5/3/1: Deadlift 5RM

Conventional Deadlift: 145x5, 185x5, 225x5, 245x5, 265x8 (Rep Out Set)(managed 4 reps with a double overhand grip, then did the other 4 staggered)

Bulgarian Split Squat w/Front Foot Elevated: 55x5x5


LifeFitness Kneeling Single Leg Curl: 45x5x5 each leg

Seated Calf  Raises: 145x6x5.  According to the machinee, starting weight is 95 pounds and I just added another 50.

Physioball Jackknife: Sets of 5, 4, 4, 3, 3 reps

Finisher:
Superset For 6 rounds/1-min rest in between:
Jacobs Ladder for 1 min
Kettlebell Swings for 8 reps with 30 pounds.

5/3/1: Shoulder Press 5RM

LifeFitness Iso Shoulder Press: 27.5x5, 42.5x5, 55x3, 70x5, 75x5, 80x8 (Rep Out Set)

Hoist Pec Deck: started at 20x6 and kept adding 10 pounds until I could not hit 6 reps, at 80x5.  Always wanted to focus on chest but without benches, so I'm gonna give this a try.

Assisted Pullups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): sets of 6,5,4, 4 reps

LifeFitness ISO Row (Elbows Up): 115x8, 7, 6, 6 reps

Straight Bar Curls: 60x8, 7, 6, 6 reps

Pallof Press Isometric Holds: 4 holds each side with 30 pounds.  I couldn't go past 15 seconds on any of them, and barely scratched 10 on the last one.

Did no finisher.  Gym was on holidaqy hours so with a 5PM closing, I jetted through this in an hour's time.

5/3/1: Squat 5RM Day

Squat: 75x5, 110x5, 145x3, 180x5, 195x5, 205x8 (Rep Out Set).  I supersetted these with bodyweight calf raises, done very controlled to failure.

Superset For 6 rounds/1-min rest in between:
Jacobs Ladder for 1 min
Kettlebell Swings for 8 reps with 30 pounds.  I think I hit paydirt with this combination.  My legs and backside was burning, and my lungs were on fire.

Hoist Roc-It Leg Curls: 152 for sets of 10, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 reps

Planks: 6 holds to exhaustion.  Still trying to break 30 seconds per hold.

This workout was done yesterday, now my upper back feels a little sore, too.

5/3/1: Week One Rebooted - Bench Press

Flat Bench Press: 55x5, 80x5, 105x5, 130x5, 140x5, 150x8 (Rep Out Set)

4-Board Press: 150x9, 150x8.  Both of these were rep out sets.

Assisted Chinups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): sets of 6, 5, 4, 3 reps

LifeFitness ISO Rows (Elbows In): 105x11, 105x10x3

Superset:
KB Windmills: 20x6x4
Hammer Curls: 20x10x4

Finisher:  LifeFitness Treadmill, 1.5 incline: 3 rounds of 1 minute at 9.0 MPH and 2 minutes at 3.0 MPH.  2 of my off days will be used for running at lower speed but building up to 30 minutes of steady distance.  But I wanted two of my finishers to involve running at a much faster speed, so that I could build up my lactic acid tolerance.

A Chistmas Eve Workout . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . because I did not want to work out on Christmas.  So I went full tilt on two movements:

Conventional Deadlifts: 145x5, 180x5, 215x5, 250x5, 285x5, 320x5 (5RM)

Hoist Assisted Dips Machine (BW was 241.5, weight used is minus assistance): 101.5x5, 121.5x5, 141.5x5, 161.5x5, 181.5x5, 200.5x5

5/3/1: Shoulder Press Test

LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press: 45x3, 55x3, 65x3, 75x3, 85x3, 95x3, 105x2 (2RM)

Assisted Pullup (Light/Monster Mini Bands): sets of 5, 4, 4, 4, 3 reps

LifeFitness ISO Rows (Elbows In): 105x10x5

Finisher (7 rounds):
Jacobs Ladder: 90 seconds
Battle Ropes to Exhaustion.  My evil experiment of the day, and it sucked.  In a good way.

5/3/1: Squat test

Straight Bar Squat (Yes, with no box): 95x5, 125x5, 155x3, 185x3, 215x2, 245x1, 275x1, 285x1 (1RM): Wanted to get away from boxes, so I had to test myself without a box AND without a Smith.  My core really does need work and I need to get my confidence back.  The last 2 sets were, surprisingly, my best ones.  That's because I asked a friend of mine and a fellow gym patron, Desi, to spot me and call depth.  The 275 almost stalled midway into my ascent but I powered through it.  Prior to the 285, Desi told me that I had lost my air on the 275 and that it was shaky because of it.  Good that he told me, because I was very mindful of it when lifting the 285 and it was better and much more stable than the 275.  So 285 for a 1RM it was.

Kettlebell Swings: 30x8, 40x6x3, 30x6

LifeFitness ISO Row (Elbows Up): worked up to a 155lbs 4RM.

LifeFitness Kneeling Leg Curl: 45x5x3,45x4,45x3.  A single leg machine with a swinging pad you can kneel the non-lifting leg on.  Nice.

5/3/1: Bench Press 5s Week

Tested RMs (in pounds):
Flat Bench Press: 205 (based on 185-lbs 5RM)
13" SSB Box Squat: 285 (based on 1RM)
LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press: 108 (based on 105-lbs 2RM)
Conventional Deadlift: 355 (based on 1RM)

Starting RMs for 5/3/1 (85% of 1RM to start):
Flat Bench Press: 175
13" SSB Box Squat: 242
LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press: 91.8
Conventional Deadlift: 355 (based on 1RM)

Flat Bench Press: 65x5 and kept adding 20 pounds until I barely hit 5RM with 185.  This was a test.

4-Board Press: 135x10x2.  Both were rep out sets.  I'm using the WSF4SB3 template and using lock out/tricep movements for the rep out sets)

LifeFitness ISO Front Pulldown: started at 30x5 and kept adding 10 pounds until I could not hit a 5RM, 80x4.  Since this was a max test, I dropped the rowing movement that was to follow.

Behind The Back Shrug: 110x9x5

LifeFitness Bicep Curls: 50x8x4

Captains of Crush Gripper (Trainer): 5 sets of 2

Skipped the abs and cardio today. 

I decided to stick with 5/3/1.  I was going to use single leg movements to prepare but almost forgot that this was no longer about preparing to get strong.  I was going to use conjugate/Westside-style but since I wanted to work on conditioning more, something had to give and I wanted to get confidence back in my main lifts before experimenting.  Since my core needs a lot of work, I wanted to be able to fit it seriously, and thought it would be wise to start lighter than 90% of 1RM.  And since I wanted to do the support work I thought helped best, I used WSFSB3 for the assistance template.

And so it begins.  I will refiine it as I go.

This Workout Not brought to You by LifeFitness

Elevated Pushups (Feet on Bosu Ball, Pushup Plus bars): 4 sets of 6

LifeFitness ISO Front Pulldown: 50x10x4

LifeFitness ISO Row (Elbows Out): 105x10x4

LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press: 80x8x4

Behind The Back Shrugs: 100x10x4

LifeFitness Bicep Curls: 50x8x4

KB Windmills: 30x5x4

Captains of Crush Gripper (Trainer): 5 sets of 2.  Sad.  For almost a year, I pulled only double overhand with straps introduced when my grip gave out because I thought the torque introduced by using an  "over and under" grip would aggravate my tennis elbow on my left arm.  Well, it worked for the tennis elbow but now my grip sucks.

LifeFitness Traedmill: 45 Minutes at 3.5 MPH, Level 13 Hill

Legs (Just Messing Around)

Superset:
High Step Up w/20-lbs Weight Vest: sets of 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps
Single Arm Kettlebell Swings: sets of 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps with a 20-lbs kettlebell

Superset:
High Crossover Lateral Step Up w/20-lbs Weight Vest: 4 sets of 3
Kettlebell Swings: 30x5x4

Superset:
Burpees: sets of 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Battle Ropes: 8 sets done to exhaustion

Hoist Roc-It Leg Curls: 155x10x5

Upper Body Workout

Woke up this morning and my abs were sore all over, and deep.  A feeling I haven't had in a long time, so I might be on the right track, no?

I just went in to do upper body but since I have something to edit for my other Navy job, I just tested two lifts and skipped the aerobics.

Flat Bench Press: 55x3, 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 155x3, 175x3, 195x2 (2RM).  I changed my grip up .  For the longest time, I have benched with the "bird" finger on the rings: this shortened my benching distance but, more importantly, it gave me more off the chest strength.  Today, I moved my hand in so that the ring finger is on the ring.  Yeah, this lengthens my bench stroke but I want that for now.

LifeFitness ISO Row (Close Grip)(Weight is per movement arm): 70x5, 85x5, 100x5, 115x5, 130x5, 145x5, 160x3 (3 RM).

My plan right now is to use the Prilepin Bench cycle that is on Tsampa.org (and that I have used  before with good results) on a 4-day a week rotation. Day one will be Flat Bench Press; day two will be a squat; day three will be the LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press; and day 4 will be the conventional deadlift.  As for the assistance work, I'm working on it.

Today's Grand Experiment

The Friday before this one, I had a workout and it looked like this:

Incline Bench Press: 70x3 aand kept adding 20 pounds until I couldn't do another triple, at 190x1.

Assisted Pullups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): sets of 5, 4, 3, 3, 3 reps

LifeFitness Bicep Curls: 50x10, 9, 8, 7 reps

Behind The Back Shrugs: worked up to 150x5

Captains of Crush Gripper (Trainer): sets of 3, 3, 2, 2, 1 reps each hand

Finisher: Jacobs Ladder for 7 intervals of 1 minute on and 1 minute off.

Then I took the week off.  I hurt my lower back on the right side, I assume from using the Smith incorrectly.  Serves me right, shouldn't be using it.  That, and I was still conflicted about what to do.

Well, today, I had to test deadlift so I dreamed up a suitable workout and went to the base to do it.  I only tested two movements: conventional deadlifts and the LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press:  Then I went to the new Crossfit Room and started to give the kettlebells a try.  The finishers tired me out more than the heavy stuff, after the shower I just crashed on the couch for a couple of  hours.

Conventional Deadlifts: started at 145x2, 180x2, 215x2, 250x2, 285x2, 320x1, 355x1.

LifeFitness Iso Shoulder Press (Weight is per arm): 15x5, 25x5, 35x4, 45x4, 55x3, 65x3, 75x2, 85x2, 95x2, 105x1
Finisher:
Box Jumps/Kettlebell Swings (1 arm at a time): Reverse ladders - - first set was 8 reps, then 7, then 6 and so on until I hit one.   I used a 15-pound kettlebell, just to play it safe and it was enough.

Burpees/Battle Ropes: Reverse ladders - - first set was 6 reps, then 5, then 4 and so on until I hit one. The battle ropes part was just done to exhaustion.  For both complexes, I kept the rest period under a minute.

ME Squat Week 1

Hammer Strength Smith Machine Squats (20 pounds starting resistance): I started at 30x3 and kept adding 30 pounds until I had a 230-lbs 3Rm and a 260-lbs single.  Unlike the Hoist Smith that this machine replaced, the track is slanted which makes for a better groove.  I would have done the low box squats but thought trying to relearn regular squats would be a better first move.  Felt a little rusty: was going below parallel cleanly, but was slow coming up.

LifeFitness Seated Calf Raises: Worked up to 70x4 in 10-lbs increments.

LifeFitness Row:  Started at 45x5, and kept adding 15 pounds per side until I hit a 150-lbs 5RM and a 165-lbs single.  This machine looks like a Hammer Iso-Lateral Row with an automotive candy-apple red paint job.  I know, this isn't a leg movement. 

Hoist Roc-It Leg Curls: Worked up to a 230-lbs 5RM in 25-lbs increments.

Don't Drink The Kool Aid

I don't think I have ever taken a hiatus from blogging quite like this one.  To be honest, I almost gave it up.  Not because I gave up lifting.  Never that.  It took this Navy Physical Fitness Test and an email from Kristoffer Lindqvist at Virtualmeet.net to make me see why I needed to keep it going - - - and myself.

My last entry was on August 27, but I continued to train.  I didn't blog about it because I was experimenting more than I was training, and thought that I should see what the results would be before writing about it.  This really runs contrary to why people keep workout blogs: it is about the process as much, and sometimes more than, the results.  Maybe, too, I wasn't exactly thrilled by the process. Anyone ever read elitefts.com and seen the slogan "You work out, I TRAIN."  That was me.

Mind you, once I'm in the gym, It's all business and I put in my best effort. 

Let's start from the end.  I passed the Navy physical, of course.  Failure is simply not an option for me.  I had the same bodyfat level (23%) as last time but with 7 more pounds (234 vice 227) on my frame.  This time, I didn't diet hard at all.  Nor did I do anything extraordinary to lose a few pounds, or to carb up afterwards.  I was back over 180 pounds lean, which made me happy.  I only gained one pound of fat.  I had continued to do a lot of rep work with the weights and I did get a little stronger.  My squats improved due to all the single leg work I was doing, and my benching is starting to come back.  I can now do a pullup and a chinup without assistance.  I did less of the long endurance stuff after I got back from Hawaii and started doing running intervals, circuits, and Jacobs Ladder to keep my metabolism up, and when I started running for longer times and at faster speeds it helped me last longer.

And then I tossed out that Kool Aid.

I was the same bodyfat level (23%) as last time, at the same weight I have been hovering at for over a year that I'm tired of. 

I did not PRT until November, due to various delays beyond my control.  I was measured on November 10, and ran on November 18 at 8AM . . . . . ugh.  I had eased up a bit on the aerobics and, wanting to avoid second guessing myself on the run, ran 4 practice runs the week of which was NOT smart.  I was happy because I could last at least 10 minutes at 6.3 MPH on a 1.5 incline but nervous because that was 4 minutes short of what I needed to last to score a GOOD.  So, day of the run we find out that it would be on the treadmill (they use the Navy Fit Test program on the LifeFitness treadmills, set at a 1.0 incline) which was great because it was cold and raining cats and dogs outside.  But 10 minutes in and I'm bonking.  I lasted another 4.16 minutes, though, just out of principle.  It didn't matter to me that I passed or that I ran this one all the way without a sprint at the end or without any walking.  It was pretty much the same as the last time,.

When we were warming up, planks was one of the movements.  I couldn't hold one for 15 seconds without shaking.  Gut check.

I looked back at my blog going pack to every PRT I have done since 2005, and found that my best numbers were when I was training at my heaviest and running intervals 3x a week.  My best neck measurement, 18 inches, was when I had a 415 lbs deadlift.  My best measurement, 19%, was at 315/415/240 for my powerlifting numbers in 2007, and even lower in Africa when lifting just as heavy but with more running and sprint work thrown in (the Army loves to run).  I have been going about this the wrong way, even worse since I have done the right way before.  I might have gotten good at things, but I have had the same strength levels for a long time now.

The week of the PRT, Kris sends me an email.  We hadn't spoken in the longest, and it was nice to hear from him.  One of the reasons he emailed me was for permission to use a picture of me from the Gathering in 2009: it showed me pulling with a snarl on my face and angry eyes.  He thought it made a great mission statement for his site.  Of course, I gave it my blessing.  And, I told Kris, he had inadvertently brought me out of "retirement".  I missed that.  I know that I have to stay within standards but Kris made me think that I had sucked the fun right out of my training.  Silly, the proof was right before me that it was really the best way to go.  So, a big thanks to him.

So enough of work geared either towards fat loss exclusively or in preparation to get strong.  I just want to make strength training my thing, and make the support work smarter.  And as soon as Kris gets next year's schedule up for Virtualmeet, time to play again.

SO . . . . . .

Dynamic Effort Bench Day (Week 1)(Notation: Weight x Reps x Sets):

Speed Bench (60% of 200): 60x3, 90x3, 120x3x8

4-Board Bench Press: 120x3, 145x3, 170x3.  Am using the EliteFTS Beginners Manual: first week with this movement starts at the weight used for the 8 sets of DE Bench and is just to establish a baseline.  170 felt heavy: have to get used to more volume, and while my low end work got better these past few months the lockout has suffered.

Assisted Chinups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): sets of 5, 4, 3, 3, 2 reps.

Reverse Curls: 40x8, 7, 7, 6 reps

Overhead Shrugs: 55x5, 75x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x4

Captains of Crush Gripper (Trainer): sets of 3, 3, 2, 2, 1 reps each hand

Planks: 4 holds, 20 seconds was my best hold and SHAKY

Finisher: Jacobs Ladder for 7 intervals of 1 minute on and 1 minute off.

Upper Body Day

I haven' t been lazy, mind you.  On July 16, I went to Hawaii for three weeks to do Navy stuff.  The week before that I worked out.  Then I took off a week.  Then, one of my best friends, also there but in support of RIMPAC, wanted to drop a few pounds and persuaded me to start running every day for two weeks.  We mostly stuck to that plan and with her policing my diet  I managed to not gain a pound and we even completed a 5-mile run. Then I was sick upon arriving home for a week with a cold/allergy, and took a week trying to figure out what to do next.  Last week, I started back up again mostly testing with an actual program thrown in for good measure.

Today, it began with a plan. An evolving one, but a plan.  I was going to go total body for three days a week but didn't want to deviate too far from what I was doing before. 

Nautilus Nitro Bench Press (175): 55x5, 80x5, 105x3, 130x5, 140x5, 150x3 (Rep Out Set).  Maybe, I should do 90% of that 175 lbs max and do rep outs?!?

Hoist Assisted Dips (130 pounds assistance/107 pounds lifted): sets of 10 and 8 reps

Assisted Pullups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): sets of 6, 5, 4, 4 reps

Nautilus Nitro Pullover: started at 40x5 and kept adding 15 pounds until I hit 115x6 (about 133 calculated max).  Since I had tested deadlifts twice last week, I skipped it today and tested pullovers instead.

EZ Bar Curls: 50x10x4

Finisher: Jacob's Ladder with a 20-lbs weight vest, 5 intervals of 1.5 minutes on and 1.5 minutes off.  The goal is either 6 intervals like this (the track where we do the Navy physical is 6 laps for a 1.5 mile run, and I want it to suck the wind out of me), or more time, or both.

ME Upper Body

All Notation: Weight x Reps x Sets

Incline Bench Press: 70x5, 100x5, 130x3, 160x5x3.  Easier than the first time around.

Nautilus Nitro Pullovers: 65x15x4

Hoist Roc-It Lat Pulldowns: 72x15x4

Nautilus Nitro Lateral Raises: 70x15x4

Finisher: LifeFitness Treadmill, Random Profile Level 12, walking for 45 minutes at 3.0 MPH (2.25 miles).  My legs were hammered from Saturday and I almost walked away after the weights.  But I thought I could AT LEAST walk.  That, and I don't feel ready to take on the 5 minute runs from this weeks Cool Runnings, so I'm going to do the walks and 4 minute runs this week.

RE Lower Body/RE Upper Body

Was supposed to work out yesterday but could not.  So I woke up early in the morning and combined two workouts, then went home and washed my car a few hours later for PT.

Nautilus Nitro Bench Press: worked up gradually to a 145x7 max, or about 174 calculated max.

Incline Bench Press: 135x8x3

Arched Back Good Morning: 85x5, 115x5, 145x3, 175x8x5

Assisted Wide Neutral Grip Chinup: Sets of 7, 7, 6, 6, 6, 5 reps

Hoist Compound Leg Press: 230x5, 340x5, 450x3, 570x8x5.  Supersetted with seated calf raises, 75x8 for each set.

T-Bar Rows: 115x8x5

Hoist Roc-It Leg Curls: 199x8x5

Hoist Seated Shrug Machine: 100x8x5

RE Squat

14" SSB Box Squat w/1-pr of Chain: 85x5, 115x5, 155x3, 190x8x5.  Supersetted with calf raises to failure.

Triset for 6 sets of: Jump Rope, Pushups, and GHR.

ME Upper Body

All Notation: Weight x Reps x Sets

Incline Bench Press: 90x5, 120x5, 150x3, 180x3x2

Nautilus Nitro Pullover: 95x8x5

Hoist Roc-It Lat Pulldown (Wide Pronated grip): 118x8x5

Nautilus Nitro Lateral Raises: 105x8x5

Finisher: Week 4 of the Cool Runnings Couch to 5K program: 2 intervals of 1.5 minutes running at 6.6 MPH and 1.5 minutes walking at 3.5 MPH followed by 2 intervals of 3 minutes running and 3 minutes walking at the same speeds.  Today's run was a little easier than the last . 

ME Lower Body

14" SSB Box Squat w/1-pr of Chain: 105x2, 135x2, 165x2, 195x2, 225x2, 255x2, 285x1, 295x1 (chains removed),  Didn't squat this weekend, and I want to keep my workouts this week.  So this was all that I did, and I did doubles so that I wouldn't get sore.  I did superset this with calf raises.

Finisher: Week 4 of the Cool Runnings Couch to 5K program: 2 intervals of 1.5 minutes running at 6.6 MPH and 1.5 minutes walking at 3.5 MPH followed by 2 intervals of 3 minutes running and 3 minutes walking at the same speeds.