Full Workout Logs: Starting 2/4/10 - Three Week Rotations III & IV

Full Workout Logs - Starting 2/4/2010

Three Week Rotations III & IV

These workout logs are continued from Full Workout Logs: Starting 12/23/09 - Three Week Rotations I & II of VII.

Age: 48
Weight: See each week. Body fat and lean body mass being measured by digital body fat calipers.

Next contest: Maybe the ADAU Raw Power Pittsburgh Powerlifting Championships at The Kumite, Saturday, May 29, 2010 in Monroeville, PA. This contest is being held as part of the Kumite Classic Sports Expo, featuring along with powerlifting, bodybuilding, strongman, arm wrestling, and other sports events, including a bikini contest! For details, see Kumite Classic.

All lifts done completely raw.
Warm-ups are in brackets. All weights are in pounds. Format: pounds/reps.
Workout times includes set-up, warm-up, lifting, stretching, and clean-up.

See also Cardio Logs - First Half 1010.

Rotation III/ Week A

Bodyweight: 119.0 pounds.
Body Fat: 12.4%.
Lean Body Mass: 104 pounds.

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Bench Assistance

Super Sunday – 2/7/10

Overhead Presses [DBs: 10s/20, BB: 45/10, 60/6] 70/8, 75/6, 80/4

V Grip Chin-ups: [bwt./8] 2.5/7, 5/5, 7.5/4

Curl Bar Curls: [40/10] 50/12, 52/10, 55/8

Rotator Cuff (lying, out): [2.5/10] 5/12, 5/12

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:05

Even though my workouts went well last week, I was having some struggles health-wise. By Thursday I felt terrible, so I delayed that day’s workout. I was going to lift on Saturday and take Super Sunday off so I could watch all of the pre-game stuff. But instead on Saturday I had to shovel 20” of snow! That really left me exhausted and pushed this workout to Sunday afternoon. But it went well, and I was still done before game-time.

On this workout, last time I did decline benches, but I switched to overhead presses for the reasons I mentioned last time. Basically, I am looking at Bench Assistance day as “shoulder day” alternating presses, laterals, and inclines, along doing with rotator cuff work.

My planned sets x reps scheme for presses and upper back work is 3 x 6-8, 4-6, 2-4. That’s one rep higher throughout than for the powerlifts and “look-alike” lifts. For minor assistance work like arms, it is 3 x 10-12, 8-10, 6-8, but later I might drop that to 8-10, 6-8, 4-6 on some exercises.

I like the drop reps approach. It’s effective, it incorporates both higher and lower reps, and it keeps things interesting, with the changing of weights and of reps each set. But for rotator cuff work, I’m doing 2 x 10-15 as lower reps would not be wise, and two sets should suffice.

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Squats

Monday – 2/8/09

Dead Stop Squats: [45/20, 115/10, 145/6, 180/3] 200/7, 215/5, 230/3

Step-ups: [bwt./10] 5s/12, 7.5s/10, 10s/9

Sit-ups: [--/10], 10/12, 12/9, 15/6

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:08

The DS squats went very well. But I went very light on the step-ups, as I was still being leery about my hamstrings, But my hamstrings felt fine, so much so that I did an “extra” rep on the last set without realizing it. So next time I’ll bump the weights up.

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Benches

Wednesday – 2/10/10

Dead Stop Benches: [45/20, 75/10, 100/6, 122/3] 137/7, 147/5, 157/3

BB Rows (medium grip): [45/10, 70/6] 85/8, 90/6, 95/4

Curl Bar Triceps Presses: [30/10] 37/12, 40/10, 42/8

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:11

More snow shoveling the morning of this workout. But it was “only” half a foot this time, so I wasn’t overly tired afterwards. As such, I just called that my morning cardio and put in this workout later in the day. And it went very well.

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Deadlifts

Thursday – 2/11/10

Platform Deadlifts (sumo): [45/20, 135/10, 180/6, 225/3] 245/7, 275/5, 295/3

Good Mornings: [bwt./10] 45/12, 50/10, 55/8

Twisting Leg Raises (reps to each side): 15, 15

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:03

Yet even more snow shoveling the morning of this workout. My previous workouts this week went well despite the extra “cardio,” but I was concerned for this workout given that shoveling snow consists of a lot of “deadlifting.” I could tell my legs were tired, but the workout went surprisingly well.

The first set of PDLs was so light that I increased by an “extra” ten pounds for the second set. The GMs then were very easy, but I didn’t want to push it given the extra strain on my hamstrings this week from the snow shoveling. But the hamstrings felt fine, so next time I’ll bump the weight up.

Only a slight chance of snow this weekend, so hopefully I’ll get a break. Good thing too. I just saw on the local news that this is already the snowiest February on record in the Pittsburgh area and the fifth snowiest month overall, and it’s only the 12th day of the month!

Rotation III/ Week B

Bodyweight: 119.4 pounds.
Body Fat: 11.9%.
Lean Body Mass: 104 pounds.

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Bench Assistance

Sunday – 2/14/10

Speed Bench [regular: 45/20, 75/10] speed: 90/7, 90/7. 95/5, 95/5, 100/3, 100/3

Chin-ups: [bwt./8, 3.75/4] 7.5/8, 10/6, 12.5/4

Side Laterals: [5s/10] 7.5s/12, 8.75s/10, 10s/8

DB Reverse Curls [15s/10] 20s/12, 22s/10, 25s/8

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:17

On my Squat, Bench, and Deadlift days I do three exercises, but for my Bench Assistance days I’m doing four exercises, hence why this workout went past my preferred limit of 1:15. But I don’t know how to arrange my workouts and get everything in other than by doing four exercises on BA days. But the exercises tend to be easier, and I wasn’t overly tired after this workout, so I don’t think it will be a problem.

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Squats

Monday – 2/15/10

Raw Squats: [45/20, 135/10, 185/6, 230/3] 255/7, 275/4, 295/1

DB Calves: [30/10] 37/10, 40/8, 42/6

Bicycle abs (reps to each side): 20, 20

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:19

An absolutely terrible workout. Part of the problem was I had difficulty sleeping the night before due to being stressed out over some personal issues. All of that cortisol surging through the veins can wreck havoc on the body and psych.

Another part of the problem was I felt really week in the hole on squats. I’ll post later my ideas on how to fix this problem by changing my squat assistance exercises.

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Benches

Wednesday – 2/17/10

Raw Benches: [45/20, 75/10, 105/6, 130/3] 142/7, 152/5, 162/3

Curl Bar Rows: [65/10, 80/6] 90/8, 95/6, 100/4

Push-ups: 20, 20

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:07

Yes, push-ups. I’m doing triceps, shoulder, and chest isolation exercises on other days, so I was looking for a minor exercise that would fit here. I figured push-ups would be a different way to work all these muscles without being too taxing. They seemed to work well. But I’m not sure if I’ll stick with them of not. In any case, this was a much better workout than on Monday.

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Deadlifts

Thursday – 2/18/10

Raw Deadlifts (sumo): [45/20, 135/10, 210/6, 285/3] 305/7, 330/5, 350/3

Leg Curls (alternate legs): [2.5/10] 5/12, 7.5/10, 8.75/8

Side Bends: [---/10] 7.5/12, 10/10, 12/8

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:13

A very good workout, and an important one. After my terrible squat workout on Monday, I wasn’t sure if I’d stick with this Three Week Rotation or go back to an Alternate Weeks routine. But after benches and deadlifts going well, I don’t think it was a problem with this program in general, just, as I said, the squat assistance exercises.

An important point is the lockout on the final rep on both benches and DLs was very tough. That verifies something I‘ve long held and mention in my powerlifting book, that even raw lifters need to do some top end work, which is what I am doing during the third week of this program, and which I would eliminate if I went to an Alternate Weeks routine. So I will just make a few tweaks on my assistance work, but stick with the basic three-week program.

Rotation III/ Week C

Bodyweight: 120.6 pounds.
Body Fat: 12.9%.
Lean Body Mass: 105 pounds.

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Bench Assistance

Sunday – 2/21/10

Incline DB Bench [10s/20, 20s/10, 30s/6, 40s/3] 45s/7 47s/5, 50s/3

Pull-ups: [bwt./8, 3.75/5] 7.5/7, 10/5, 12/3

Hammer Curls [17s/10] 22s/12, 25s/10, 26s/8

Rotator Cuff (sitting, front): skipped

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:16

After mentioning last week about doing four exercises on my B.A. day, I was tired for this workout and it was taking too long as it was, so I skipped the fourth exercise. But it was still a good workout.

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Squats

Monday – 2/22/10

Reverse Band Squats:

(average {#4} bands choked around the top of my power rack so there is no tension at the top):

[45/20, 135/10, add bands: 225/6] 275/7, 295/7, 315/5, 335/3

Step-ups: [bwt./10] 10s/12, 15s/10, 20s/8

Crunches: skipped

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:15

For RB Squats, I experimented with changing the setup so that there would be less tension in the bands. For the discussion and pics and a video I took, see Reverse Bands Pics. I assumed that less band tension would reduce how much the bands helped to “lift” the weight, so I figured I would need to reduce the weight I was planning on using, so I started with a light set. But as it turned out, I was able to use more weight than last time. I’m not sure why, but I’ll take it.

All of the experimenting, the extra set, and the pic and vid taking took time, so I skipped the ab work to keep the workout from getting too lengthy.

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Benches

Wednesday – 2/24/10

Band Benches (mini-bands): [45/20, 75/10, add bands: 45/6, 80/3] 95/7, 105/5, 115/3

Dumbbell Rows (elbows out): [30/10, 40/6, 47/3] 55/7, 57/5, 60/3

DB Flyes: [5s/10] 7.5s/12, 8.75s/10, 10s/8

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:07

A very good workout.

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Deadlifts

Thursday – 2/25/10

Chain Deadlifts (sumo; chains weigh about 80 pounds):

[45/20, 135/10, add chains: 135/8, 200/3] 225/7, 255/5, 280/3

Hyperextensions: [--/10, 7.5/6] 15/12, 20/10, 25/8

Dip Bar Reverse Crunches (with ankle weights): [---/10] 3s/20, 3s/15

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:20

Another very good workout, except for it taking too long due to taking some more pics and a vid. These were of the hyperextension device I got last year. For these pics and video, see Setting Up a Home Gym: Pictures - Part Three.

Rotation IV/ Week A

Bodyweight: 120.8 pounds.
Body Fat: 12.2%.
Lean Body Mass: 106 pounds.

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Bench Assistance

Sunday – 2/28/10

Decline Benches [45/20, 75/10, 105/6]

Incline Benches [45/10, 75/6, 105/3] 120/7, 127/5, 135/3

V Grip Chin-ups: [bwt./8] 2.5/8, 5/6, 7.5/4

Curl Bar Curls: [40/10] 52/12, 55/10, 57/8

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:18

The speed benches I did in my last rotation aggravated my left pec, so I thought it best not to do them anymore. Instead, I was going to go back to doing declines. But after just my warm-ups I could tell I was correct in my observation from a few weeks ago, that declines are too similar to my arched regular bench to work as a B.A. day exercise. They would be best to do on Bench day. So instead, I did inclines, which are considerably different but still a beneficial bench assistance exercise,

However, that meant I had to reset my FID bench and warm-up again, so that got me behind. But once I figured out what I was doing, a good workout.

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Squats

Monday – 3/1/09

Extra Low Squats: [45/20, 115/10, 155/7, 185/7] 225/7, 245/5, 265/3

BB Calves: [95/10] 115/12, 125/10, 135/8

Sit-ups: [--/10], 10/12, 11/10, 12/8

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:18

My post Extra Low Foam Squat Box describes the new squat assistance exercise I did here.Taking the pics and vids for that post got me a little behind, but otherwise, a very good workout.

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Benches

Wednesday – 3/3/10

DB Benches: [20s/20, 30s/10, 40s/6, 50s/3] 57s/8, 60s/6, 62s/4

BB Rows (medium grip): [45/10, 65/6, 80/3] 90/8, 95/6, 100/4

Curl Bar Triceps Presses: [35/10] 40/12, 42/10, 45/8

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:14

The Dead Stop Benches I was doing here were working out okay but not great, so I went back to what I think is the best overall raw bench assistance exercise, especially for me with my weak right shoulder. As I discuss in my powerlifting book, DB work is ideal for working on muscular imbalances (p.244).

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Deadlifts

Thursday – 3/4/10

Platform Deadlifts (sumo): [45/20, 135/10, 185/6, 230/3] 260/7, 285/5, 310/3

Good Mornings: [bwt./10, 45/6] 55/12, 60/10, 65/8

Twisting Leg Raises (reps to each side): 15, 10, 10

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:10

A very good workout.

Rotation IV/ Week B

Bodyweight: 120.4 pounds.
Body Fat: 12.5%.
Lean Body Mass: 105 pounds (with my rough week, I lost a pound of LBM).

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Bench Assistance

Sunday – 3/7/10

Overhead Presses [DBs: 10s/20, BB: 45/10, 60/6] 75/8, 80/6. 85/4

Chin-ups: [bwt./8, 5/5] 10/8, 12/6, 15/4

DB Reverse Curls [17s/10] 22s/12, 25s/10, 27s/8

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:02

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Squats

Monday – 3/8/10

Raw Squats: [45/20, 135/10, 180/6, 225/3] 245/7, 265/5, 285/3

DB Calves: [30/10] 37/10, 40/10, 42/7

Bicycle abs (reps to each side): 20, 15, 15

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:11

See my previous post Injury and other problems for details on this workout and why I didn’t work out again until Sunday.

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Benches

Sunday – 3/14/10

Raw Benches: [45/20, 75/10, 105/6, 135/3] 147/7, 157/4, 167/2

Curl Bar Rows: [65/10, 80/6] 95/8, 100/6, 105/4

Push-ups: 15, 15, 15

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:03

Still barely sleeping, thus I was very tired and considered skipping this day as well. But I was afraid that if I didn’t work out after a week off I might just give up altogether, so I forced myself to lift. And the workout went okay.

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Deadlifts

Monday – 3/15/10

Raw Deadlifts (sumo): [45/20, 135/10, 210/6, 285/3] 315/6, 335/4, 355/2

Leg Curls (alternate legs): [5/10] 7.5/10, 10/8, 11/6

Side Bends: [5/10] 10/12, 12/10, 15/8

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:12

My adductor bothered me some for this workout, but not much. Meanwhile, my hamstring felt fine. That made sense as it was only in the adductor that I felt pain during squats last week. The hamstring was probably just “referral” pain due to my fibromyalgia. I’ve had that problem before, an injury in one area leads to pain in other areas or even my entire body.

In any case, I thought it best not to push too hard for this workout. OTOH, I didn’t want to go too light as I still have hopes of entering the above contest. So what I did for DLs was to use the weights I had planned on using but did one less rep than originally planned. That way I didn’t have to strain on the last rep of each set but still handled decent weights. Even though my hamstring is probably okay, just to be sure I used the same approach on leg curls, except to do two less reps. I’ll probably use a similar approach for my next couple of squat and deadlift workouts.

Rotation IV/ Week C

Bodyweight: 120.4 pounds.
Body Fat: 12.5%.
Lean Body Mass: 105 pounds.

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St. Patrick’s Day Bench Assistance

Wednesday – 3/17/10

Incline DB Bench [10s/20, 20s/10, 30s/6, 40s/3] 45s/7 47s/5, 50s/4

Pull-ups: [bwt./8, 3.75/5] 7.5/8, 10/6, 12/4

Hammer Curls [15s/10] 22s/12, 25s/10, 27s/8

Stretching: 10-15 minutes

Workout time: 1:12

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Squats