30 JUN 11 -- Bench Press

Trained the bench press this afternoon. Last night was the end of my week of night shifts...whew! I've been on night shift for two weeks now, and I think my body will need a return to day shift to recover. I recall reading somewhere that people who regularly work night shifts can lose up to ten years on their life's span. I hope that's not going to be the case for me. I would like to get in as many years as I can.

The training max for bench press is 335 lbs (my actual max single is at least 30 lbs higher than this, but I continue to work with the training max number, as Wendler recommends, since the extra volume of reps will never hurt). Again, 40. 50, and 60% for warm up sets:

45 (bar) x 25
135 x 5
170 x 5
205 (should have been 200) x 5

Working sets:

220 x 5
250 x 5
285 x 12 (actually 11, but the last one was an assisted rep with my spotter = 11.5 reps)

Now, I was only required to do 5, and probably should have stuck with the requisite number, as recommended, but I wanted to test where I was at with this weight, which I have hit at different times over previous waves. Previous bests with this weight topped out at 11 reps, so although I had to get an assist on the last one to get 12, I consider the two weeks of night shift and not enough sleep to be a factor. I know where I am at, and can still see progress.

Assistance work consisted of incline dumbbell presses. 75 lbs dumbbells for 10, 10, 10, 9, and then 11. I took a bit longer rest before I hit the final set to make sure that I could squeeze off an extra rep for an even 50 reps.

Then I cracked off some bodyweight chin ups: 12, 8, 7, 5, 5, 5, 5 and 3 extra ones for an even 50 reps. I noticed that I felt stronger on these chin ups and they went up nice and smooth.  As stated in an earlier entry, I want to shoot for 100 chin ups per week, so this week's tally is 103. If I wasn't into lifting weights, I'd still be training with chin ups, dips and push ups. They're all perfect exercises for the upper body and arms, as well as the core, and certainly much easier on the joints than weight lifting. I don't see many people doing chins at the gyms I've been to, and yet, they seem like an athletic movement, very gymnastic, that would be of great benefit to the trainee, including the jump to reach the chin up bar.

I could have done some dips, rows or curls today, but I just wasn't feeling up to it. Wendler says to throw in 5 x10 curls at some point during the week, so I might do some tomorrow on squat day, or maybe even on Saturday. Hell, I might even go down to the home gym in my basement tonight, throw some weight on the bar and start curling, even if just for shits and giggles, lol.

A Day Of Rest and Some Supplement Info

Taking a rest today. I should be doing some cardio, hill sprints or sled pulls, but I just feel like taking it easy for now. I have to work again tonight, another 11-7 shift, and then I'm off for the long weekend. I'll be hitting some bench presses tomorrow, and if I can motivate myself, possibly some cardio.

As far as supplements are concerned, I'm not really into them a whole lot. I don't use protein or whey powder, and can probably count on both hands the number of times I've purchased protein supplements. I am, however, a user of creatine monohydrate. It is one supplement which I do use frequently, and at this time, I am using the product made by Kaizen:

 http://www.kaizennutrition.com

Another supplement which I am currently using for the first time is Black Powder, a pre-workout nitric oxide booster. I like this stuff, both the taste and the effect it produces. I had used NO-Xplode before, but the taste was horrible, it looked like toilet bowl cleaner when mixed up, and everytime I used it, I had to make numerous trips to the washroom during workouts. Never again.

Black Powder

That's it for supplements, folks. I'm not big on them, can't really afford them anyways, and I'm generally just plain satisfied with the effects which the creatine and pre-workout booster give me.

28 JUNE 11 -- Dead Lift

Dead lift day, with training max set at 500 lbs. The warm up sets typically go, 40, 50, then 60% of that number:

200 (I set it at 205 because I was too lazy to put a bunch of little weights on the bar) x 5
250 x 5
300 x 3

Then, the working sets, which run at 65, 75, and then 85% of the training max number. Each set for this particular week has a requisite number of 5 reps. The trainee may go all-out on the last set, shooting for 5+ reps, but Wendler prefers that the number of reps stay only at the requisite in order to allow the body enough recovery from the week previous (which was all-out on the last set).

325 x 5
375 x 5
425 x 5

The assistance work, which allows for hypertrophy as well as strengthening of the muscle groups involved in the main lift of the day, was divided into three parts:

Dead lift for 5 x 10 reps at 250 lbs. I kept the rest between sets at a minimal period of time, so it was a bit of a cardio workout as well. I was soaked with sweat doing these, as the gym was rather warm today.

Dumbbell shrugs: 100 lbs each hand for 3 x 15 reps.

2 x 20 bodyweight (BW) sit ups on the incline sit up bench.

It was a great workout, and there was a nice breeze when I stepped outside of the gym, so I went for a country cruise in the car with the windows down to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. I am working night shift this week, 11-7, so I am a little tired today, and glad that the schedule didn't require an all-out workout. Next week will be the grueling sessions.

My Strength Goals

I should introduce you to my goals for the year 2011.

I established these goals at the beginning of this year, on January 9th. I believe they are reasonable based on current strength levels. Here they are:

Bench Press --> 400 lbs
Overhead Press --> 275 lbs
Squat --> 500 lbs
Dead Lift --> 600 lbs
Bodyweight Chin Ups --> 20 reps nonstop

These are the goals I am constantly training for, striving for, being of the mind that once I reach them, I just might be able to say at the end of my life that I was a strong bastard, lol. When I first got into heavy lifting, I wanted to get a 300 lbs bench press. I remembered how I was able to do a single bench press rep of 285 lbs in my last year of high school. So one day, years after high school, I looked back and thought, why not try to get a 300 bench? Now that I have reached that goal ( I can bench 300 lbs for 10 reps), I want to go further and get a 400 bench. When I achieve that goal, I know that I'll be eyeing 450 lbs. It's a numbers game, much like the process of capturing wealth. Every workout is like an investment.

Powerlifters and the filthy rich have a lot in common ;)

27 JUN 11 -- Overhead Press 3x5

Day One of the next 3x5 week.

Overhead press training max: 230 lbs.
Warm Up Sets:
45 lbs x 15 reps
90 lbs x 5 reps
115 lbs x 5 reps
140 lbs x 3 reps

Working Sets:
150 x 5 reps
175 x 5 reps
195 x 5 reps

I could easily do more for the last set, but this week, Wendler recommends sticking with only the requisite number of reps, so I am going to go with his plan.

Assistance Work:

Supersetted standing dumbell presses (5 x 10 at 55 lbs each) with bodyweight chin ups. The chin up reps looked like this: 12, 8, 7, then 5. These I followed with bodyweight dips supersetted with more chin ups. Dips were 15, 10, 10 and chin ups were 5, 5, 5. I did one extra set of chin ups culminating with 6 reps. Total chin ups were 53. Wendler recommends getting 50 chin ups if you are working with bodyweight. I would like to do weighted chin ups but the gym I am training at doesn't have a weight harness for either chin ups or dips. Oh well, the extra reps are good for hypertrophy and probably easier on the joints. I am thinking of making it a plan to do a total of 100 chin ups per week. Wendler is very adamant on incorporating lots of chins, being of the opinion that every pressing set that one does should be matched with a pulling set. Makes sense to me.

My Last Training Session

First post from the training log.

My last training session was on Friday, June 24th. On this day, I was training the squat.

My training "max", or the number which I use to calculate working set percentages, is at the moment set at 490 lbs for the squat.

Warm Up Sets:
135 lbs x 5 reps
195 lbs x 5 reps
245 lbs x 5 reps
295 lbs x 3 reps

Working Sets:
390 lbs x 3 reps
415 lbs x 3 reps
440 lbs x 5 reps
Note -- The last set is the all-out set, and during this week of the program, I am only required to perform 3 reps as a requisite number, although the trainee is encouraged to get out as many as possible, with the exclusion of a rep or two, "in the hole". I had set my goal for the day at 6 reps, but on the fourth rep, I wasn't "feeling it", so I stopped at five. Not bad, but I don't like it when I don't hit my goal for the day. I always make a point of setting a reps goal for the final set before I hit the gym.

Then came some heavy singles:
455 lbs x 1, 475 lbs x 1, 485 lbs x 1. A few people in the gym were watching, I was starting to feel a little pump coming back, so I put 5 big plates on either side of the bar and hit a final single squat of 495 lbs. This was the most I have ever done in a full squat. I felt a surge of satisfaction and triumph.

I finished the legwork with Cybex universal leg presses, getting in some hypertrophy for the legs:
220 lbs x 20 reps, 240 lbs x 20 reps, 260 lbs x 20 reps.

My last bit of assistance work was bodyweight sit ups on the incline sit up bench: 2 x 20 reps.

Normally, I like to do 5x10 squats for the hypertrophy work at 50% of the working max, but given the heavy singles done today, I thought I would go easy on my lower back and stick to pure leg work with the machine presses. I will resume 5x10 squats this week as it will be the 3x5 week with no heavy singles behind the working sets.

Tomorrow will be the beginning of 3x5 week and I will be training the overhead press. I'll let you know how it goes :)

My Approach to Training via the 5/3/1 Program

For those familiar with powerlifting and strength training, Jim Wendler needs little introduction. However, for the benefit of those not familiar, here's a quick link to read a little about the man and his  program, which is now ubiquitous in the strength community:

Jim Wendler and 5/3/1

This program is noted for both its simplicity and the gradual and consistent results it produces for its adherents. I became aware of this program last summer after doing some reading on strongman discussion boards and figured I would give it a go too. I purchased the e-book "5/3/1" and started the training program outlined in it late in August of 2010. I've deviated from the program twice. The first time was last October to late November. I was putting a week aside for deer hunting (a successful hunt if I may add), but after the hunt, my motivation went into a rut. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue on with heavy strength training. However, I resolved myself to continue, and went forward on November 29th, recommencing the program. Injury struck on March 5th, 2011 while doing a heavy single overhead press. I was pressing 225 lbs and felt a distinct and sharp pull in my trap muscle, causing a great amount of pain in my neck. It was at that time that I figured I would try the Smolov squat program to focus on my squat and leg development. I will post a blog entry referring to this later.

I returned to the 5/3/1 program on April 11th. My trap had healed, my legs were stronger from several weeks of Smolov style training, and I wanted to resume the balanced training for the whole body which the 5/3/1 program provides. Coming back to 5/3/1 was like revisiting an old friend. I enjoy this program very much due to its emphasis on creating a balance between strength, muscle building and conditioning. Your strength levels will improve in gradual increments during each four week cycle, or wave, and it's fun to watch how many reps you can perform in your last set. I always bring a logbook to the gym for recording reps and poundages (it's an indispensable tool in the 5/3/1 program) and the log I have kept has charted slow, but steady progress, just as Wendler guarantees with his program. This program has also kept me relatively injury free. The trap pull mentioned earlier occurred on a max single, something which could have been prevented by not going so heavy and sticking to the use of submaximal weights as Wendler recommends.

To recap, I enjoy this program, it produces results, is extremely simple and easy to follow, and it's fun. I also enjoy the Wendler approach to training and life, as displayed in his writings. His program is serious, he's excelled in serious competition (at his last meet, a 675 lbs bench press, 700 lbs dead lift and 1000 lbs squat!), yet you can tell that he enjoys life and humor. To me, that's the way it should be.

First Entry - An Intro

I am putting this blog up for anyone who's interested in reading other people's strength training logs. I enjoy reading training logs, and figured I would put one up of my own for people like myself. As well, it's fun to journal, to put our thoughts out there in cyberspace for the world to read. This blog will post my training results, my thoughts on training, and undoubtedly, my ups and downs in training and life.

As an intro, I'm Chris, a 43 year-old guy who's into lifting heavy weights, powerlifting style, and I am currently training for strongman competition.  I'm not sure how far down the road I'll be going into the realm of strongman, but for now, I have at least one competition in mind and I'll see how that one goes. It's in August 2011. After it's done, I may go into a different direction, possibly just powerlifting, but for the next while, this log will show my efforts towards the August event.