June 12, 2012 Lower Body

• Trap Bar Deadlifts: 495*1 515*1 535*1 NEW PR!! 405*1
• Hanging Power Cleans: 175*3 185*1
• Shoulder-Touch Planks: 11

Well, I had said after last week when my back was sore that I was going to do some trap bar deadlifting.  The thing is, since it's easier to pull bigger weights I'm always tempted to go for a new record.  So I had a choice, take it easy, or go all in and try and break a record.  You can see which one won out there.  Was pretty much toast after that, so just did some cleans, and planks, then left.  Here's a video.  The form wasn't extraordinarily awful.  

May 11, 2012 Lower

• Box Squats: 315*5 365*4 385*3 400*1
• Hanging Power Snatches: 125*3 145*3 155*3 115*6
• 1 Leg Deadlifts: 115*6 135*6 155*6
• Shoulder-Touch Planks: 10

Great session!  I'm going to rotate in Box squats for a week every couple months just to make sure I'm using enough hamstring at the bottom of my regular squat.  Over time I drift away from it.  Snatches went well, working on the very top of the movement at this point, I feel like my arms aren't 100% straight sometimes, so I dropped to 115 and banged out 6 quality reps; I'm trying to pattern.   Also progressing on 1 leg deadlifts.  A word about one legged deadlifts, for anyone that hasn't tried them.  Start light, and gradually work up, as I am here.  I have never had soreness in my hamstrings and ass quite like I did after doing these.  Definitely recommend them.  

January 23, 2012 Lower / Heavy

• BB DL: 405*3 430*3 450*3 475*2 NEW PR!!
• Hanging Power Cleans: 185*3 195*3 205*X Exhausted 135*8
• Front Squats: 225*3 245*3
• Shoulder-Touch Planks: 12

WHOOOOOOOOOOO.  Old PR was 475*1 over the summer, 197 lbs. for this today.  Was exhausted after but tried some power cleans.  Did some front squats...they actually felt good, core was tight on them. Things are coming together well!

January 1, 2012 Sunday Conditioning

• Over-box Series Jumps: 10, 10
• Bench Plyo clap- Pushups: 5, 5, 5
• Shoulder Touch Planks: 12

First workout of the new year, basic stuff.  I like the clap pushups more than that standard bench pushups.  

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.  

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

October 6, 2011 Upper

• BB Incline: 225*8+1 225*6+1
• Pullups: 14, 10
• Standing Press: 140*8 160*4
• Shoulder-Touch Planks: 12

Was super pressed for time here, still got in a good session though.  I'm not sure what my record is for dead hang pullups but I feel like I could hit it soon whatever it is.  Did some forced rep on the incline too. Good stuff.  

September 25, 2011 COnditioning

• 34.5" Plyo Box Jumps: 15
• 34.5" Seated Plyo Box Jumps: 15
• 34.5" Weighted Seated Plyo Box Jumps: 8kg*5 8kg*5
• Shoulder-Touch Planks: 10

I am actually still alive.  I was just busy this week and I wasn't sleeping well for some reason, so I'm posting these all on October 1st.  Anyhoo, I tried holding a kettle bell while doing the weighted seated box jumps.  I just figure I can probably do 50 or 60 regular plyo box jumps, but at some point rather doing more I need to make the jumps I actually do more challenging.  Last week I had put 25 lbs. plates under the legs of the box to try and increase the height but it's really unstable.  I can't quite get the medium box on the tall box, I need another inch or so on my vertical before I can get there, so I'm going to try and do the weighted jumps for a while, see if that helps.  

September 11, 2011 Conditioning

• 28kg double-banded kb swings: 30, 30
• 7kg mb slams: 60, 40
• 30" seated box jumps: 30
• Plyo Bench Pushups: 7, 5
• P.U.P.P.: 2:02
• Shoulder-Touch Planks

nothing exciting here, wanted to hit a lot of different areas for this session so I kept it brief apropos sets of each movement.  

September 5, 2011 Upper

• BB Flat Bench: 250*9 250*8 240*9
• Pullups: 70*2 70*2 70*2
• Push Press: 155*4 180*4 200*4
• Neutral Grip Pullups: 12, 10, 8
• Shoulder-Touch Planks: 10, 10
• Rope Slams: 30

Getting back to work here, took yesterday off and went to the beach.  Definitely needed that off day.  I'm sore all over from that deadlift PR on Friday. Had a good haddock sandwich in Maine, it was delicious.    Crazy how sore I still am. I wasn't expecting to put up any good numbers this session, my CNS is definitely still fatigued, so to have this good of a workout is very boosting for me.  

AUgust 28, 2011 PM Conditioning

• Battling Ropes: 40, 30, 30
• KB Waiter Walk: 18kg*1 28kg*1
• Shoulder-Touch Planks: 10, 8

Had a mind numbingly long 5 hour fantasy football draft. Had to get out and do something afterward.  Gym was only open for another half hour when I got there, so I did this quickly, showered off, then came home

August 19, 2011 Deadlifting/Lower

• BB Deadlift: 405*1 435*1 455*1
• Glute Bridges: 405*4 NEW PR!! 405*6 405*5
• BB Rows (scapula pinned back): 135*10 185*7
• Batwings: 40*5 40*3
• 34" Plyo Box Jumps: 30
• Shoulder-Touch Planks: 8, 8

So when I wasn't being menaced by the Phantom Homo in the sauna I got in a good workout.  I feel like I could break my deadlift record right now as is, but I think next week is a scheduled off week for deadlifting, and my lower back needs it.  Glute bridges...yeah I think I could hit 500 here.  I feel like I need to do more mid/upper back work so I started doing some rows with my scapulae pinned back, then realized Dan John actually had an exercise for these called bat wings.  You can find a picture/link on them earlier in this blog.  I want to make sure that this part of my posterior chain doesn't hold back my deadlifting.  Finished with some plyo jumps & shoulder touch planks.  I actually pulled my left lat somehow on the jumps...still sore.