I had a couple of really great workouts this past week and figured Id share them. Wednesday looked something like this.
Wednesday Today was my max effort/high intensity lower body day.
Yoke bar reverse lunge 132lbsx3 172lbsx3 222lbsx3 237lbsx3 PR 172lbsx5
This was the third week of a heavy cycle for this exercise; felt pretty strong. I've been cycling between single leg work and bilateral work to make sure I give my back a break and keep things balanced out. I can definitely say that when I do squat or pull now, I feel more stable and stronger than ever. All of the heavy single leg work and special hip and oblique work has paid off.
One leg rdl w/ farmers bar 90lbsx3 130lbs 2x3 110lbsx3
Felt good; really hammering out the single leg work right now. The farmers bar works great for one leg rdl's. I put 35's on and load it up from there; this allows you to pull the weight off the floor like a regular deadlift each rep. Killer exercise all around.
Bulgarian split squat 76lbs of chain 35lb db’s (70lbs) or 146lbs x8 130lbs2x8 These are killer in the middle of the workout; I believe this was the fourth week I did these for reps. I've been doing them with a slight pause in the bottom. They smoke me every time.
Roller Reverse Hyper +50lbs 3x12 +70lbsx12
I did these with a slight pause in the top. The entire back side of my body feels great after them. Great exercise to strengthen your posterior chain, improve glute function and keep your back healthy.
Single lying leg curl 50lbs 3x6-8
Noticed a difference in where my feet were trying to press into the plate during glute ham raises a couple of weeks ago so I've been doing these to make sure I hit my hamstrings evenly.
Bird dog w/ abduction blue mini 2x8 each way
Finishing off the glutes and low back extensors nicely
Half kneeling cable hold 40lbs 2x6-8 each way
Training the obliques and hips to stabilize squarely; these are killer
Standing abs 50lbsx12 60lbsx12 One of my favorite ab exercises for carry over to deads and squats. I do these with a neutral spine and move through the hips like a reverse deadlift
Wall press abs for reps, calf work. No conditioning today as I was feeling pretty cashed and was running out of time.
Thursday Had a good lifting crew today for once. Four of us going at it with good intensity and hard music blasting. Awesome session. Today I did my max effort work, heavy upper back and lat work and and incline db work; then hammered my arms especially triceps; finished with some cuff and scap work.
Floor Press w/ red band (adds ~60lbs at the top) 185lbs+bandsx1 225lbs+bandsx1 255lbs+bandsx1 275lbs+bandsx1 285lbs+bandsx1 PR 185lbs+bandsx12
This was the third week of a max effort cycle for banded floor presses. I hit a nice pr with the 285+bands. I did 5's and 3's the previous two weeks. Will do db presses for reps the next couple weeks then go to a new max effort exercise after.
Rack Lockouts 315lbsx5 345lbsx3 365lbsx3 400lbsx1
I set the pins so that I'm pressing the top half of the press. Loaded these up and felt real strong.
Half kneeling cable row 100lbsx5 110lbs3x5 75lbsx12
Been really focusing on getting quality retraction and proper lower trap recruitment with these
Incline db press 85lbs 3x8
Neutral grip pullups 22lb chain 3x8-10 bwx8
Rolling db extensions 40lbsx8 50lbs 3x8 / One arm band pushdown orange 3x8-12 Gotta have strong triceps for a strong press
High incline db curls 40lbs 3x8 / One arm rev cable curl 50lbs 3x7-8
Incline db flies 35lbs 3x12 w/ pause (extra pec work)
I’s/T’s 10lbs 3x12-15 Y’s 5lbs 3x20 (gotta have strong scap function and strong, balanced trapezius muscles. My lower traps have come a long way and are feeling good.
Face pull on pulldown machine 3x8-12
External rotation at side 3x10-12
Added in a few rounds of battle ropes to get some conditioning in.
Overall great workout; felt very strong all day.
Basically combining some powerlifting and bodybuilding stuff right now. The upper day from this write up is basically my more intense day and has more of a chest and back focus after my max effort work. The other upper day is done on Sunday or Monday and involves an overhead press followed by more of a delt and arm focus. I do hit everything to some extent on both days however. For lower, I have one day that is more intense like the one from this write up and one day that is a little bit easier depending on how I feel. One day I usually do either a heavier single leg exercise or semi heavy squat or pull and the other I do either a moderate single leg exercise, speed squat or pull, or sled or prowler work. Glutes, hamstrings, and obliques are hammered out during both workouts (I work quads too; they just don't need as much focus right now). I definitely try to blitz my legs extra hard on Wednesday (like the one on this writeup). I then have a couple of extra workouts I do on other days or later on these days that involves some type of mild conditioning workout or weak point/recovery work. One might look like this: light sled drags, side bridges, high rep reverse hypers, calf work. My training regimen is ever changing depending on my goals and focus at the time so its hard to explain everything but this is a current idea of how my training looks.
Back feels good; not quite ready for max effort deads yet but getting there. (had a tear near the 12th rib attachment site of QL and iliocostalis) I'm thinking about doing a bench only meet or possibly a bodybuilding show. I need to compete in something soon; thats for sure.
Perform Better summit in Chicago this weekend; should be a great time and a great opportunity to learn some great new things.
Train hard !
Wednesday Today was my max effort/high intensity lower body day.
Yoke bar reverse lunge 132lbsx3 172lbsx3 222lbsx3 237lbsx3 PR 172lbsx5
This was the third week of a heavy cycle for this exercise; felt pretty strong. I've been cycling between single leg work and bilateral work to make sure I give my back a break and keep things balanced out. I can definitely say that when I do squat or pull now, I feel more stable and stronger than ever. All of the heavy single leg work and special hip and oblique work has paid off.
One leg rdl w/ farmers bar 90lbsx3 130lbs 2x3 110lbsx3
Felt good; really hammering out the single leg work right now. The farmers bar works great for one leg rdl's. I put 35's on and load it up from there; this allows you to pull the weight off the floor like a regular deadlift each rep. Killer exercise all around.
Bulgarian split squat 76lbs of chain 35lb db’s (70lbs) or 146lbs x8 130lbs2x8 These are killer in the middle of the workout; I believe this was the fourth week I did these for reps. I've been doing them with a slight pause in the bottom. They smoke me every time.
Roller Reverse Hyper +50lbs 3x12 +70lbsx12
I did these with a slight pause in the top. The entire back side of my body feels great after them. Great exercise to strengthen your posterior chain, improve glute function and keep your back healthy.
Single lying leg curl 50lbs 3x6-8
Noticed a difference in where my feet were trying to press into the plate during glute ham raises a couple of weeks ago so I've been doing these to make sure I hit my hamstrings evenly.
Bird dog w/ abduction blue mini 2x8 each way
Finishing off the glutes and low back extensors nicely
Half kneeling cable hold 40lbs 2x6-8 each way
Training the obliques and hips to stabilize squarely; these are killer
Standing abs 50lbsx12 60lbsx12 One of my favorite ab exercises for carry over to deads and squats. I do these with a neutral spine and move through the hips like a reverse deadlift
Wall press abs for reps, calf work. No conditioning today as I was feeling pretty cashed and was running out of time.
Thursday Had a good lifting crew today for once. Four of us going at it with good intensity and hard music blasting. Awesome session. Today I did my max effort work, heavy upper back and lat work and and incline db work; then hammered my arms especially triceps; finished with some cuff and scap work.
Floor Press w/ red band (adds ~60lbs at the top) 185lbs+bandsx1 225lbs+bandsx1 255lbs+bandsx1 275lbs+bandsx1 285lbs+bandsx1 PR 185lbs+bandsx12
This was the third week of a max effort cycle for banded floor presses. I hit a nice pr with the 285+bands. I did 5's and 3's the previous two weeks. Will do db presses for reps the next couple weeks then go to a new max effort exercise after.
Rack Lockouts 315lbsx5 345lbsx3 365lbsx3 400lbsx1
I set the pins so that I'm pressing the top half of the press. Loaded these up and felt real strong.
Half kneeling cable row 100lbsx5 110lbs3x5 75lbsx12
Been really focusing on getting quality retraction and proper lower trap recruitment with these
Incline db press 85lbs 3x8
Neutral grip pullups 22lb chain 3x8-10 bwx8
Rolling db extensions 40lbsx8 50lbs 3x8 / One arm band pushdown orange 3x8-12 Gotta have strong triceps for a strong press
High incline db curls 40lbs 3x8 / One arm rev cable curl 50lbs 3x7-8
Incline db flies 35lbs 3x12 w/ pause (extra pec work)
I’s/T’s 10lbs 3x12-15 Y’s 5lbs 3x20 (gotta have strong scap function and strong, balanced trapezius muscles. My lower traps have come a long way and are feeling good.
Face pull on pulldown machine 3x8-12
External rotation at side 3x10-12
Added in a few rounds of battle ropes to get some conditioning in.
Overall great workout; felt very strong all day.
Basically combining some powerlifting and bodybuilding stuff right now. The upper day from this write up is basically my more intense day and has more of a chest and back focus after my max effort work. The other upper day is done on Sunday or Monday and involves an overhead press followed by more of a delt and arm focus. I do hit everything to some extent on both days however. For lower, I have one day that is more intense like the one from this write up and one day that is a little bit easier depending on how I feel. One day I usually do either a heavier single leg exercise or semi heavy squat or pull and the other I do either a moderate single leg exercise, speed squat or pull, or sled or prowler work. Glutes, hamstrings, and obliques are hammered out during both workouts (I work quads too; they just don't need as much focus right now). I definitely try to blitz my legs extra hard on Wednesday (like the one on this writeup). I then have a couple of extra workouts I do on other days or later on these days that involves some type of mild conditioning workout or weak point/recovery work. One might look like this: light sled drags, side bridges, high rep reverse hypers, calf work. My training regimen is ever changing depending on my goals and focus at the time so its hard to explain everything but this is a current idea of how my training looks.
Back feels good; not quite ready for max effort deads yet but getting there. (had a tear near the 12th rib attachment site of QL and iliocostalis) I'm thinking about doing a bench only meet or possibly a bodybuilding show. I need to compete in something soon; thats for sure.
Perform Better summit in Chicago this weekend; should be a great time and a great opportunity to learn some great new things.
Train hard !
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