Bench/Overhead

Bench
275x3; 275x3; 275x3

Push Press
185x3; 185x3; 205x3

Barbell Curls w/ Fat Grip
95x8; 95x5; 95x5; 95x3

Seated Calves supersetted w/ Cable Curls
100x12; 100x12; 100x10; 145x8
90x14; 110x10; 110x8; 110x8

Notes
-Last workout of 2011.  Just did some random pressing stuff.  Recap and 2012 plans to follow.
-Fat grips destroy my biceps.

Deadlifts/Back

Speed Pulls
275x3; 275x3; 275x3; 275x3; 275x3

Bent BB Row
225x5; 275x5; 225x8

Chins
6; 5

Seated Row
200x10; 200x10; 200x10

Notes
-Speed pulls sucked.  Wasn't really into it.
-Surprised I've maintained a decent level of back strength.  275x5 is basically my "standard."  I hit that last night w/ straps and no belt.  I'll take it considering I haven't really done any heavy back work the past 10 weeks.  I'd like the bent row to roughly equal my bench, so I need to hit it hard and heavy in 2012

-No pain at all on chins.  YTI's and facepulls worked.  Yay.

Boxing

Agility Ladders to Warm Up

6 rounds focus gloves

45 minutes of 2 minute rounds

Notes
-Boxing sesh was a lot of fun tonight.  There were only 3 guys total so the time in between round was considerably shorter.  I was totally winded about halfway through the sparring rounds.  I've looked up a couple options for boxing gyms in STL.  I'm 99% I'm going to start doing this if I can find a cheap/convenient gym to join.  I will obviously have to balance lifting, but honestly this is just a lot of fun putting my power and speed to use.  I'd like to box at least 2-3x per week, and lift at least 3x per week.

Overhead

Standing Overheads (in ladder fashion)
135x1; 135x2; 135x3; 135x4; 135x2; 135x3; 134x4; 135x2; 135x3; 134x4; 135x2; 135x3; 134x4; 135x2

Close Grip Bench
185x8; 185x8; 185x8

DB Farmer Walk
90/90 x 70 yds; 90/90 x 70 yds; 90/90 x 70 yds

Notes
-Solid overhead session with Matt tonight.  Overheads were performed at a quick pace.  I did a set, then Matt immediately got under the bar, and so on.

-I have a lot swimming through my head for my next training phase.  Ladders will definitely be incorporated at some point.  I just think its a really solid way to strength train.  Lots of volume, solid crisp reps, and you have to setup and get in position many times in the course of a single workout.

Squat

Squat
315x2; 315x2; 365x5; 405x5

Notes
-Quick squat session with Matt tonight.  Each 405 rep felt grindy.  Squats suck because they are always fucking hard.

Bench and Curls

Bench
275x3; 275x3; 275x3

Close Grip Incline
135x10; 135x10; 135x10

Shrugs
315x3; 365x3; 365x3; 315x3

BB Row
135x12; 135x12; 135x12

Squat Rack Fat Grip BB Curls
75x8; 75x8; 75x8

DB Curl
30x10; 30x8; 30x6

Straight Bar Cable Curl
65x12; 60x12; 55x20

Notes
-Kind of a gay night.  Too sore to do anything good.

Upper Push

Bench
275x2; 295x1; 315x1; 275x6; 225x10

Push Press
185x3; 185x5; 185x5

Incline Smith
225x8; 225x8 225x8

Standing Calves
3 sets

Decline Abs
15; 15; 15

Notes
-Pretty heavy push day this morning.  I'm sore all over. Heavy bench/squat on Monday.  Max OHP on wednesday.  Boxing for the first time Thursday.  Heavy deads and crazy back volume yesterday, and then about 12 hours later I hit all of the big pressing muscles again.

-2012 is going to start with a mixed hypertrophy stage.  Its overdue at this point... Pounding individual body parts this week has been a lot of fun.  Its refreshing to leave the gym with my tri's/shoulders smoked.

Sheiko Realization: Deadlift

Deadlift
405x1; 455x1; 495x1; 545x0; 545x0; 315x10

Pull-Down Machine supersetted w/ Pull-Over Machine
3 sets 10 reps
3 sets 10 reps

The following was performed as one continuous mega set with with zero rest between sets or rounds

HS Low Row supersetted w/ Close Grip Pull-down supersetted w/ Farmers Walks
90x10/10; 90x10/10; 90x10/10

150x8; 150x8; 150x8

100x 50 yds; 100x50yds; 100x50yds


Notes
-Tonight was fun.  It was first time I've missed a gym lift in 1-2 years.  I really don't remember the last time that happened.  I knew I didn't have a big pull in me today as soon as I felt 405.  I was with my old training partner Chris, so I said fuck it and just kept going up.  495 was a grind.  I only attempted 545 because he loaded that for a triple.  When I missed it, I got fucking pissed and retried it.  I just have to lol at my second attempt.  I barely fucking broke the floor with the first, there was no way the second attempt would have happened.  Oh well. It was more fun watching Chris pull 495x5 and 545x3 after not deadlifting for 2 months.  No elaborate plans, no agonizing over stupid shit, he just shows up and destroys whatever is up to be destroyed that day. (He pulled 630x5 a few months ago).

-Even the lowest volume Sheiko sucks for my deadlift.  It has little to do with the deadlift programming, and more to do with the squat volume.  I was constantly pulling in a fatigued state, coming off a meet where I was pulling at an extreme 5x a week frequency.  I could feel my deadlift tanking every week.  The pulls were light compared to my official 570 deadlift, but they always felt heavy as fuck..   I never had a 570 deadlift during the program, and I was never close to it today.

-My 2012 deadlift approach will be slightly revamped.  The biggest change will be speed pulls in place of heavy sets. I've thought about this 1000 times, and there is simply no way for me to program a routine that involves heavy deadlifts on a weekly basis (without impacting every other lift).

-My goal has always been to total elite as a raw natural.  I will do this.  I have no doubts.  I'm not upset about today because I've learned so much the past 6 months.  My path to elite requires precision, and learning how to peak with every lift.  I'm not a Chris.  I can't brute strength my way into a huge total while staying natural a decent bodyweight.  I need to get good at each lift to move big weight.

Boxing

1 hour 20 minutes

Warm-up: Agility Ladders

Sparring: Lost count of the rounds

This was fucking awesome.  Sweated my ass off the entire time.  Learning how to move, defend, and throw basic combos was fun.  I obviously don't know jack shit, but it was a fun time.

Sheiko Realization: Overhead Press

Standing Overhead
135x3; 155x1; 175x1; 185x1; 195x1; 205x1; 215x1


Push Press
225x1


Rep Work
135x3; 135x3; 135x3; 135x2; 135x2; 135x2; 135x2

HS High Iso Row
270x8; 360x5; 360x5; 270x8

OH DB Extension
60x15; 60x15; 60x15

Facepulls
40x16; 40x16; 40x16

Notes
-All time PR in OH and push press.  I haven't done OH with much consistency over the years, but I feel tonight was a solid effort.  I'm going to start incorporating push presses into my routine in 2012.

-I only did the push press for my last heavy set so I could have two wheels over my head.  Felt good mang.

A.M. Cardio / H.I.I.T. Session

20 mins foam roll/stretch.

Row
-8 mins
-worked up to semi intense 2 min sprint

Stationary Bike H.I.I.T.
-15 mins  total
-3 rounds of 30 second sprint, 2 min back-off

Notes
-Feel good.  Will gradually increase work capacity.  Overall I want to keep these sessions moderate. About half the reason I'm doing them is it gives me something to do in the morning.

Recovery Day

Early Afternoon Cardio
-Foam Rolling
-8 Minutes Row
-8 Minutes Stationary Bike

Evening Recovery Session
-Foam Rolling
-53# KB Work: 3 rounds of Goblet Squats, Swings, Clean & Press

Notes
-Let the two-a-days begin.  I have lots of time on my hands, and I absolutely hate being bored.  I'm going to do some form of light cardio every morning.  Lifting/recovery at night.  I'll gradually work the cardio up to about 35 minutes max.
-I'm a little sore from the heavy lifts last night.  One cool thing I noticed: sore lats.  Sore lats from benching makes me happy.

Sheiko Realization

Squat
365x1; 405x1; 425x1; 455x1; 475x1

Bench
275x2; 295x1; 315x1; 225x5; 225x5; 225x3; 225x3; 225x3

YTI's
5x8/8/8; 5x8/8/8; 5x8/8/8

Notes
-Back in NH, got to workout with Matt and see another old training buddy. We had a lot of fun, and basically worked up to a daily max.  I haven't worked out in 10 days due to the final stretch of exams.  I pushed Sheiko as long as I could, but needed last week to go all out on school.

-Pleased with squat.  I did Sheiko with a 450 working max.  I easily had a 5 plate squat in me tonight, but I really just didn't feel like blowing my guts out in the process.  I have 3 weeks to go heavy while I'm home.  Same thing with bench.  Knew I had more in me, but I don't want to miss a rep right now.  Overall, it felt good to get some heavier reps in.

-Had a 3,000 calorie mexican dinner with Matt after training.

Sheiko Week 4 Day 3

Squat

275x3; 275x3; 315x3; 315x3; 365x3; 365x3; 365x3; 365x3; 365x3

Bench

225x3; 240x3; 275x3; 275x3; 290x2; 290x2; 290x2; 255x4; 255x4; 255x4

YTI’s 7.5x8/8/8; 7.5x8/8/8; 7.5x8/8/8

Leg Press

275x15; 365x15; 365x15

Notes

-This was awful.  My lower back was sore as fuck from deadlifts…glutes/tris/upper back were also sore.  Today was the heaviest individual load (intensity + volume) of the last 4 weeks.  I would have never actually gone through with this session if it wasn't the last planned workout of the training block.

-I may or may not have fucked my lower back.  Right now it just feels like my erectors are warm and throbbing, so I think its alright. Yay.

Update: I'm able to foam roll my lower back, albeit with extreme pain and a healthy dose of profanity. So, I think its musculature and I'm probably good.

Sheiko Week 4 Day 2

Deadlift
315x2; 365x2; 405x2; 455x2; 455x2; 475x2

Standing Overhead
160x5; 160x5; 160x5; 160x5(belt last set)

Bulgarian Split Squat
Barx5/5; 95x5/5; 95x5/5

Cable Row
150x8; 150x8; 150x8

Pullups
2; 2; 2

Notes
-Deads had good pop, but I felt the affects of accumulated fatigue with the heavier sets.  I'm not really sore, but there is no way I'm recovered from Monday's workout going into today.
-Overhead is really starting to grind.  I'm deloading next week, but I think I'm going to do some higher rep sets in the next few weeks.  Its really not a strength thing right now.  I've never consistently done standing OH, so I think I need to work on building the muscle that supports the lift for a while.
-Just testing the water with pullups. Moderate "twinge" with overhand grip. Underhand/neutral felt ok.  I don't know if I even care about doing pullups right now.

Sheiko Week 4 Day 1

Squat
225x3; 275x3; 315x2; 365x2; 385x2; 385x2

Bench
225x3; 275x3; 275x3; 275x3; 275x3

Squat
225x3; 275x3; 315x2; 315x2; 365x2; 365x2; 365x2; 365x2

Y.T.I's7.5x8/8/8; 7.5x8/8/8; 7.5x8/8/8... moved up to the 7.5'ers.  woot.

Standing Calf Raise supersetted w/ Tibialis Anterior Raise supersetted w/ DB Curl
150x18; 150x18; 150x18
40x8; 40x8; 40x8
35x12; 35x10; 35x10

Notes
-Squats were decent.  The bar felt much lighter on the second round.  It still sucked doing them though.
-Bench was slow and a little muddy.  I couldn't figure it out during the workout, then I got home and saw my entry for friday and realized it was a pretty heavy bench day.

Sheiko Week 3 Day 3

Bench
3x225; 3x240; 3x240; 3x275; 3x275; 3x275

Squat
3x275; 3x315; 4x345; 4x345; 4x345*

Bench
6x225; 6x225; 4x240; 4x240; 4x240; 4x240

Facepulls
10x12; 10x12; 10x12

Calf Raises and Low HG Cable Row (one continuous set)
135x20; 135x20; 135x20
150x8; 150x8; 150x8

*Dropped one set, but bumped worksets up by 10 lbs.

32 sets (including warm-ups) in 63 minutes.


Notes
-Training is fast and intense right now.  Rest periods are unracking the weight and watching the other person perform the set.  My work capacity has to be at an all time high.  I felt great after this session - pounded some chipotle and then took a 3 hour practice exam.

-Bench felt easier the second time around, which is a good sign.