December 2, 2014 Upper Body

• Bench Press, no arch, paused reps: 225*1 250*1 260*1 275*1
• Sternum Pullups: 6,5,4
• Push Press: 225*1 235*1
• BB Rows: 225*3 245*2 255*2
• Reverse Flyes: 30*3 30*2

Good times, I think I'll test my max on benching next week.  Felt pretty drained here actually, just one of those days.  BB Rows were done with really tight form, absolutely no English on it. 

November 25, 2014 Upper Body

• Bench Press, no arch, paused reps: 225*1 245*1 255*1 270*1
• T-Bar Rows: 160*3 160*2 160*2
• Push Press: 225*1 225*1
• Sternum Pullups: 7, 5, 3
• Reverse Flyes: 20*7 30*4

I realized I hadn't done t-bar rows in a while, didn't mean to get away from them at all.  Push pressing went well, going to build that back up now that my shoulder is fine. Going to probably do one more week of benching with no arch and paused reps, and then week after max out on benching. 

November 18, 2014 Upper Body

• Bench Press, Paused, No Arch: 225*1 240*1 250*1 265*1
• Pendlay Rows: 135*3 185*3 205*2
• Seated Press: 135*3 155*3 175*2
• Sternum Pullups: 25*3 25*2 25*2
• DB Reverse Flyes: 25*6 25*5

Great session, benching felt good.  Threw in some Pendlay rows as well.  Going to go back to Push Presses now that my shoulder feels much better than it did about 5 weeks ago. 

October 27, 2014 Upper

• BB Flat (Paused/No Arch): 225*1 245*1 255*1
• Sternum Pullups: 6, 6
• Seated Press: 135*3 155*3
• Cable Rows: 180*5
• Dead Bugs: 10

Remember when I didn't have a blown-out CNS?  Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Ugh.  Can barely move.  Taking tomorrow off.  My legs have never been this sore in my life. 

September 8, 2014 Upper

• Bench Press, no arch, paused: 225*1 245*1 265*1
• Unilateral T-Bar Rows: 135*3 145*3 160*3
• Push Press: 225*1 235*1
• Sternum Pullups: 8, 6
• Suitcase Carries: 50*45 50*50

Good stuff, I'd like to build push pressing back up, also adding weight onto suitcase carries. 

August 5, 2014 Upper

• Bench Press (No Arch / Paused): 225*1 250*1 250*1 250*1 250*1 
• Sternum Pullups: 6, 6, 5
• Push Press: 225*1 - tired
• BB Rows: 225*3 245*2 
• Wide-Stance Anti-Rotational Chops: 70*6 80*6

Good session, I like sternum pullups quite a bit actually, really feel them in my mid back muscles more. 

July 28, 2014 Lower/Upper

• Squats: 315*1 335*1 355*1 365*1 375*1
• Front Squats: 275*1 250*2
• Bench Press (No Arch, Paused Reps): 225*1 250*1 265*1 275*1
• T-Bar Rows: 160*3 170*2 180*1
• Push Press: 225*1 no drive. I'm tired.

Squats were good and deep, felt great, really focused on using my hips to get up from parallel.  

July 7, 2014 Upper

• Bench Press (No Arch, Paused Reps): 225*2 255*1 275*1 285*1
• Pullups: 75*2 75*1 75*1 75*1,1
• Push Press: 225*1 240*1 250*X
• Pendlay Rows: 165*4 185*4 205*2 215*1
• DB Reverse Laterals: 15*9 25*6

Easing back into pullups as well, felt pretty good here, as long as I didn't let my shoulder blades get yanked then the rest of the shoulder felt fine. Continue to accumulate strength on Pendlays. 

June 30, 2014 Upper Body

• Bench Press (Paused Reps, No Arch): 225*3 250*1 270*1 280*1
• T-Bar Rows: 160*3 170*1 175*1
• Push Press: 205*1 225*1 235*1 245*1
• DB Rows: 120*7 120*5
• Cable Laterals: 20*7 25*7

36 minutes

I wanted to time one, just to see how I did, 36 minutes...not bad.  Strength is holding up great here; push pressing went well, and I threw DB Rows in since it's been a while. Used to be my favorite lat exercise before I figured out BB Rows.  I feel like I should incorporate them more regardless.  Shoulder is feeling pretty good too, which is nice. 

June 9, 2014 Upper Body

• Bench Press, Paused, No Arch: 225*2 250*2 265*1 275*1(!)
• Pendlay Rows: 135*3 155*4 175*4 185*4(!) 205*2(!!!!)
• Push Press: 205*1 225*1 240*1
• Neutral Grip 1.5 Pullups: 7 - left elbow tight
• Landmine Laterals: 55*6 55*5

Good times! Happy with the 275 with no arch, AND paused reps.  Really just a good session for strength, got 185 and the 205 on pendlays, and this is with form absolutely locked in. Back didn't come up an inch from parallel.  Push press felt good too. Left elbow was getting tight by the time i got to pullups. 

June 2, 2014 Upper

• Bench Press (Paused Rep, No Arch): 225*2 245*2 255*1 265*1
• T-Bar Rows: 135*4 145*3 155*3
• Push Press: 225*1 235*1
• Rope Pullups (Thick Rope): 3, 2
• DB Reverse Laterals: 15*7, 15*7
• Landmine Laterals: 65*2 65*1

Good session, progressing well, going to keep up with the alternative benching, adn then every month or so testing my max. Holding around 300 so far.  Reverse laterals are going well, seem to be keeping my upper/mid back nice and thick near my spine.  Also, need to start keeping better track of numbers on assistance exercises so I don't end up in a miasma of never progressing.  I feel like too many people do that; they progress on main lifts, but assistance stuff gets left behind, and eventually it's not at the same level as your main lifts, thus holding those lifts back. 

May 22, 2014 Upper

• Seated Press: 135*5 155*4 175*2
• Sternum Pullups: 6,4,4
• Incline Bench Paused Reps: 225*2 235*1 245*1
• Landmine T-Bar Rows (not unilateral this time): 160*7 205*4 230*3
• Suitcase Carries: 40*100 40*75

I should really be doing a row or pull of some sort first here, since Monday I do benching first. Just realized that as I'm typing now.  I did sternum pullups because I'm trying to ease back in on my left elbow and right shoulder, so I don't want to do anything weighted yet, but still wanted a challenge.  Same with the paused reps, the weight is lower so it's a tad easier. Also tried doing t-bar rows with a barbell, but not unilaterally for once. It was nice, but I felt it more in my rhomboids/mid back as opposed to lats.  Suitcase carries I tried picking up the pace a bit, not sure if I like it better or not. 

March 31, 2014 Upper / Heavy

• Bench Press (Paused Reps, No Arch): 225*3 245*3 255*2 265*1 275*1
• BB Rows: 185*3 225*3 245*2
• Push Press: 225*1 250*1
• Neutral Grip Pullups: 70*2 70*2
• DB Incline: 90*4 100*4 
• DB Reverse Laterals: 15*10

43 minutes

Rows focused on form again, going to keep doing that.  My left elbow is still hurting, I think I have mild tennis elbow in it, it hurts when I go from full extension to any bent position; so from the bottom of a pullup through the whole movement, or on push pressing from the lockout overhead down to the racking movement on my shoulders.  I think I irritated it initially from all the heavy push pressing I was doing.  May lay off pullups for a week or two see if that helps. Rest of session went well; I was actually very happy I got 275 on the bench paused rep, no arch.  Strength is holding up well so far as well. 

October 29, 2013 Upper Body / Heavy

• Bench Press (Paused Reps); 225*3 245*3 255*3 265*1 275*1
• BB Rack Rows: 225*3 245*2 225*3
• Push Press: 225*1 235*1
• Paused Neutral Grip Pullups: 90*3 90*2
• Landmine Laterals: 70*2
• Side-Planks: 1:00

45 minutes

This went well.  Paused at the top on pullups, maybe I need to do that more often.  Also, on rows I tried doing them off the safety bars in a rack to see if it made any difference, not sure if it did or not. 

Last session before week off!  This cut went really well, and I'm excited for the bulk, I'll be posting diet after.  Also will be posting thoughts on this cut at a later date as well!

August 15, 2013 Upper Body Heavy

• Incline Bench (Paused Reps): 225*1,1,1 230*1,1,1 235*1
• Pullups: 90*2 90*1 90*1
• Standing Press: 155*2 175*1 165*2
• BB Unilateral Barbell T-Bar Rows: 180*2 190*1
• DB Flat Bench: 110*5 115*3

42 minutes

Good session, wanted to get back to doing paused reps..really love those things.  Figured if I'm going heavy on pullups I should actually go heavy instead of doing like 80 or whatever. on Standing press my left wrist started to hurt. The unilateral t-bars were fun, just piled weight on to see what I could do. Finished strong on flat benching.  Not bad numbers considering I'm cutting, or finished with the cut. 

May 23, 2013 Upper Body

• Incline Bench Press (paused rep) Cluster: 235*1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
• Pullups: 80*3 80*3 80*3
• Standing Press: 155*3 175*1 165*2
• Unilateral BB T-Bar Rows: 145*6 155*6
• DB Flat: 120*4
• Ring Pullups: 10, 6

44 minutes

Good session. Up to 85 lbs. added on for pullups next week.  Going to up the unilateral t-bar rows too, when I clamp down my midsection I absolutely smoke them at these weights. Finished with some ring pullups. Toasted

May 20, 2013 Upper Body

• Bench Press (Paused Rep) Cluster Set: 270*1, 260*1,1,1,1,1, 265*1,1,260*1,1
• BB Rows: 225*5 245*5 265*5 275*5
• Push Press: 225*1 235*1
• Neutral Grip Pullups: 85*2 85*2 85*2
• Landmine laterals: 50*9 55*5
• DB Incline Bench: 110*4

42 minutes

Another odd cluster set, just could not get a consistent weight. Odd that I was doing 285 a few weeks ago, and in that time my max bench hasn't fallen.  No idea why cluster weight fell off, may be fatigue.  Right shoulder getting sore on incline & flat bench last two weeks. Next week is an off week though so it'll get rest. Rest of workout went fine, 85 on neutral grip pullups. My regular pullup numbers are starting to catch up with it.  More fun with landmine laterals, may do two sets of 50 next week, I want both sets over 8 reps. 

May 16, 2013 Upper Body

• Incline Bench Press (Paused Rep) Cluster Set: 225*1,1,1,1,1,235*1,1,1,1,1
• Pullups: 80*3 80*3 80*2
• Standing Press: 145*3 165*2 155*4
• Unilateral T-Bar Rows: 145*6 155*5
• DB Flat: 120*4
• Face-Pulls: 25*10 40*10

45 minutes

225 was too light on cluster, upped to 235 halfway through. 

May 13, 2013 Upper Body

• Bench Press: 275*1 290*1 300*1 310*1
• Bench Press (Paused Rep): 275*1
• Pendlay Rows: 175*6 195*6 215*4
• Push Press: 205*1 225*1 235*1
• Neutral Grip Pullups: 75*3 75*3 75*3
• Landmine Laterals: 45*10 50*6

46 minutes

Didn't feel like doing a cluster set here, just tooled around a bit with benching, got to 310.   I really like Pendlay rows, probably going to drop the weight a bit on the 3rd set, these are really an exercise where any degradation on form defeats the purpose really.  Push pressing went well, as did neutral grip pullups.  Pulled back on the landmine lateral weight a tad as well, since I'm going more for high reps on them. Good session

April 25, 2013 Upper Body

• Incline Bench Press (Paused Rep) (Cluster Set): 245*1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
• Pullups: 70*4 70*3 70*3
• Standing Press: 155*3 165*2 175*1
• Unilateral T-bar Rows: 165*4 175*3 185*3
• DB Flat Bench: 120*4 120*3

44 minutes

Wasn't sure I'd complete the cluster; then I realized I was going too high on my chest, was almost at the base of my neck.  It's MUCH easier the lower on your chest you go.  Last few reps were actually easier than the first few.  Took about 9 minutes total, so had about 45 seconds between reps.  Up weight next week on pullups.  Standing press I'm getting antsy, I know I don't prioritize it but I want to start pushing the weight up more on it.  Unilateral t-bar rows...probably going to go 155-165-175 next week, feel like I was torquing too much on the 185 set.