5/3/1 w/WSFSB III Assist Template: Week 4 Bench/Deadlift
I've been pretty lazy this week, and sleeping like shit. And today was Thanksgiving. So I did two days of workouts in one day (took me 2.5 hours), then took a good shower and ate what must have been my smartest Thanksgiving meal ever. Either my stomach is smaller, or I wasn't that hungry, or I was afraid of what would happen if I pigged out.
As of today, 25 days and a wakeup left in Djibouti.
All Notation:
Weight x Reps x Sets
Hammer ISO Super Incline Press: 25x12, 30x10, 40x8, 45x6, 55x5, 60x5, 60x5, 65x6 (Rep Out Set)
Assisted Chinups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): 1 set of 6, 3 sets of 5. The band combination was the next weakest down from the average band. As I did before, the first set was a rep out set, then I left one in the tank for the other sets.
Sumo Deadlift: 115x8, 135x6, 160x5, 170x5, 180x5, 195x8 (Rep Out Set)
Hammer Calf Machine: 100x15x3
Assisted Dip Machine: 105 lbs assist x 12 (felt too easy), 30 lbs of assist x 2 (weighed myself with shoes, lunch in my gut, ipod, and headphones at 223 pounds, Brzycki's formula came up with a 198 pounds computed max), 90 lbs assist x 10 x 2.
Hammer ISO Row (Elbows Up): 75x12x4
Bulgarian Split Squats w/Front Feet Elevated: BWT x 12 x 3. Am not only continuing to gain reps, but it is now getting easier to hit depth.
Preacher Curls: 50x10x4
Behind The Back Shrugs: 100x12x4
Lying Leg Lifts: 3 sets of 14. I felt as if I needed something to do besides assisted situps, and these felt safe enough. No long pauses at the bottom, controlled motion, and no hip thrusts towards the ceiling.
Assisted Situps (Light/Monster Mini Bands): 3 sets of 15.
5/3/1 w/WSFSB III Assist Template: Week 3 Squat
All Notation:
Weight x Reps x Sets
12" Front Box Squat: 45x12, 60x10, 75x8, 90x6, 105x5, 115x5, 120x5, 130x7 (Rep Out Set).
Hammer Calf Machine: 175x2x12
Assisted Pistols (Average band): 4 sets of 4
45-degree Hyper: BWT x 11 x 4. One more rep per set than last week.
Leg Curls: worked up to a 120 lbs 5-RM
Assisted Situps (Average Bands): 4 sets of 21
5/3/1 w/WSFSB III Assist Template: Week 3 Military Press
All notation:
Weight x Reps x Sets
Behind The Neck Press: 45x12, 50x10, 60x8, 75x6, 85x5, 90x5, 100x5, 105x8. Took me two weeks but I finally got my extra rep with 105 pounds. Yes, it was THAT important!!!
Assisted Pullups (Average Band): 6 sets of 5
Hammer ISO High Rows: 60x14x4. 1 more rep per set than last week.
Pushups w/Feet Inclined 4": 4 sets of 18, 15, 11, and 8 reps.
Superset:
Trap Bar Shrugs: 96x11x4
Reverse Curls: 40x11x4
Wrist Roller: 10x3, 10x2x3.
Payday!!!
Situps: 43
Pushups: 34
1.5 Mile Run: 13:29
Grade: Satisfactory High
Not the greatest I've ever done on the Navy physical readiness test (PRT), but I was happy. Of course, I was nervous for the days leading up to the PRT: I had started run/walking just 2 weeks before, 2-3 times a week on turf. Running sucks, but it sure is effective and a lot less boring than the elliptical. And I wasn't sure about how much my gym work, particularly my assisted work, would translate into more reps with bodyweight stuff after 3 weeks. And more importantly, I was worried about my abs not being strong enough to take it: warfare pin or not if I so much as felt or heard something tearing, I was ready to quit.
I had looked in the OPNAVINST 6110.1H, the Navy's physical readiness instruction to see what I would need to hit just to pass . . . . . that's it. For a satisfactory-medium grade I just needed 40 situps, 33 pushups, and a 14:45 1.5 mile run. And that was all I was going to go for, to be on the safe side. I'm happy to say that with every rep being as deliberate as I could make it, my goal for the situps and pushups was right on the money. The run was not easy: I paced off of someone who eventually finished with a 12:30 run so I ran the first half strong, and struggled on the second half but sprinted enough on the end to save me. I think that being 18 pounds lighter than on my last PRT (January 2008) didn't hurt, either. I was so out of breath but my abs felt normal, so it was a winded sigh of relief for me.
The situps were graded SATISFACTORY HIGH and the pushups were graded SATISFACTORY LOW. The run was graded GOOD LOW, so I got an overall grade of SATISFACTORY HIGH. A little better than planned, and I can only get better . . . . .
Slowly;)
Past 24 hours
Today was weigh-ins and bodyfat testing for Navy personnel. While I had all the hope in the world to pass I took no chances, especially since I just started back up again recently. So I did today's workout (sumo deadlifts) last night w/ a few extra sets thrown in for good measure. Since I knew the neck measurement would be my trump card, I did my upper body day today. My last meal last night was a cup of coffee with 30 grams of chocolate whey protein thrown in, to keep my stomach empty and cut the carbs while the workouts did the rest. I got up this morning at 4, to do the workout - - - measurement was at 7-9AM. I weighed in at 212 pounds, which was 10 pounds more than I weighed when I left Germany in October. My neck was 17 inches with a 38 abdominal measure, or 22% bodyfat by Navy standards. Fine by me.
Right now, I just want to take a nap.
All notation:
Weight x Reps x Sets
Yesterday:
Sumo Deadlifts: 115x8, 135x6, 155x5, 165x5, 180x5, 190x8 (Rep Out Set). One more rep than last week.
Hammer Calf Machine: 170x4x7
Bulgarian Split Squat w/Front Feet Elevated: BWT x 11 x 3. 1 more rep per set this week.
Assisted GHR (Light/Monster Mini Bands): 4 sets of 7. Almost as many reps as last week but with less band tension.
Assisted Situp (Light/Monster Mini Bands): 4 sets of 19. Payday.
Behind The Back Shrug: 120x8x5. Didn't have to do this but I thought I would just to slam the yoke for measurement day.
Today:
Hammer ISO Super Incline Press: 25x12, 30x10, 35x8, 45x6, 50x5, 55x5, 60x5, 60x8 (Rep Out Set). One more rep than last week.
Assisted Chinups (Average Band): 6 sets of 5
Assisted Dips: 105 pounds of assist for 3 sets of 11. Almost as many reps as with the 120 pounds assist.
Hammer ISO Rows (Elbows Out): 80x10x4
Behind The Back Shrug: 95x10x4. This time it was done on a Smith machine, for more reps.
Superset:
Preacher Curls: 50x8x4
Wrist Roller: 15x1x4
5/3/1 w/WSFSB III Assist Template: Week 2 Squat
All Notation:
Weight x Reps x Sets
12" Front Box Squat: 45x12, 60x10, 75x8, 90x6, 105x5, 120x3, 135x2, 150x1, 165x2 (Rep Out Set). I didn't do them last week, I didn't want to run in the evening, and I wanted to see where I really was vice guessing. So, I didn't do the single leg work and I put my effort into doing the front squats. My guess was pretty much on the money: when I started training again, I had guessed a 165 front squat at 12" height and I got two reps with it in the second week. Felt good to squat again even if I had no pop, and my abs held out pretty good. But no more test, just to be safe.
Hammer Calf Machine: 155x6x5
45-degree Hyper: BWT x 10 x 4. One more rep per set than last week.
Leg Curls: 75x12x4
Assisted Situps (Average Bands): 4 sets of 18
5/3/1 w/WSFSB III Assist Template: Week 2 Military Press
All notation:
Weight x Reps x Sets
Behind The Neck Press: 45x12, 50x10, 60x8, 75x6, 85x5, 90x5, 100x5, 105x7. Did not get the extra rep I wanted, but there is next week.
Assisted Pullups (Average Band): 5 sets of 5
Hammer ISO High Rows: 60x13x4. 1 more rep per set than last week.
Pushups w/Feet Inclined 2": 3 sets of 18, 15, 11 reps. I actually did better than last week with my feet on the floor, and these felt harder still. This made me feel vindicated for not getting that extra rep on the shoulder presses.
Superset:
Trap Bar Shrugs: 96x11x4
Reverse Curls: 40x10x4
Wrist Roller: 10x3, 10x2x2. Once I can get three reps for all sets, the weight will go up slightly.
