July 30, 2012

July 30, 2012 Upper/Lower


  • Bench Press: 285*1 305*3 295*2
  • Trap-Bar Deadlifts: 315*4-back 315*10 
  • BB Underhand Rows: 235*10 245*8
  • Push Press: 225*1 235*X
  • Double mini-banded reverse hypers: 10, 10
  • Sauna: 190 degrees / 20 minutes

So I can't workout tomorrow so wanted to get some lower body work in too. Benching was ok, my lower back just feels bruised at this point, not sure what the issue is.  When I sit down and then turn to one side I get this pain in my lower left back.  Then if I go back to center and turn again, it doesn't hurt.  It's not on my spine so I'm not incredibly worried. It's more annoying at this point. On the trap-bar deadlifts I felt it the second I tilted forward a little and my back took over some of the movement.    Legs were actually fatigued from conditioning yesterday, definitely cost me some trap bar deadlift reps, and the push press as well, had no pop.  Did some reverse hypers to try to work out the back issue. Then laid around in the sauna.  Leaving the gym when I turned around in my car seat to back out of my parking space my back still hurt, but not quite as bad.  

July 29, 2012

July 29, 2012 Conditioning


  • Low Box Jump Over - Medium Box Jump Over - Broad Jump Superset: 10, 10, 10
  • Bench Plyo Clap Pushups: 5, 5, 5
  • PUPP: 2:01, 1:31

After those first two supersets I thought my lungs were going to immolate. Holy crap that drained me.       Definitely what I was looking for in a conditioning workout.   I got a couple videos of me doing them, the first from the side/back and the other going towards the camera



July 27, 2012 Lower


  • Low Box Squats: 255*5 275*5 300*3 315*1
  • Hanging Power Snatch: 135*1 155*2 135*5
  • Pullups: 75*3 75*3 75*3 75*3
  • Paloffs: 60*10 70*10
Loving low box squats still.  Going to cycle back to regular squats either this coming week, or the week after.  I didn't warm up enough on the power snatches, really didn't do myself any favors, and as such the weight was harder to work with.  Did pullups today since I missed yesterdays workout for a regularly scheduled optometrist's appointment.  They went very well actually.  Someday I may move to a deadlift/bench day and a squat/pullup day.  

July 25, 2012 Sprinting


  • 200m: 5

That was oddly tiring; didn't get to run last week on account of the torrential rains...first time in 3 years I've actually been rained out from sprinting.  Just did 5 200s here, felt...tiring.   

July 27, 2012

Live it up while you can

5 guys take same picture over 30 years

Looking at how they aged, how they went from being slightly younger than me, to where they are today just makes me realize how fleeting life and youth are.  If you look at the last two pictures especially...from 2007 to 2012...I've never seen something that makes me want to live it up more than that.  So I'm going to try even harder to do as much as possible while I'm still young. Holy cow. 

July 24, 2012

July 24, 2012 Lower


  • BB DL: 410*3 430*1 lower back VERY tired here.
  • Hanging Power Cleans: 135*5 185*3 205*1
  • Unilateral Leg Extensions: 70*8 50*8
  • Ab-Wheel: 10, 10
  • P.U.P.P.: 1:10
So last week at some point I pulled my back in my sleep, on the lower left right above my rear.  Been somewhat annoying.  In addition my lower back has been exhausted the last several days.  The pull seems to be fine now, just a little tender. Still I did 410, 430, put 450 on the bar, lined up and was about to pull and realized my lower back was just beat to hell. Not going to risk hurting it.  As I type now it's sore as hell and just exhausted. Rest of the session went well, wanted to try some direct quad work, so I did some leg extensions. 

July 23, 2012 Upper Body


  • Bench Press: 285*1 305*3 315*1
  • BB Underhand Rows: 225*11 235*10 245*7
  • Push Press: 225*1 230*1 245*X

Well I finally found something I like the thinner bars at my gym for....rows.  So much easier to get a good death grip on the bar with the thinner bar, going to use that for the rows from now on.  Got greedy on push press, should've gone 225 235 245 and maybe I would've had it.  As it was the 15 lbs. jump was too much.  Also I completely forgot to sprint on Saturday, I'm so used to my routine on those days that I just went about my business and didn't think of it til later. 

July 20, 2012 Lower


  • Low Box Squats: 255*5 290*4 320*1
  • Hanging Power Snatches: 150*3 160*3 165*X

Well now..the squats were exceedingly difficult, really focused on controlled descent.  Took a lot out of me, didn't have much pop on the snatches.  Although 160 was pretty easy this time; I think if I hadn't been drained from the box squats I would've had 165 for a couple. 

July 19, 2012 Upper


  • Pullups: 75*3 75*3 75*3 75*3 75*3
  • BB Incline: 225*6 225*6
  • Standing Press: 135*5 145*4 155*2
  • Medicine Ball One-Arm Pushups: 10
  • Core Slider Planks: 6
Just had fun with this one; got the 75 on pullups for all 5 sets.  Did some lower weight incline work. Will return to heavy stuff next time.  Medicine ball pushups I got from here:

July 21, 2012

July 21, 2012

Great example of why every woman (and man) on the planet that is capable should be doing explosive cardio like sprinting, hurdling, jumping, etc. It doesn't make girls 'bulky', it makes them look like this:


July 19, 2012

July 18, 2012

So we had torrential downpours and flooding in Boston today.  So no sprinting, I'll go on Saturday to make up for it!


And now this:




"My cat watched this two weeks ago and now he's a lion"

July 17, 2012 Lower Body


  • Deadlift: 410*2 430*1 450*1
  • Hanging Power Cleans: 135*5 165*3 185*3 205*1
  • Unilateral deadlifts: 225*3 245*1

Good session, deadlifting was a tad harder than I expected. I never know how hard a workout is going to be when I start it. No clue.  Hanging cleans went great! 

July 16, 2012

July 16, 2012 Progress Picture (Back)


Starting to even see definition in lower/mid back.  Going well.  When I looked at the picture on the camera at first I blurted out an expletive or two.  I can't believe my back looks like this right now.  Seeing the progress I've been making just inspires me to ratchet down on my diet even more and train even harder to get to that next level.  


I think that's what separates the people who have success and the people that truly achieve something greater than what they set out to do.  It's not that the achievers aren't happy with their successes; we are, ecstatic even.  It's that when we feel that happiness we don't think "I'm there!", we think "what's next?"  For me, I can't believe I've gotten to the level I have, especially over the last few weeks.   So I'm not sure what's next, cut back on the fat even more, lock in on my diet, and focus on the complete body & fitness level that I'm always trying to achieve.  I've almost stopped thinking in numbers at this point.  It's not about achieving a 550 lbs. deadlift, or benching 365, or squatting 500.  Those are all nice and I hope to achieve them, but at this point it's about how fast the weights are moving, how light they feel, the amount of power I'm pushing them with, at what body weight, at what speed am I running, how fit do I feel, how flexible, how pain free, how relaxed and healthy when I'm outside the gym.  


Everything's coming together training wise.  If it was to all end tomorrow, I'd always remember this time, even more than last summer.  But if it all ended tomorrow...I wouldn't let it end. I'd pick back up and start again.  But hopefully it doesn't come crashing down any time soon. I'm truly blessed to have been able to achieve what I have, and I hope people that read this remember where I started, and how the research, tinkering, and work has paid off for me, just like it can for them. 

July 16, 2012


  • Bench Press: 285*1 305*4 315*1 295*3
  • BB Underhand Rows: 225*9 235*8 245*7
  • Push Press: 220*2 230*1 240*1

Never been this strong at this weight before, I am VERY happy with how my training is going right now.  Doing good unracking weight on the bench lately, pulling it off the pins with my spot, instead of pushing it up and off and releasing my shoulder blades.  Underhand rows felt great.  Push Pressing went well.  Weights felt so light today. Love it.  Absolutely ripping it up right now.  

July 15, 2012

July 15, 2012 Progress Pictures

As I said at the start of this cut I wanted to get to 194 at about 9%, so up a pound from last year, and down .5% on the bf.  So the bad news is I'm probably not going to make 194, I'm at 198.5 and holding in the area.  The good news is that I look like this:




I look about 9-9.5% here.  I actually see extra oblique/serratus that I didn't see last year.  I also look wicked vascular lately, and on my legs I can actually see one of the heads of my quadriceps that I never saw before.  Plus my ass has no fat left on it. Even last year at 9.5% I still looked like I had a bit of 'cushion' there.  Not now.  Good times!  

July 15, 2012 Conditioning


34.5" Plyo Box Jump / 34.5" seated plyo box jump s.s.: 15-15
Forward Rolls: 10
Battling Ropes: 71, 50
Superman Planks: 8 seconds, 6 seconds


I'm getting increasingly annoyed at my performance on box jumping. It's not that I'm missing, but I keep psyching myself out for some reason, and it's like I almost forget HOW to jump properly.  Or I'll crouch down and my body just freezes.  I have no idea why I'm getting a complex about them.  I can clear the box by about 3" at the peak so I've got plenty of room.  The thing is since I'm hesitating I keep jumping less confidently and banging the hell out of my knees and shins on aborted attempts.  Introduced superman planks...I need to work on them...did not last long. Here's a video from T-Nation of them:



July 13, 2012 Lower Body


  • Low Box Squats: 245*5 265*5 290*4 310*3
  • Hanging Power Snatch: 150*3 160*2 140*5
  • DB Goblet Walk: 110*1:15
  • KB Inverted Waiter Walk: 8kg*0:30
  • Wide-Stance Anti-Rotational Chops: 50*10

That went well.  Upped weights on all sets of low box squatting and still managed to get extra reps on the final one.  I stretched my calves thoroughly before this, I feel like it was easier to keep good form and not be pulled forward off my heels since they were looser. Power snatches went well.  Punished myself for only getting 160 for a double by doing 5 at 140.  Haven't done goblet walk in a couple weeks so I tried again, and set a new time record for myself.  Usually I don't get the positive effect of taking time off from an exercise and coming back stronger as everyone else seems to, but maybe that happened here.  Tried some waiter walks holding a kb upside down by its handle.  Not sure if it did anything.


July 12, 2012

July 12, 2012


  • Pullups: 75*3 75*3 75*3 75*3 70*3
  • Incline Bench Press: 260*3 250*3 240*4
  • Standing Press: 135*4 145*3 155*2

Oddly not even vaguely sore from sprinting yesterday.  Pullups went well, upped 4th set to 75 lbs. added.  Got an extra rep at 240 on incline bench.  For standing press I really want to focus on standing up straighter while I do it to focus on my shoulders as opposed to leaning or arching my back too much and turning it into a glorified incline press. 

July 11, 2012 Sprinting


  • 300m Sprint: 1
  • 200m Sprint: 4

Whelp this is it, the hardest sprinting session I've ever had.  I intended to do a 400 but by the time I came around the bend and crossed 200m I was running out of gas and by the time I crossed 300 I felt like my legs were shutting down.  So I figured I'd do another 300 after that...didn't happen, got 200 and almost shut down.  Did another 200, then another and thought I was going to die in a puddle of vomit.  Still hard to believe I got that 4th 200, I was leaning over a gate after it because I couldn't stand and I honestly thought I might die on the track. Good times.  I've noticed something odd; when I get tired at the end of the workouts it's my traps and shoulders that feel it the most, maybe from pumping my arms while running, but still...my legs are doing most of the work. 

July 10, 20132


  • Deadlift: 410*3 430*2 450*1
  • Bench Press: 300*3 310*2 295*4
  • BB Underhand Rows: 225*9 255*5
  • Paloffs: 60*12 70*12

Hmmm, interesting workout. I didn't go yesterday as I have an ear infection in my right ear that was causing me to not be able to balance, plus I had a coworkers going away party.  I combined deadlifting & benching this workout on account of that.  I wasn't sure how it would work out but it went pretty well. If I ever switch in the future from an upper/lower heavy/light split I may do something like a two day split of deadlifting/benching and squatting/pullups with a couple conditioning days thrown in. I haven't ruled out doing that in the future, and this only bolsters that idea.  

This workout went well; I'm not going above 90% of my max on deadlifting for a while, it really just wears me out as I've said in past posts.  The weights actually moved easier here after sticking to the 'lighter' weights for the last couple weeks. Everything felt smoother.   Benching went well, weight felt very light.   Paloffs went well too.  Good workout

July 10, 2012

July 6, 2012 Lower Body


  • Low Box Squats: 235*5 255*5 280*5 305*1
  • Hanging Power Snatch: 145*3 155*3 165*X

Really enjoy low box squats; the box I'm using gets me to about 1.5-2" above olympic depth.  Having that pause on the bottom too has really helped me get out of the parallel or sub-parallel position on them, should help with regular squats when I go back to them in a couple weeks.  Hanging power snatches went well, up to the 165.  I got 155 EASILY.  I should've gotten 165. Tried 3 times never got close.  Lost one actually crashed down onto my neck, pushed me over and forced me to do a good morning out.  Neck hurts.  Not good times.  No idea why 165 is proving so hard for me; I think it's psychological, it just feels so much heavier than 155, and my grip starts to feel less secure by the time I get to those higher weights as well. 

July 5, 2012 Upper Body


  • Pullups: 75*3 75*3 75*3 70*3 70*3
  • Incline Bench: 260*3 250*3 240*3
  • Standing Press: 135*5 145*4 155*3
Everything feels back to normal.  Definitely like moving pullups to my 2nd upper body day and leading off with them, it's let me add a lot more weight than I was doing, and hasn't hurt the incline benching.  May start getting up a tad earlier and incline walking in the morning to round out the cut. 

July 4, 2012


  • 200m Sprint: 2
  • 100m Sprint: 5
  •  60 m Sprint: 2

Happy 4th! Did this early before going to barbeque/fireworks later on.  Another absolutely soupy disgusting day. I love it!  Was about 90-93 degrees, humidity must've been in the 90s, and the dewpoint disgusting because it felt like I was breathing soup.  The harder it is though the greater the reward.  1020 meters total; we'll see how the weather is next week and if I can do even more.  I'm thinking of starting with a 400; I'll basically be almost running in place for that last 100m or so I'll be so beat, but I may just do it.  

July 03, 2012


  • Deadlift: 410*2 430*2 450*1
  • Hanging Power Cleans: 135*5 165*5 185*3 210*1
  • Unilateral Deadlifts: 225*3 245*1
  • Plate-Transfer Planks: 10*8
  • Bird-Dogs: 10
Deadlifting went well, staying around 85-90% of my 1RM for the rest of the summer, and honestly probably permanently, other then when I go to break my record. Constantly pulling around 95-97% of my 1RM was wearing me out, and really doesn't accomplish much.  Hanging power cleans went very well here.  Unilteral deadlifts are much better suited to this day than squat day; I already have the patterning down by the time I do them. Also lower reps makes much more sense, as I tired on the 5th rep of sets previously my form went to shit anyway. Bird-Dogs were surprisingly taxing, probably all the deadlifting prior.  Also of note, I had some shoulder soreness, knee soreness, lower back soreness, and hip soreness last couple weeks.  That all seems to be passing now. Shoulder feels almost 100%, knee is all better, hips are fine.  Lower back on the left side is a little tight, going to schedule a massage soon.  

July 02, 2012

  • Bench Press: 285*1 300*2 285*3 275*3
  • BB Underhand Rows: 215*10 235*8 255*5
  • Push Press: 215*2 225*1 240*X

Sorry for lack of updates, I'm publishing this 8 days after it happened, just been busy.  Session went well, I think underhand rows might be better suited to higher reps, since on the highest set my grip starts to fail, may use chalk on those high sets from now on.  ALMOST had 240 on the push press. Very close.  

July 1, 2012

July 01, 2012 Nutrition Update



So here's how I'm going to be eating from now on during the cut.  I added in some carrots, took out a couple ounces of the brown rice.  I figure there's not a huge need for complex carbs, my workouts just aren't that long typically. From the time of my first warm up set to my final rep on my last working set is maybe an hour, 65 minutes.  I noticed in Fitday however that I'm not getting much Vitamin E, basically about a third of what I should be...I'm also a bit low on B-12 & Iron as well, since I don't eat red meat more than maybe once per month.  Not too concerned about that part honestly. The Vitamin E concerns me though..may look into supplementing. 

June 29, 2012 Lower


  • Low Box Squats: 225*5 250*5 275*4 300*2 315*hit safety bars.
  • Hanging Power Snatch: 140*3 150*3 160*3

Decided to lower the box since I've been doing medium box squats.  Went well.  I'm about 3" below parallel on the low box.  Would've had 315, but I had moved the bars up one spot on the rack before doing that set, set them too high.  Such is life.  Snatches went well.   

June 28, 2012 Upper


  • Pullups: 75*3 75*3 75*3 70*3 70*3
  • Incline Bench  Press: 260*3 250*3 240*3
  • Long Pullup: 46 seconds
  • Trap-3 Raises: 15*8 10*10
  • Decline Pushups: 23

Weight going up steadily on pullups...incline went well, doesn't seem to be hurt by putting incline bench first.  Tried to do an extremely slow pullup, got to 46 seconds, want to slow it down even more and do a 60 second one.  Trap 3 raises I got from a Lee Boyce article:


I'm hoping to continue to strengthen my back and make sure my posture doesn't go to crap as I get older.