a good movement to get great contraction in the back muscles. I'll definitely start incorporating that...I appreciate it!

"I'm so terrifical, I have my own toll free numba - 1-800-UNBELIEVABLE...ooohhhh!!" Diceman

"Why is the Rum gone??" Capt. Jack Sparrow

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Yup, they're great. They're perfect if you do biceps on back day since they definitely use your bi's a bit. By the time I follow them up with pulldowns, my biceps are already halfway there. I'm lucky to get two quality curl sets afterward, which is fine with me because I hate curling (you'd understand if you saw my goofy gym and all the tools curling in the power racks).

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I had so much freakin' energy tonight. I loved it.

Yates rows: 135 x 8, 195 x 8, 205 x 6, 205 x 6 (new weight!)
Shrugs: 275 x 9, 295 x 8, 305 x 8 (new weight!)
Wide-grip pulldowns: 165 x 8, 180 x 6, 180 x 8
EZ bar curls: 85 x 8, 85 x 8, 85 x 5 (failure)

Mavs

Great workout, stencil!!

"I'm so terrifical, I have my own toll free numba - 1-800-UNBELIEVABLE...ooohhhh!!" Diceman

"Why is the Rum gone??" Capt. Jack Sparrow

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Mavs: Thanks. Felt like I could have lifted just about anything, but I didn't want to hurt myself.

So for breakfast today, I went to order a nice egg on whole wheat. I get it back to my office, and lo-and-behold, they gave me ham, egg, and mayo (???) on whole wheat. I ate it, of course, but I already feel like I've gotten my full day's supply of fat. Meh.

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Karate night last night.

30 min plyometrics / body weight exercises.
Breathing exercises
ShoreiKan Pushups
Crunches
Crunch / kicks
Squat strikes
Shoulder / back shuto

20 min heavy sparring

Lots of drama last night. During our workout some guy in a BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) gi just drops. He must have been almost asphyxiated or dehydrated. The crazy thing is that the other guys just stood around in him in a half circle doing nothing, not knowing what to do. Our instructor ran over there and pretty much saved him.

Then, while sparring with me, my friend Eddie rips his knucles open. Ever see bloody knuckles? Lovely.

Diet was pretty good.

M.J.H.

Wow, sounds crazy man. Hope everything turns out okay with him.

Everything is looking pretty good.

Stats!
23 years old, 5'11.5", 206 lbs., ~8% bodyfat

380/455/655 bench/squat/deadlift (current)
405/495/675 bench/squat/deadlift (goals)

The M.J.H. Chronicles

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I'm pretty sure he'll be okay. He was moaning pretty loud and puking until the EMTs took him away. Hopefully no brain damage or anything like that. Not sure what happened to him, but martial arts can be a really tough workout if you're not in good shape.

M.J.H.

Yeah I can definitely understand that. When I used to practice Tang Soo Doo it was completely exhausting. Hang in there bro.

Stats!
23 years old, 5'11.5", 206 lbs., ~8% bodyfat

380/455/655 bench/squat/deadlift (current)
405/495/675 bench/squat/deadlift (goals)

The M.J.H. Chronicles

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Tried an experiment loosely based on Westside on my bench and boy did it work.

Flat bench press: 135 x 8, 185 x 5, 195 x 4, 205 x 4!, 205 x 3!, 205 x 1!
Incline DB press: 60 x 8, 70 x 6, 70 x 6
Skullcrushers: 105 x 8, 105 x 7, 85 x 8 (dropped down to get better ROM)
Dips: +35 x 8, +35 x 7, +35 x 5

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Squats: 135 x 8, 225 x 8, 275 x 8, 295 x 6
SLDLs: 225 x 8, 245 x 8, 265 x 4
DB shoulder press: 50 x 8, 55 x 8, 55 x 8
Reverse bent-over flies: 25 x 8, 25 x 6, 20 x 12
Mule calf raises: 400 x 12, 400 x 12, 400 x 12