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Full Workout Log
Starting 7/20/08
In-Season
Weeks 1 - 4 of 4
These workout logs are continued from Full Workout Logs: Starting 6/13/08: Off-Season; Weeks 1 - 4.
Next contest: Maybe another NASA contest this fall or winter.
Age: 47.
Weight Class:
114s.
Divisions:
Unequipped.
Powerlifting (squat + bench + deadlift = total).
Open (all ages) and Masters I (40-49).
Terminology in these logs:
Raw = no gear, not even a belt.
Unequipped = belt, knee sleeves, wrist wraps.
Warm-ups are in brackets. All weights are in pounds. Format: pounds/reps.
Workout times includes set-up, warm-up, lifting, cardio, and
clean-up.
Week One
Bench Assistance/ Start of “In-season”
In-season/ Week 1 of 4
Sunday – 7/20/08
Overhead Presses: [DBs: 10s/15, BB: 45/8, 60/5, 75/3] 85/7, 87/6, 90/5
Lat. Pulldowns: [55/8, 90/4]; Pull-ups (medium grip): bwt./8, 5/6, 7.5/5
Pulley Strap Triceps Pushdowns: 25/10, 25/10, 30/10
Rotator Cuff (sitting, front): 10/12, 10/12
Workout time: 1:12
I just got a new pulley strap from APT for the Triceps Pushdowns. I must say, I really like using it, a completely different feel from using a straight bar.
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Squats
In-season/ Week 1 of 4
Monday – 7/21/08
Squats: [55/15, 145/8, 180/5, 215/3] 250/7, 260/6, 270/5
Leg Raises: 20, 20
Step ups: 6:00
Workout time: 1:08
After my deload week last week, I thought I’d feel rested and strong for this week’s workouts. But instead, I felt out of shape and really got winded on the squat sets. This may have been because it had been a month since I did a higher rep squat movement, or maybe a deload week is just too much rest. But either way, I might need to make some changes to my routine.
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Benches
In-season/ Week 1
Wednesday – 7/23/08
Benches: [45/15, 95/8, 120/5, 140/3] 155/7, 160/4, 155/5
Curl Bar Rows: [55/8, 80/4] 95/7, 100/6, 105/5
Heavy Bag: 5:30
Workout time: 1:00
Another terrible workout. Benches were supplied to be 3 x 7,6,5, but I probably started too heavy. And like I said in my last workout post, I’ll be making some changes to my overall plan.
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Deadlifts
In-season/ Week 1 of 4
Thursday – 7/24/08
Deadlifts: [55/15, 145/8, 225/5] 285/5, 295/5, 300/5, 310/5, 325/5
BB Calves: 145/10 x 3
Crunch-side Bend Combo (reps to each side): 10, 10
Jump Rope: 4:00
Workout time: 1:10
After starting too heavy for my last two workouts, for this workout, I figured I’d start with a light set of five and work up with sets of five from there until I got to a heavy set. And it worked out well, so this will be a plan for finding a starting weight in the future when starting a new routine.
Week Two
Bench Assistance
In-season/ Week 2 of 4
Sunday – 7/27/08
Decline Bench: [45/15; 95/8, 120/6, 135/5] 145/7, 150/6, 155/5
Lat. Pulldowns: [55/8, 90/4]; Chin-ups: bwt./8, 5/7, 10/6
Reverse BB Curls [45/8] 50/8, 55/6
Rotator Cuff (lying, side): 10/12, 10/10
Workout time: 1:09
Since I started this mini, four week, “in-season” I figure I need to finish it, but then I’ll start a new routine with a new plan after that. But I doubt I’ll bother with “deload weeks” anymore. Instead, I will plan on skipping a workout day about once a month. I think a day off helps me to “deload” more than light workouts.
I’m still not sure when my next contest will be, but with changing things around, I probably won’t be ready for a contest until at least November.
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Squats
In-season/ Week 2 of 4
Monday – 7/28/08
Squats:
Gear: Crain: power belt, squat shoes; APT: heavy knee sleeves.
[55/15, 145/8, 175/5, add belt and knee sleeves: 205/3, 235/1] 260/5, 285/3, Raw: 210/9
Leg Raises: 25, 21
Step ups: 6:00
Workout time: 1:14
After my problems the first week of this routine, I decided to go back to a rep scheme that worked very well leading up to my last contest. I call it “drop reps with back-off set.”
Two heavy sets for low reps are done, adding weight and dropping reps from the first to second sets. Then the weights are lowered for a “back-off” set for much higher reps. For this mini-in-season, the reps will be: 3 x 3-5, 1-3, 7-9. The two heavy sets are done with gear, while the last set is done completely raw.
I am using a range for the reps so that I can vary the reps though the course of the routine. So I started here with 5, 3, 9. But in a couple of weeks, I’ll probably drop to 3, 1, 7.
As I said, this rep scheme worked great for my last contest when I lifted unequipped. But it worked just as well when I used while lifting with double-ply gear. And it makes perfect sense given the following quote I recently came across in a BB mag, “Finishing off heavy sets with a lighter set that enables you to get higher reps doubles the GH [growth hormone] release” (Iron Man, June 2008, p.114).
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Benches
In-season/ Week 2 of 4
Wednesday – 7/30/08
Benches:
Gear: APT: bench belt, 24” Black Mamba wrist wraps.
[45/15, 95/8, 110/5, 125/3, add belt and wrist wraps: 140/1] 155/5, 165/3, Raw: 135/9
Curl Bar Rows: [65/8, 85/4] 105/6, 110/4, 85/10
Heavy Bag: 5:45
Workout time: 1:02
My bench is not going well. I think my off-season exercises of close grip benches and band benches was too much “top end” work for lifting unequipped. So when I go back to off-season workouts, I’ll do DB benches instead of the close grips. I think DB benches help my unequipped bench more than any other assistance exercise.
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Deadlifts
In-season/ Week 2 of 4
Thursday – 7/31/08
Deadlifts:
Gear: Crain: power belt; APT: knee sleeves; Nike wrestling shoes.
[55/15, 145/8, 200/5, add belt and knee sleeves: 255/3, 305/1] 335/5, 365/3, Raw: 275/9
BB Calves: [145/10] 155/12, 155/12
Crunch-side Bend Combo (reps to each side): 12, 10
Jump Rope: 4:15
Workout time: 1:13
Finally, a good workout. The difference is that with squats and benches, I started too heavy my first week, so I had to drop the weights for this week’s workouts. But for deadlifts, last week, I started light and worked up to one heavy set, and that gave me the appropriate weight to start with for this workout.
Also, I am probably still getting used to lifting unequipped, but that of course makes little difference on deadlifts as compared to benches and squats. But hopefully, with next week’s workouts, benches and squats will start to come along as well.
In any case, the triple with 365 is only ten pounds off of where I was right before my last contest, so I am in good shape for deadlifts.
Week Three
Bench Assistance (video)
In-season/ Week 3 of 4
Sunday – 8/3/08
Overhead Presses: [DBs: 10s/15, BB: 45/8, 60/5, 75/3] 90/6, 95/4, 80/9
Lat. Pulldowns: [55/8, 90/4]; Pull-ups (medium grip): 7.5/6, 10/4, bwt./8
Pulley Strap Triceps Pushdowns: [25/8] 35/10, 35/10
Rotator Cuff (sitting, front): [10/10] 12/10, 12/10
Workout time: 1:01
The final “backoff” set for higher reps on presses and pull-ups was really tough! Both sets were supposed to be for 10 reps, but I “died” at the end of the set. It will take a while to get used to doing a higher reps set after the heavy sets, but I think it will be very effective.
Below is a video of my second set of the Pulley Strap Triceps Pushdowns:
Note how I am fanning my hands out at the bottom. Doing so really hits the triceps.
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Squats
In-season/ Week 3 of 4
Monday – 8/4/08
Squats:
Gear: Crain: power belt, squat shoes; APT: heavy knee sleeves.
[55/15, 145/8, 185/5, add belt and knee sleeves: 215/3, 245/1] 270/5, 295/3, Raw: 220/9
Leg Raises: 25, 17
Step ups: 6:00
Workout time: 1:10
Finally, squats felt really good, for the first time since my last contest almost two months ago.
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Benches
In-season/ Week 3 of 4
Wednesday – 8/6/08
Benches:
Gear: APT: bench belt, 24” Black Mamba wrist wraps.
[45/15, 95/8, 115/5, 130/3, and belt and wrist wraps: 145/1] 160/5, 170/3, Raw: 145/8
Curl Bar Rows: [65/8, 90/4] 105/6, 112/3, 90/10
Heavy Bag: 6:00
Workout time: 1:04
As with squats, finally, a good bench workout for the first time since my last contest.
But the rows did not feel quite as good. I think this rep approach does not lend itself so well to upper back work. I also think I’m overdoing it a little on the upper back, so I think I will go back to doing just two sets, of 4-8 reps for my upper back work.
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Deadlifts
In-season/ Week 3 of 4
Thursday – 8/7/08
Deadlifts:
Gear: Crain: power belt; APT: knee sleeves; Nike wrestling shoes.
[55/15, 145/8, 205/5, add belt and knee sleeves: 260/3, 315/1] 345/5, 375/3 Raw: 285/9
BB Calves: [145/10] 165/12, 170/10
Crunch-side Bend Combo (reps to each side): 12, 12
Jump Rope: 4:30
Workout time: 1:18
Deadlifts went great leading up to my last contest, and they’re going great again. The triple with 375 equals my best triple before that contest.
However, this workload took too long, and I was overly tired afterwards. I think from now on, I’ll alternate the calves work one week and abs the next. Since the calves get plenty of work from squats and deadlifts, and I’m working abs on my squat days as well, every other week for each here should suffice.
Week Four
Bench Assistance
In-season/ Week 4 of 4
Monday – 8/11/08
Decline Bench: [45/15; 95/8, 120/6, 140/3] 155/6, 165/4, 135/10
Lat. Pulldowns: [55/8, 90/4]; Chin-ups: 5/8, 15/5
Reverse BB Curls [45/8] 558, 57/6/
Rotator Cuff (lying, side): [7.5/10] 10/12, 10/12
Workout time: 1:14
As I posted previously, rather than using a “deload” week, I was thinking it would be better to just take an extra day off about once a month, so I skipped Sunday’s workout and moved it to Monday. But unfortunately, I had problems sleeping Sunday night due to a flare-up of some of my health problems. If I had worked out, I might have been tired out enough to sleep despite the problems.
But as it was, I felt worse on Monday after the day off than I did on Sunday. So I’m not sure if I will keep this pattern or not. I’ll probably just take a day off when I feel really I need to.
As for this workout, with being so tired, it did not go very well. I dragged through it, and it took too long.
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Squats/ Final finger update
In-season/ Week 4 of 4
Wednesday – 8/13/08
Squats:
Gear: Crain: power belt, squat shoes; APT: heavy knee sleeves.
[55/15, 145/8, 185/5, add belt and knee sleeves: 220/3, 250/1] 285/4, 310/2, Raw: 235/8
Leg Raises: 25, 22
Step ups: 6:00
Workout time: 1:11
My last workout before my last contest, I tripled 310, so I almost have my squat back up.
On a side note, for those who remember, about 10 days before that contest, I developed an infection in my left index finger. It needed antibiotics and then an abscess drained, and was still swollen for my contest. After that, the finger nail began to die and fall off. To keep from catching the sticking-out nail, I had been wearing a band-aid on it.
But finally, after this workout, it had almost completely come off, so I just ripped it off the rest of the way. It hurt, but I was tired of messing with it. A new nail was about 2/3s already grown in underneath the dead nail. The infection started back on May 26, so it took over eleven weeks for the whole processes to finish.
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Benches
In-season/ Week 4 of 4
Thursday – 8/14/08
Benches:
Gear: APT: bench belt, 24” Black Mamba wrist wraps.
[45/15, 95/10, 115/6, 125/3, add belt and wrist wraps: 150/1] 165/4, 177/2, Raw: 150/8
Curl Bar Rows: [65/8, 80/4] 95/8, 105/5
Heavy Bag: 6:00
Workout time: 1:07
As with squats, what I doubled here, I tripled my last workout before my last contest. So both squats and benches are just about back up.
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Deadlifts/ Final workout of routine/ Quicklee collars
In-season/ Week 4 of 4
Sunday – 8/17/08
Deadlifts:
Gear: Crain: power belt, APT: knee sleeves, Nike wrestling shoes.
[45/15, 135/8, 205/5, add belt and knee sleeves: 265/3, 315/1] 360/4, 390/2, Raw: 300/8
Crunch-side Bend Combo (reps to each side): 14, 12
Jump Rope: 4:30
Workout time: 1:08
This was my final workout for this routine. This final week went as planned, but not the routine as a whole. Originally, I wanted to end with a max single for each powerlift my final week of workouts. But since Week 1 did not go as planned, I only got up to doing a heavy double. I would probably need at least a couple of more weeks to work up to a true max single. What this means is, in the future, when I use a “off-season/ in-season” type of routine, I need to plan on at least six weeks for each “season.”
But still, I got my planned reps of 4, 2, 8 for each lift this week. And the double with 390 here is only five pounds off of my best double before my last contest, so all three lifts are going well.
Cutting out the calves exercise worked in terms of shortening this workout just enough that I was not overly tired afterwards.
I got the “composite” ones, which are a hard plastic. But they are also available in a metal version. But I am not sure if they would be worth the extra money or not. The composite ones seem to be plenty sturdy.
These workout logs are continued at: Full Workout Logs: Starting 8/18/08: Rotation I.
Full Workout Logs: Starting 7/20/08: In-Season; Weeks 1 -4 of 4. Copyright © 2008 By Gary F. Zeolla.
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