September 2nd "make it or break it" log!

[wannalift]

5-3-06, max effort bench

4-board bench (8): 135x5, 175x3, 205x3, 225x1, 255x1, 275x1, 285xF, 285x1
inc tate press (4): 25x10, 35x10, 40x8, 45x4
long pulll (4): 120x6, 150x6, 170x6, 180x5
45 deg tri pushdown (3): 85x10, 100x10, 110x10

great session. my bench techniqe is getting better and better as is my stength. 275 went up rather convincingly. first attempt at 285 was way too high and didn't go anywhere, but in knew i could get it. tried again and gutted out the rep. felt awesome about it afterwards. everything else was solid and i had to leave early before i got to shoulder press (which i now regret).

[wannalift]

5-5-06, dynamic squat

speed box squat (#3 bands)(11): 145x3x2, 175x2, 195x2x8
dec glute/ham raise (hands behind head)(4): body x 8, x8, x7, x6
band pull downs (4): to failure
sled dragging (60 lb + sled weight): 200 ft, 60 sec rest, 150 ft, rest, 75 ft.

wheh, tough session. squatting was excellent. very convincing and with some speed. dec ghr's were super hard. felt almost like the first time. lots of tension on my hams. tried sled dragging for the first time. did it with a belt around my waist as the harness. i already want to buy a real harness. anyway, it seemed really easy at first, like i wasn't using enough weight. then midway throught the 2nd lap, it started to feel like i was walking through quick drying concrete. didn't even finish the lap. then after a short rest i power-walked it back to the garage. i want to do these all the time as they are great for my legs and cardio. my lungs felt like they do the first time i go running each year.

[wannalift]

5-7-06, dynamic bench

speed bench (#1 bands)(12): 45x5, 45x3x2, 75x3, 95x3x8
5 board close-grip bench (6): 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 245x3, 265x3, 275x3
rolling tri ext (5): 20x10, 30x10, 35x8x2, 40x5
lat pull down (3): 120x10, 150x6, 180x6, quit: sore bicep
tri pushdown (3): 95x10, 110x10, 120x8
face pulls (3): 100x12, 120x12, 130x12
dumbbell bench (3): 55x6, 65x5, 75x5

good session. speed bench was relatively fast and broke some new ground on the 5 board close grip. for some reason my arch was way better on the 5 boards. i guess it took 12 sets of bench to get stretched out. my left bicep was getting really sore on the pulldowns so ended them a set early. same thing with dumbbell bench. no need to push it when i already hit some big bench numbers.

[wannalift]

5-8-06, max effort squat

band pulls (+1" ROM)(#1 bands quaded)(7): 55x5x2, 145x3, 195x1, 235x1, 255x1, 275x1
glute/ham raise (4): +35x10x3, +35x9
band pulldowns (4): to failure
weighted ghr situps (3): body x 10, +45x8, +100x5

increadible pulling session. especially after my last 2 or 3 pulling sessions. this time we pulled off of the band platform so i was able to go sumo (not plate to plate) and it added 1" to the ROM. the bands are quaded and add between 220 and 250 lbs of resistance and it gets heavy real fast. 235 was my old max that i didn't even really lock out previously, and i got that up no problem. 255 was smooth as well. at 275 i didn't get enough starting speed and just had to grunt it out. not sure if i made lockout or not, but it was very close. i definitely didn't get the usapl lockout in which your shoulders are 5 inches behind your hips. did some situps instead of my usual rev hypers (for obvious reasons). they were very hard. anyway, it felt great to finally have a respectable pulling session.

[wannalift]

5-10-06, max effort bench

bench lockouts (3-4" ROM)[8]: 45x5, 135x5, 245x3, 295x3, 335x1, 375x1, 405x1, 425x1
flat tate press (5): 25x10, 35x10, 40x8, 45x5, 45x4
hammer strength pulldown (4): 90x12, 180x12, 270x7x2
machine tri overhead (#4 band)(4): 30x10, 60x10, 80x8, 100x5
dumbbell overhead (4): 45x6, 55x5, 60x5, 65x5

my good session week continued with another strong performance. finally put an end to my 405 lockout failure streak. then i locked out 425 for a nice bonus. the bar only moved about an inch at 425, but i held the lockout for a few seconds and there was no doubt it was locked out, i just loose a lot of ROM after 350 or so (bar bending, shoulders compressing). finished strong on my triceps and overhead press to boot. i'm starting to eat a little more, but not necessarily bulk.

[Frostfire]

You are a machine David! The progress you've made the last few months have been outstanding . Good job on the lock-outs.

[wannalift]

5-12-06, dynamic squat

speed box squat (#3 bands)(10): 145x3, 185x2, 205x2x8
dec glute/ham raise (hands on head)(3): body x 10, x10, x9
band pulldowns (3): to failure

good squatting sessiion,, but it freakin killed me. my back was still plenty worked over from pulling on monday, and this is the heaviest weight i have done on speed squats. i actually held my form and velocity rather well. it just hurt a lot and between sets i was sucking a lot of air. afterwards i was kind of seeing stars too. a few sets of glute/ham raises and pulldowns and i was out of there. 3 session in a row with no rev hypers. not proud of that, but on monday the punishment shall commence.

[wannalift]

5-14-06, dynamic bench

speed bench (#2 bands)(12): 45x3x3, 65x3, 85x3x8
rolling tri ext (5): 20x12, 30x10, 35x8, 40x6, 40x6
long pull (4): 120x10, 150x6, 180x5x2
tri pushdown (3): 95x10, 110x10, 120x8
face pulls (3): 100x12, 120x12, 140x10
dumbbell bench (4): 50x6, 60x6, 70x5, 80x5

had a slight bicep strain which is affecting my shoulder. sorry to see we were doing #2 bands on bench today, but i did pretty well (compared to last session of #2 bands). got a bad flip on the last set of dumbbell bench that kind of hurt my shoulder too, but not that much.

[wannalift]

5-15-06, max effort squat

st bar good mornings [8]: 45x10x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x3, 225x1, 275x1, 325x1
glute/ham raise (3): +35x10, +75 (on back) x 6 x 2
band pulldowns (4): to failure
weighted hyper situps (3): 45x10, 100x6x2


tough session. shoulder is giving me problems due to bicep pain. 325 was pretty good on the good mornings as my depth was little better than my normal max depth. couldn't go any more because of the shoulder. used that pain to propel me to a new level on the glute/ham raise. did them with a safety squat bar on my back. very hard and very slow, but i got 6 reps twice and was very happy with that. sometimes you just have to use injuries to your adavantage and really push yourself.


5-17-06, max effort bench

floor press [8]: 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 175x3, 205x1, 225xFx3
inc tate press (4): 25x12, 35x10, 40x6, 45x5
lat pulldown (4): 120x12, 140x12, 150x12, 150x8-F
tri pushdown (1): 85x10, quit
dumbbell overhead (3): 50x6, 60x6, 70x4

i don't know what happened on floor presses. couldn't hold the bar stead (probably because of my bicep) and kept dumping the bar towards my face and turning the lift into a JM press. whatever, move on. bicep got really sore on my last set of pulldowns and had to end early. tricep pushdowns didn't go well so i axed them. good progress on the dumbbell overhead, but that might have been due in part to axing the tricep pushdowns that normall preceed that lift. either way i finished strong so i'm not going to mope about 1 lousy session.

[wannalift]

5-19-06, dynamic squat

speed box squat (#3 bands) (11): 45x3, 145x3, 195x2, 215x2x8
dec glute/ham raise (3): body x 10 x 3
band pulldowns (3): to failure
rev hypers (3): 320x8, 355x8x2

good session. went even heavier on the box squats and met with good results. i am staying very upright anymore and am using a lot of hip/groin strength. i need to tweek it just a little to get my hips back, but just a litte. really need a camera more than anything so i can document my technique. finally did rev hypers after a 2 week layoff. ouch, these were so tough on me. all pain all gain i hope.

[wannalift]

5-21-06, dynamic bench

speed bench (#2 bands)(12): 45x3x3, 75x3, 95x3x8
5 board close grip bench (5): 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 265x3, 285x2-F
rolling tri ext (5): 20x10, 30x10, 40x7, 45x6, 45x5
hammer row (4): 90x10, 180x8, 270x6, 270x6
2 hand tri overhead machine (#4 band)(3): 35x10, 80x8, 100x7


tough tough session. 95 with the #2 bands was absolute murder. no speed at all, just pain. barely made the last rep. despite the fact that i didn't get a true 3 rep PR on the 5 boards, i was still very pleased with my effort considering what i had just goine through before that. everything else was solid.

[wannalift]

5-22-06, max effot squat

14" cambered bar box squat (9): 75x5, 165x3, 255x3, 305x1, 345x1, 385x1, 400x1, 415x1, 435x1
glute/ham raise (4): body x 10, +75x6x3
band pulldowns (4): to failure
rev hypers (3): 320x8, 365x8, 365x9

unreal session. picture perfect squat form. almost completely upright, knees out wide, and lots of power from my hips/groin. 400 went up easily. 415 was solid. 435 was quite wobbly, but i made it up semi-convincingly. the only thing that was missing was time on the box as it was pretty much touch and go, but parallel is parallel. glute/ham raises were insanely hard. not sure how i'll get above 6 reps, but i'll keep trying. rev hypers weren't nearly as painful, that is until i was done with them. ouch.

[JP]

ouch.

sounds like a good session

Keep up the good work mate!

When are you doing next max efforts on the normal powerlifts?

[wannalift]

5-24-06, max effot bench

2 board bench (6): 135x3, 165x3, 195x1, 215x1, 235x1, 245xF
flat tate press (4): 25x10, 35x8, 40x7, 45x5
long pull (4): 120x12, 160x6, 190x5-F, 190x5-F
45 deg tri pushdown (3): 85x10, 110x10, 130x8
dumbbell overhead (4): 50x6, 60x6, 70xF, 50x10

not too great of a session. my chest and triceps were still very sore from sunday so that had at least something to do with it. 235 was a struggle to get a PR and 245 didn't even get off the board. tate press went well as did the long pull. pushdowns were strong as well. got totally floored on the dumbbell overhead @ 70. its been a few weeks in a row, so maybe next time do something else.

jp,
i plan on doing a meet around August 20th. by then i'm hoping to get lifts of 500/365/475. i need to get a new squat suit (double layer) and a deadlfit suit., but i feel all of those lifts are well within my range.

[wannalift]

5-26-06, dynamic squat

speed box squat (#3 bands)(11): 55x3, 145x3, 175x2, 195x2x8
dec glute/ham raise (3): body x 12 x 3
band pulldowns (3): to failure

tried to take it a little easy today. the crew was trying to get me to push my hips back more, but i'm not liking it. too much stress on my back. i'm definitely not going to squat that way with max weight on the bar, so why should i train that way. it kind of pisses me off because this other guy rocks on the box all the time and never gets reprimanded for it. i've tried to tell him about it before, but he gets really sensitive to constructive crticism. i don't know, we're both doing our first meet together, we'll see whose technique holds up.

after my workout, i did some benching with just the bar on a different bench. whoa, my arch was freakin awesome. maybe i need to practice my setup on fridays for now on just to stay loose. not sure if it was the bench or what, but i was way up there.