December 26, 2011 Lower / Heavy

• Deadlift: 405*3 430*3 440*3
• Hanging Power Cleans: 185*3 195*3 205*2
• Trap-Bar Deadlifts: 315*3 405*3 495*1 545*X

Whoo...good times. Probably could've done 450 here for a 3rd set. If I ramped up properly I could hit 500 right now I believe. But I'm going to keep adding poundage instead. I actually wanted to do some trap-bar deadlifting so I only did 3 sets of deadlifts, and 3 sets of hang cleans. The hang cleans went great, I'm really getting forceful with the jump and my catches are improving. Last week I got 200 for 3, but the 3rd was a really bad catch. If I had used that same form I could've gotten a 3rd at 205 but I didn't want to torque my spine again, so I just dropped it instead. The two that I got at 205 were solid. I need to start using chalk though, my grip is shot by the end of these. So the trap-bar deads went great, I was pretty tired but got 315 and 405 for easy triples. Decided to try 495 for a single, and if it went easy go for 515. I got 495 easily. I decided though that since 515 was my old record why not go for something a bit more challenging. Threw 545 on there, with my cellphone recording. I got it 2" off the ground and was just too tired to finish the rep (my sticking point is actually about 2" off the ground, unlike breaking it off the floor for most people), I've actually never failed to complete a pull that I've gotten past that 2" point. I think if I went 315 405 and 495 for singles I might've had a better chance. I deleted the video, but I regret it now, I haven't posted one in a while. Not all my videos need to be successful lifts. I'll try trap-barring again in a few weeks, see if I can get 545. 

note:  I've been doing hanging power cleans, I need to go back and correct this in previous entries.  

December 19, 2011 Lower / Heavy

• Deadlift: 325*3 285*3 405*3 425*3 435*3
• Hang Cleans: 170*3 180*3 190*3 200*3 NEW PR!! 180*3

not gonna lie bros (&sisses) this workout beat the piss out of me.  Was absolutely exhausted at the end.  Feels good man.  Keeping up with the deadlifting, still focusing on tearing it off the floor as violently as possible.   Hang cleans went good, that 3rd catch at 200 was somewhat garbage though.  I got it, but I don't want to be using piss poor form like that often, or even rarely. Was leaning forward too much when I caught it.  

December 12, 2011 Lower, Heavy

• Deadlifts: 320*3 380*3 400*3 420*3 430*3
• Hang Cleans: 170*3 180*3 190*3 200*2 180*3
• Weighted 34.5" Plyo Box Jumps / 34.5" plyo Box Jumps Giant Set: 15*15 - BW*15
• Shoulder Touch Planks:12, 10

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice session.  I'm focusing on really tearing the bar off the ground, really helps when you start getting to higher weights.  Considering a month ago I was at 405*2 I'm happy with today's results. I'm actually thinking that the 420 and 430 are 3 rep records for me.  Hang cleans went well. I need to get some chalk though.  I'll be looking for a 3rd at 200 next week.  Need to keep practicing form before hand as well.  That giant set I did afterward destroyed me.  I literally did 30 jumps to 34.5" in less than 90 seconds.  

December 5, 2011 Lower / Heavy

• BB DL: 315*3 375*3 395*3 415*3 425*3
• Hang Cleans: 165*3 175*3 185*3 190*3 175*3
• 34.5" Plyo Box Jumps: 30
• P.U.P.P.: 3:00!!! whoah where did that come from NEW PR!!

Deadlifting went well, steadily moving up there.  Hang cleans as well.  I need to work on the synchronization of the pull & jump on the movement though.  I still mistime it a few times per session and I barely catch the weight.  Was absolutely brutalized after those two exercises, did some plyo work after, which is something I'm going to try and work in a bit more.  Then ended with a PUPP.  I think I could've gotten to about 3:05...but still 3:00 is my new record by far.  I got to 2 minutes and figured 2:30 was my record and beat it, then I figured I was almost to 3 so if I could hold out a little longer I could bag that.  Good times.

November 28, 2011 Lower Body, Heavy

• BB DL: 315*3 365*3 385*3 405*3 415*3
• Hang Cleans: 185*3 175*3 175*3 175*3 175*3
• Shoulder-Touch Planks: 10

Well I'm still alive.  Deadlifting went well.  Very well actually.  Clean volume went way up, so that's good. Up by several hundred pounds.  Finished off with some planks.  not bad...not bad

November 21, 2011 Lower Heavy

• Deadlift: 405*2 415*1 425*1
• Hang Cleans: 175*3 185*3

Was super pressed for time here so I shortened up this session. I had to go do something after, though I forget what that was now...So this is the start of the 3rd week of the bulk....I don't exactly feel stronger on most of my lifts, except power lifting. It feels like it's getting easier, probably because I've never consistently done it before.  

November 14, 2011 Lower / Heavy - More f*cking like it.

• BB DL: 315*3 365*3 385*3 395*3 405*2, 1
• Hang Cleans: 95*3 135*3 145*3 155*3 175*3
• Glute Bridges: 315*3 365*3 405*3 425*3 445*3

THERE we go.  No need for doing O-Lifts first, I actually find it easier doing them after a big movement for some reason, maybe the weight just feels lighter.  That last set with 405 I just did too soon after the 395, if I had rested more I would've had all 3.  I immediately reset and pulled it for a third rep.  Hang cleans went well, there's a guy there that does snatching at the same time I'm doing cleans, so I work in with him.   I'm grateful there's someone there that knows their shit with the o-lifts, he noticed that on the hang cleans I'm doing the 'jump' and 'catch' portions one after the other instead of simultaneously so the movement takes too long. Also weights went way up on the hang cleans, going to start at 155 next time, use 95 as an unrecorded warmup, probably 135 as well.  Also, stomach is about 78% back to normal. Hard to describe how much better it feels compared to this time last week.  Still not great exactly, but definitely much better

November 7, 2011 Lower / Heavy

• Hang Cleans: 95*5 135*3 140*3 145*3
• Deadlifts: 315*3 365*3 385*3 390*3 365*3
• Glute Bridges: 365*3 405*3 415*3 435*3 455*1-LEFT CALF CRAMP

So I learned several things here:

1. I'm never taking over 3 weeks off from heavy deadlifting again.   Holy crap....seriously I cannot explain how rusty I was here.  Probably should've eased back into this instead of going near 400 right off the bat again, much less for a triple.  
2. I'm never taking a whole week off again, or not going heavy for 2 straight weeks, at least intentionally.  Last week I had off, two weeks ago I was doing that glycogen depletion stuff. By the 3rd set of deadlifts I actually was feeling something similar to DOMS. I'm recording this a couple days later and all I can say is that every part of my body is sore, and it's not even from the upper body workout I did the day after this.  My rhomboids feel like someone took a lead pipe to them
3. Hang cleans do not 'prime your nervous system' they just tire you out.  I think what I'm going to do from now on is switch the order every other week.  So next week I'll lead off with deadlifts.  For my Thursday workout this week I'm going to lead off with the squats and go to the snatches second.  Next week I'll do deadlifts first on this Tuesday workout and hang cleans second.  Then next Thursday I'll lead off with snatches and move to squats 2nd.  
4. You can apparently cramp your calf  by doing glute bridges.  That fucker didn't let go completely for about 5 hours, but I could at least walk. 
5. Kale does not work in my morning shakes.  Just does NOT work.  I'm going to eat it with dinner from now on.