November 7, 2014 Lower / Olympic Lifting

• Hanging Power Snatches: 135*2 115*3 135*3 145*3 150*3 155*2
• Hanging Power Cleans: 185*2 185*1
• Romanian Deadlifts: 315*2 315*2

Got a football game coming up on Tuesday of this coming week, want to conserve energy here. Plus it's between bulking/cutting. I should be taking the week off technically. I'll just take the next 5 days off.  Also, have progress pics I need to post soon. 

April 25, 2014 Lower / Heavy

• Deadlifts: 405*1 435*1 455*1 475*1
• Romanian Deadlifts: 275*3 315*3 365*2
• Step-Ups: 75*3 60*5
• Wide-Stance Anti-Rotational Chops: 80*4 90*3

Good session, threw in romanians since my shoulder still hurts if I lift it over my head, which eliminates snatches, and the movement for cleans hurts it too...not sure what's going on. Hopefully a couple days off from using it this weekend fixes it. 

May 7, 2013 Lower Body

• Deadlift: 365*1 405*1 425*1
• Hanging Power Snatch: 135*2 150*2 160*1/2
• Hanging Power Clean: 135*3 155*3 165*3 175*2 185*1
• Glute Bridges: 315*4 405*4 455*3 500*3 550*2 NEW PR? NEW PR!!
• Romanian Deadlifts: 225*3 275*3 315*3
• Ab-Wheel: 10, 10
• P.U.P.P.: 1:00, 1:00

59 minutes

Well that was fun.  Felt like doing an extended workout here, so I did.  Deadlifts I really focused on keeping my shoulders pinned back and making sure I didn't slump at all at the shoulders.  Also didn't want to go too high on weight this week.   Snatches I aaaaalmost had 160.  Next on power cleans I'm starting back over again and focusing on form this time, and making sure I'm keeping the weight in close to my body.  I don't want them to turn into ballistic front raises or something.  After that glute bridges; since I found last week that they didn't really hurt my back/leg that much at all I wanted to push it.  Got to 550 and wasn't sure if that was a PR, turns out 545 was my old one.  I really think I could have had 575 or 600 here, maybe next week.  Was pumped so I did some RDLs, I'm trying to really hammer my lower back, but not via deadlifting & squats, I want to bring my lower back strength up so that it can support squatting better, so I'm throwing in a lot more good mornings, and RDLs.   Finished with some ab-wheel and PUPPs.  Was completely battered after!  

March 29, 2013 Lower Body

• Squats (cluster reps): 335*1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
• Bulgarian Split Squats: 95*6 115*6 135*6
• Walking Lunges: 110*5 160*3
• Romanian Deadlifts: 225*4 275*3
• 56 lbs kb swings: 20

43 minutes

This is quickly becoming my favorite workout of the week.  I don't sweat much, ever, but when I do this workout the last few weeks I'm drenched.    The cluster set went well this week; 2 weeks ago my ab cramped up, no such event this time.  Got the reps in.  Moved to Bulgarians next, and even though clusters don't leave you feeling shot, you can definitely sense that your muscles have worked.  I'm intentionally keeping the weight lower on Bulgarians as I try to work on the form of them, but honestly I'm not sure how much higher I could have gone.   Threw some extra weight on the walking lunges.  These are really what did me in; I was feeling it from the Bulgarians already and then those things done right after just toast me.  Did some Romanian deadlifting after and just pulverized my hamstrings which were already fatigued.   Finished with some kb swings; I was so tired at that point that I think they started to be more of a lower back movement on the last few reps.  Great session

March 1, 2013 Lower Body

• Squats: 300*3 315*3 335*3 355*1
• Romanian Deadlifts: 315*3 335*3 365*3
• Split Squats: 135*5 185*3
• Straight-Leg Cable Kickbacks: 80*10 100*6

46 minutes

Was absolutely drenched after this one. Not used to squatting heavy after the last few months.  The odd thing is I don't feel like the higher rep stuff effected my subsequent higher weight efforts on other exercises, but I definitely felt them on squats. Did some Romanian deadlifts after, I can never tell if I'm engaging my hamstrings enough on them...and then about 3 hours later they're still trying to cramp up on me.  Split squats went well, I never know what I'm going to get with them, some days they're easy, other times it's tough sledding. Finished with some cable kickbacks, really enjoy these, the return portion where the leg goes back to the starting position seems to be the key, doing it in a controlled manner. 

February 23, 2012 Lower Body / Light

• Squats: 315*4 325*3 335*3 350*2 360*1
• Hang Snatches: 135*3 145*3 155*2 165*X
• RDLs: 315*5 345*5 365*5
• Ab-Wheel:12

I realized my left IT band really tightens up on squatting, it's not comfortable, I think that's what was holding me back. So this time I foam rolled after each warm-up set, and after my first 3 working sets as well. Worked like a charm.  Feels great.   I can't wait to be back above 400 lbs here.  Pretty tired by the time snatches came around.  I'm toying with the idea of an all o-lift day, not sure what it would take the place of though.  Rediscovered the ab wheel. Good times. 

February 9, 2012 Lower / Light

• Squats: 230*5 260*5 280*5 295*5 310*4
• Hang Power Snatches: 135*3 140*3 150*3 160*2 135*6
• RDLs: 315*5 365*5 385*3

Good stuff!  Thinking of doing regular snatches instead of hanging, we shall see. 

February 2, 2012 Lower / Light

• Squats: 225*5 255*5 275*5 290*5 305*5
• Hanging Power Snatches: 135*3 135*3 145*3 155*3 135*5
• Romanian Deadlifts: 315*5 365*5 385*5

Returned to squatting, really focused on activating my hamstrings, and it appears to have worked well.  Snatches went well, and more Romanians to hammer on the hamstrings.  Great session. 

January 26, 2012 Lower / Light

• Hanging Power Snatches: 135*3 135*3 145*3 155*3 135*3
• Box Squats: 315*5 345*5 375*4 385*4
• Romanian Deadlifts: 315*5 365*3 385*2

Solid session. Of note, I managed to finally make that mind-muscle connection with my hamstrings on the box squatting.  I realized that when I bench I wouldn't have my pecs be disengaged for any of it, so why would I let that happen with hamstrings on squats.  I think that's what's been holding me back.  I really focused on keeping them flexed while doing the box squats, and sure enough it took away the little 'freefall' I have when I get near parallel.  I may do one more week of box squatting before returning to standard squats to really lock in the feeling, not sure yet.   Romanian deadlifting went well, really focused on ensuring the hips controlled the movement. You'll often see people do these and speak about how taxing it is on their lower back.  If you feel your lower back on them, you're not doing them right.  Focus on pushing your ass back as the weight descends, and then to bring it back up push your hips forward.  

January 19, 2012 Lower / Light

• Box Squats: 315*5 345*5 365*4 395*2
• Hanging Power Snatches: 135*3 135*3 145*3 155*3 165*1
• Romanian Deadlifts: 315*3 335*3 355*3

Not bad, upped weight on box squats. Realized lower sets of snatches were glorified warmups so I went higher all around.  Bumped up romanian deadlifts.  Good session

January 12, 2012 Lower / Light

• Box Squats: 315*5 345*5 365*5 385*3
• Hanging Power Snatches: 105*3 125*3 145*3 155*3 165*1
• Romanian Deadlifts: 275*3 300*3 315*3 335*3

Continuing with box squats, attempting to control descent on them.  Power snatches went well...could only get the one at 165.  Then on to Romanian Deadlifts.  Mochabear was right...hamstrings definitely a weak link in my squat.  The Romanians were very difficult, could only manage 335 and my hamstrings are jelly now.  Good stuff