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2015-16 Two by Two Training Plan
Routine A (Rehab)
Weeks 1-6 of 12
These workout logs are continued from Full Workout Logs: Starting 7/17/2015 – Two by Two Plan (Variation C); Routine B, Weeks 7-12 of 12.
Age: 54.
Height: 5'1".
Bodyweight, body fat, and lean body mass: See each week.
Note: Body fat percent and LBM are being measured with a Sequoia Fitness: Warrior Digital Body Mass Caliper.
If you need
one, it is available from Amazon.
Next Contest: God-willing, IPA PA States, March 5, 2015 in York, PA.
Gear as indicated; if not indicated, then completely raw (no supportive gear).
Warm-ups are in brackets. All weights are in pounds. Format: pounds/reps.
Workout times include set-up, warm-up, lifting, stretching, and clean-up.
See also my Cardio Logs - September through December 2015.
Hamstring Re-Injury
I re-injured my hamstring during the final workout of Routine B of my three part training plan, so now I am in a quandary as to what to do for Routine C and the powerlifting contest I was planning on entering at the end of it. For details see Hamstring Re-Injury.
Week 1 of 6 (Week A)
For the first two weeks of this new training routine I will be doing “backoff” workouts for bench assistance and bench workouts and rehabbing my injured hamstring in my squat and deadlift workouts, so the weights will be down. Here’s trusting the LORD I can get back to heavy training soon. For comments on these workouts in regards to my hamstring, see under “First Week of Workouts” in my updated Hamstring Re-injury article.
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Bodyweight: 121.8 pounds.
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Bench Assistance
Monday – 8/31/15
Gear: Crain power belt, Redline wrist wraps.
Shoes: Adidas: AdiPower lifting shoes.
Incline Benches: [Dumbbells: 10s/15, Barbell: 45/9, 67/7, 87/5, and gear: 107/3], 120/6, 125/4, 130/2
Dips: [bwt./9, 15/7, 25/5, add wrist wraps: 32/5] 40/6, 45/4, 50/2
V-Grip Chin-ups: [bwt./4, bwt./4] bwt./6, bwt./6, 2.5/4
Reverse Curls: [Curl Bar: 35/9, Barbell: 45/7] 50/10, 52/8, 55/6
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:36
Dips are the only exercise I am not changing from my last routine, as I don’t know of a good alternative, so to give some variety, I am dropping to my lower rep ranges for them.
Videos:
During the first two weeks of this routine, I will be recording the top set of each exercise as a separate video. This way I can post them on the Weightlifting Exercises Videos section of my fitness website. The purpose of the section is to show the proper performance of various exercises, and with these being “new” exercises, I want to have videos of them for it.
Music: X Worship - 2006
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Squats
Wednesday – 9/2/15
Gear: None.
Shoes: Crain Power Squat Shoes. New Balance sneakers.
Raw Squats: [45/20, 65/10, 85/10] 95/10, 95/10, 95/10
Manta Ray (high bar, close stance) Squats: [45/9, 65/7] 85/6, 85/6, 85/6
Crunches: [bwt./9, 5/7] 7.5/10, 8.75/8, 10/6
Leg Curls (standing): [bwt./10] 3s/10, 3s/10, 3s/10
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:30
By “Raw Squats” is meant no gear, not even a belt.
Videos:
Music: X Worship - 2007
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Benches
Thursday – 9/3/15
Gear: Crain: power belt, Genesis wrist wraps.
Shoes: Adidas AdiPower lifting shoes.
Dead Stop Benches: [Regular: 45/15, 75/9, Stop: 95/7, 110/5, add gear: 125/3] 140/6, 145/4, 150/2
Rack Benches: [85/9, 105/7, 120/5, add gear: 135/3] 150/6, 157/4, 165/2
Speed Benches: 75/8, 80/6, 85/4
Dumbbell Rows (elbows out): [30/9, 45/7, 55/5] 60/8, 62/6, 65/4
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:44
This was the first time I did speed benches without using chains or bands, and I was right when in my Speed Work article I say it is best to use chains or bands to slow down the ascent, as sure enough, I could feel the bar jerking my arms upward at the top. I never experienced that with chains or bands, but I’m not about to take the time to set them up for three quick sets of speed work, so I’ll make do. Actually, the first set felt rather weird after doing partial (rack) benches beforehand, so next time I’ll do one warm-up set.
Videos:
Music:
X2011 – Christian Rock Hits
Stryper – “In God We Trust”
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Deadlifts
Sunday – 9/6/15
Gear: None.
Shoes: Nike wrestling shoes; Nike sneakers.
Sumo Deadlifts: [45/15, 95/9, 135/7, 155/6, 170/6] 185/6, 185/6, 185/6
Conv Deadlifts: [45/9, 135/7, 155/5, 170/3] 185/6, 185/6, 185/6
Hyperextensions: bwt./10, 10, 10
Crunch-Side Bend Combo: [bwt./9, 5/7] 7.5/10, 8.75/8, 10/6
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:24
Again, for comments on these workouts in regards to my hamstring, see under “First Week of Workouts” in my updated Hamstring Re-injury article. After that is then my plans from here and my thoughts on what caused this injury. But in a nutshell, my hamstring is worse than I originally thought, hence the ridiculously low weights in the squat and deadlifts workouts and why the ”Next Contest” line indicates my next contest won’t be until next year, and that is being optimistic.
Videos:
Music: “X2012 – Christian Rock Hits”
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Rotator Cuff Work
I used to do rotator cuff work on my Bench Assistance days, but it was making those workouts too long, so I moved it to after I hit my heavy bag in the mornings. That has been working out well. The heavy bag times, along with for my walks on opposite days, are indicated on my Cardio Logs. I think I will start indicating the rotator cuff work here. I do rotator cuff work twice a week, alternating through four different exercises. I backoff on my cardio and rotator cuff work at the beginning of routines just like with my lifting.
Wednesday, 9/2/15
Shoulder Horn (Arms Together): [2.0/9] 3.25/12, 3.5/10, 3.75/8
Sunday, 9/6/15
Lying, in: [2.0/9] 3.25/12, 3.5/10, 3.75/8
Video
Week 2 of 12 (Week B)
Bodyweight: 120.8 pounds.
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had to be careful my weight didn't get too high, but now with this hamstring injury, I've lost a couple of pounds and need to be careful it doesn't get too low.
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Bench Assistance
Monday – 9/7/15
Gear: Crain power belt, Redline wrist wraps.
Shoes: Nike sneakers.
Dumbbell Decline Benches (arms together): [20s/15, 32s/9, 45s/7, add gear: 55s/5] 60s/8, 62s/6, 65s/4
Barbell Presses: [45/9, 55/7, 62/5, add gear: 70/3] 75/6, 80/4, 85/2
Pull-ups: [bwt./4, bwt./4] bwt./8, 2.5/6, 5/4
Curl Bar Curls: [35/9, 50/7] 55/10, 57/8, 60/6
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:35
In my article about my first hamstring injury I mention that I skipped doing decline benches as I feared they would aggravate my hamstring, but I did them this time without problems.
I was going to use my lower rep ranges for presses, but the final double did not feel good, so I will stick with the same rep range as for DB decline benches and pull-ups. But otherwise, this was a good workout.
Videos:
Dumbbell Decline Benches (arms together)
Music:
“X2004 – Sea of Faces Tour” (a rather short bonus CD).
Saturday Nite Lite – 3/23/91
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Squats
Wednesday – 9/9/15
Gear: None.
Shoes: Crain Power Squat Shoes; Nike sneakers.
Raw Squats: [45/15, 65/9, 85/7, 95/5] 105/6, 110/6, 115/6
Manta Ray Squats: [45/9, 65/7, 85/5] 95/6, 100/6, 105/6
Barbell Calves (on 2-1/4” high platform): [45/10, 65/10] 85/10, 90/10, 95/10
Leg Curls (legs together): 5/6, 2.5/10, 3.75/10, 5/10
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:34
This was a depressing workout. I was “supposed” to be using wraps for the first time since April, using my brand new Crain wraps, and working up to a double with 290. But instead, I did sets of six completely raw with less than my bodyweight. However, I guess I should be thankful that I used 20 pounds more than last week and had a much easier time getting down. I only struggled on the first two sets in that regard, so I am making progress and that is what matters.
I had no idea how much weight to use on BB calves or leg curls, so I started very light on the former and worked up. On the latter, I started too “heavy” as the mere five pounds was bothering my hamstring, so I dropped down and worked back up. But I didn’t take a video as I thought I’d do another set, but stopped where I was as my hamstring was getting sore.
Videos:
Music: Pandora – The Altar Boys Radio
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Benches
Thursday – 9/10/15
Gear: Crain: power belt, Genesis wrist wraps.
Shoes: Adidas AdiPower lifting shoes.
Benches: [45/15, 80/9, 100/7, 115/5, add gear: 130/3] 145/6, 152/4, 160/2
Dumbbell Benches (alternate arms): [30s/9, 37s/7, add gear: 45s/5] 50s/8, 52s/6, 55s/4
Push-ups: [regular: 8] Clap: 8, 8, 8
Curl Bar Rows: [45/9, 65/7, 80/5] 90/8, 95/6, 100/4
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:42
This was a very good workout, but in a way frustrating. With benches going so well to start this routine, that means my training plan was working, and squats and deadlifts would probably have gone well also, if it weren’t for this stupid hamstring injury. But again, I guess I should be happy with what I got--a good start on benches. Maybe I can use the time I’m rehabbing my hamstring to focus on my bench and get it to where I will be satisfied with it.
Since I’m doing DB declines on BA day with arms together, to give more variety, I am alternating my arms for DB benches here. And let me say, they are much harder that way. I had to drop the weights by five pounds (each DB) from what I would have done with arms together.
My hamstring only bothered me on the CB rows, but not enough to keep me from doing them.
Sunday is my planned extra day off, so my next workout will be on Monday. Maybe the rest will do my hamstring good, and I should be rested for when I return to harder training on benches next week.
Videos:
Dumbbell Benches (alternate arms)
Music:
Kutless – “Sea of Faces”
Saturday Nite Lite – 4/20/91
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Deadlifts
Monday – 9/14/15
Gear: none.
Shoes: Nike wrestling shoes; Nike Sneakers.
Sumo Deadlifts: [45/15, 135/9, 155/7, 175/5] 195/6, 205/6, 215/6
Conv Deadlifts: [135/9, 155/7, 175/5] 195/6, 205/6, 215/6
Hyperextensions: [bwt./10] 2.5/10, 3.75/10, 5/10
Dip Bar Twisting Leg Raises: 0/10, 0/10, 0/10
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:20
My hamstring felt much better from last week, and I was able to increase by 30 pounds on both sumo and conv DLs. I probably could have done more on sumos, but I didn’t want to push it, especially with doing conv DLs afterwards. And they were much tougher than the sumos. Next time I think I will reverse the order so as to do the harder stance first.
Videos:
Since I recorded the first three exercises separately last week, I recorded them together this time to post on the Workout Videos section of my website. But the ab exercise was new, so I recorded it separately to post on the Weightlifting Exercises Videos section of my fitness website.
Music: Pandora – Christian Rock Radio
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Rotator Cuff Work
Only once this week due to taking Sunday off.
Wednesday, 9/9/15
Sitting, front: [2.0/9] 3.25/12, 3.5/10, 3.75/8
Old Notebook for Workout Music
I got tired of using old-fashioned tapes and CDs for my workout music, so I knew I had to figure out a way to use Pandora without heating up my home office with my desktop PC. I tried hooking up my smart phone to my iPod/ computer speakers, and that worked fine, except that the phone cannot record videos and play music at the same time. Getting another device like a tablet would work great, but I don’t have the $400 to shell out for one right now.
But then I remembered I had bought my dad a new notebook PC three years ago, so I asked him if he still had his old notebook, and he did. So I took that and set-up my Wi-Fi and installed my Pandora app on it. It is a real dinosaur, running Win XP and very slowly; freezing up constantly and being just plain finicky. I tried using it for my Bench Assistance and Bench workouts this past week, but it froze up during the BA workout and shut off on its own during the Bench workout! It was because of it doing such that I got my dad the new PC. But after much fiddling with it, I think I got it figured out enough that it will play Pandora okay now.
Even in the winter, it will be more convenient having the notebook in my home gym rather than having to go into my home office to adjust things. And my iPod/ computer speakers are much better than the speakers on my music box, and if I want, I can always play CDs on the notebook. Plus, it didn’t cost me anything, other than a few bucks for some new hook-up cables. But I will keep my music box and some tapes and CDs in my home gym so I can switch to them if this old notebook conks out during a workout, as happened this past week.
For those who don’t know, with Pandora you can pick out a group or artist and make a “radio station” from it. Pandora will then play songs by that group or artist and songs by similar ones. Thus for my Squat workout in my log the music is “Pandora – The Altar Boys Radio.” Pandora should then be playing songs by that and other Christian hard rock groups, though it might mix in some secular hard rock as well. Pandora also has pre-made stations, such as the “Christian Rock Radio” on Deadlift day.
Week 3 of 12 (Week A)
Bodyweight: 119.8 pounds
Body fat: 12.9%, 15.5 pounds
Lean body mass: 104.3 pounds
Waist: 32”
I’ve now lost over three pounds since my hamstring injury, and these numbers are all going the wrong way. Very frustrating.
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Bench Assistance
Wednesday – 9/16/15
Gear: Crain power belt, Redline wrist wraps.
Shoes: Adidas: AdiPower lifting shoes.
Incline Benches: [Dumbbells: 10s/15, Barbell: 45/9, 70/7, 95/5, and gear: 112/3], 125/6, 130/4, 135/2
Dips: [bwt./9, 15/7, 27/5, add wrist wraps: 37/5] 45/6, 50/4, 55/2
V-Grip Chin-ups: [bwt./6, bwt./4] bwt./8, 2.5/5.5*, 5/4
Reverse Curls: [Curl Bar: 37/9, Barbell: 47/7] 52/10, 55/8, 57/6
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:36
For two days it seems like every piece of technology I have touched has not worked right, including my desktop PC, my smart phone, and the aforementioned notebook PC, which conked out on me while hitting my heavy bag in the morning. I think I got the PCs figured out, but my phone is still giving me fits. I was thus stressed out before this workout, but I somehow put all of that out of my mind and put in a good workout.
I could have used 45s on the final set of inclines, but I didn’t think it was worth the risk of aggravating my hamstring lifting up the plates for just one set, so I used 25s and 10s instead. And as always, I was having a hard time getting all the way up on chin-ups.
Music: Pandora – Decyfer Down Radio
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Squats
Thursday – 9/17/15
Gear: None.
Shoes: Crain Power Squat Shoes. Nike sneakers.
Raw Squats: [45/20, 65/9, 85/7, 100/5, 115/3] 125/6, 130/6, 135/6
Manta Ray (high bar, close stance) Squats: [45/9, 65/7, 85/5, 105/3] 115/6, 120/6, 125/6
BB Calves: [55/9, 85/7] 95/10, 100/10, 105/10
Leg Curls: [2.5/9, 3.75/7] 5/10, 5.5/10, 6.0/10
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:30
Ditto on 45s and the final set of inclines for the final set of squats here. And I must say, it is frustrating using the same weights for my work sets on squats as for inclines, albeit for a few more reps. But I probably could have used more weight on squats, as my hamstring did not bother me at all on them, but I didn’t want to push it. And good thing, as my hamstring bothered me a little on the mantra ray squats, a little more on BB calves, and good bit on leg curls. But it felt fine after icing it, so I am making progress.
Videos:
Since I needed to change the location of my smart phone for the last two exercises I recorded them as a separate video.
Music: Pandora – Petra Radio
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Benches
Sunday – 9/20/15
Gear: Crain: power belt, Genesis wrist wraps.
Shoes: Adidas AdiPower lifting shoes.
Dead Stop Benches: [Regular: 45/15, 75/9, Stop: 95/7, 115/5, add gear: 130/3] 145/6, 152/4, 160/2
Rack Benches: [85/9, 105/7, 125/5, add gear: 140/3] 157/6, 165/4, 172/2
Speed Benches: [55/7] 80/8, 85/6, 90/4
Dumbbell Rows (elbows out): [30/9, 45/7, 57/5] 62/8, 65/6, 67/4
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:44
An excellent workout. It feels good to get back into hard training, if only for benches.
Music: Pandora – Jonah 33 Radio
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Deadlifts
Monday – 9/21/15
Gear: None.
Shoes: Nike wrestling shoes; Nike sneakers.
Conv Deadlifts: [45/15, 135/9, 155/7, 175/5, 195/3] 215/6, 225/6, 235/6
Sumo Deadlifts: [135/9, 155/7, 175/5, 195/3] 215/6, 225/6, 235/6
Hyperextensions: [bwt./9, 2.5/7] 5/10, 6.75/10, 7.5/10
Crunch-Side Bend Combo: [bwt./9, 7.5/7] 10/10, 11.25/8, 12.5/6
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:24
It worked better doing conv DLs first, as the intensity was about the same for both stances. It felt good being able to again use two 45s on each side of the bar for both stances. However, my hamstring bothered me a good bit after this workout, but I think that was more from the hypers than the DLs. I think I was trying to go down too far on a few of the reps. But, unfortunately, I forgot to start the recording for the hypers to see for sure.
Music: Pandora – DC Talk Radio
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Rotator Cuff Work
Wednesday, 9/16/15
Lying, down: [2.0/9] 3.25/12, 3.5/10, 3.75/8
Sunday, 9/21/15
Shoulder Horn (arms together): [2.25/9] 3.5/12, 3.75/10, 4.0/8
Weights and Reps Plan
My plan for squats, deadlifts, and other rehab exercises for my hamstring is to do three sets and to add the same amount of weight set to set as I usually do when dropping reps, but to do the highest reps for that exercise for all three sets. Then the next week I will start where I ended the previous week. For example, I did 135/6 on my final set of squats this week, so next week I will start with 135/6 and work up from there.
Eventually, when I add weight set to set it will be too heavy for the top reps for set two or three, at least without aggravating my hamstring, so I will naturally do fewer reps, which will also be when I will add in gear again. In this way, I will gradually increase the weights and work down to lower reps. God-willing, if things go according to plan, I should be about where I was before the injury by the end of this 12 week routine.
Tech problems update
Since I mentioned about my tech problems, I figured I’d give an update. The problem with my desktop PC was with the keyboard, so I got a new one: Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000, with keyboard and mouse. I really like it.
My workout music notebook PC was acting up again, but it was due to a cheap faulty splitter cable I had gotten, so I got a new more expensive one, a StarTech Stereo Splitter Cable, and that works just fine. I also figured out that I need to hook up the speakers first, and then turn on the PC. If I do the reverse, the PC messes up. Makes no sense, but it is what it is.
I “fixed” my smart phone problem by getting a new Galaxy S5 via my insurance. It cost $99 for the deductible, but most of my stuff was restored from the Cloud, so it wasn’t too hard resetting it the way I wanted, so everything’s good now.
Week 4 of 12 (Week B)
Bodyweight: 120.8 pounds.
Body fat: 13.2%, 15.9 pounds.
LBM: 104.9 pounds.
Waist: 32-1/2”.
I gained a pound back, but it
was all fat. Not good.
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Bench Assistance
Wednesday – 9/23/15
Gear: Crain power belt, Redline wrist wraps.
Shoes: Nike sneakers.
Dumbbell Decline Benches (arms together): [20s/15, 35s/9, 47s/7, add gear: 52s/5, 57s/3] 62s/8, 65s/6, 67s/4
Barbell Presses: [45/9, 55/7, 62/5, add gear: 70/3] 75/8, 80/5, 85/3
Pull-ups: [bwt./6, bwt./4] 2.5/7, 5/5, 7.5/3
Curl Bar Curls: [35/9, 52/7] 57/9, 60/,7 62/5
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:50
A terrible workout. Stress had me tired out before this workout even started and unable to concentrate during it. As result, I messed up my warm-up weights on the first two exercises and had to do an extra set, missed a rep on every work set after the first set of presses, the workout took too long, and I was overly tired afterwards.
Music: Pandora – Disciple Radio
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Squats
Thursday – 9/24/15
Gear: None.
Shoes: Crain Power Squat Shoes; Nike sneakers.
Raw Squats: [45/15, 65/9, 85/7, 105/5, 120/3] 135/6, 142/6, 150/6
Manta Ray Squats: [45/9, 70/7, 95/5, 115/3] 125/6, 130/6, 135/6
Barbell Calves (on 2-1/4” high platform): [65/10, 95/10] 105/10, 110/10, 115/10
Leg Curls (legs together): [3.75/10, 5/10] 6.0/10, 6.5/10, 7.0/10
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:31
A much better workout. This time I had to put the 45s on, as I was using them for all three work sets of squats, but it didn’t bother my hamstring doing so. But I didn’t want to push it, so I used 25s and 10s for the top set of mantra raw squats. My hamstring only bothered me a little on the leg curls, and that was it, so it is improving.
Videos:
I forgot to start the recoding for the first and last exercises but membered for the middle two, for what that’s worth.
Music: Pandora – 2012 Top Christian Radio.
This softer type of music is what I usually listen to while I’m setting up and warming-up at the start of my workout and then when I am stretching and cleaning up afterwards, but with not working hard, I just left it on for the entire workout.
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Benches
Sunday – 9/27/15
Gear: Crain: power belt, Genesis wrist wraps.
Shoes: Adidas AdiPower lifting shoes.
Benches: [45/15, 85/9, 100/7, 120/5, add gear: 135/3] 150/6, 157/3*, 165/2
Dumbbell Benches (alternate arms): [30s/9, 40s/7, add gear: 47s/5] 52s/8, 55s/6, 57s/4
Push-ups: [regular: 8] Clap: 9, 9, 9
Curl Bar Rows: [45/9, 65/7, 82/5] 92/8, 97/8*, 102/4
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:40
Another sleepless night before this workout, but once again I cranked up the white metal and put in an excellent workout. But once again, the curse of the second set of benches struck, and I only got three rather than my planned four reps. But with that missed rep, this workout duplicated my Week Ten workout from my routine in the spring, thus tying 50s PRs. But this time, I have four more workouts this routine to improve upon that rather than just one. But then on CB rows, I accidently did 8 rather than 6 reps on the second set. Note sure how that happened.
Video
CB rows not recorded.
Music: Pandora – Saint Radio then Resurrection Band Radio.
Saint is probably the “heaviest” white metal group there is, so I usually play that “station” for deadlifts, for which I think psych makes the biggest difference. But with the sleeplessness, I needed that extra push for this workout. But after the first two exercises, I switched to a not quite as heavy station.
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Deadlifts
Monday – 9/28/15
Gear: none.
Shoes: Nike wrestling shoes; Nike Sneakers.
Conv Deadlifts: [45/15, 135/9, 160/7, 185/5, 215/3] 235/6, 247/6, 260/6
Sumo Deadlifts: [135/9, 160/7, 185/5, 215/6*] 235/6, 247/6, 260/6
Hyperextensions: [bwt./9, 5/7] 7.5/10, 8.75/10, 10/10
Dip Bar Twisting Leg Raises: [--/9] 3s/10, 3s/10
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:31
A good workout. My hamstring is doing considerably better, so thank the LORD for that. On hypers, I think they problem last time wasn’t that I was going down too far but that I did go down far enough on the warm-ups, then when I went further down on the work sets, that bothered my hamstring. This time, I went as far as down as my device would let me on all sets, and that felt good.
I was getting confused on sumo deadlifts on which set I was on, so for my last warm-up set for which I should have done three reps, I did six reps thinking it was my first work set. Then thinking my second work set was my third, I recorded the set and then had to record the real final set. I don’t think I did an extra set in the midst of this confusion, but I might have.
Music: Pandora – Plumb Radio
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Rotator Cuff Work
Wednesday, 9/23/15
Lying, in: [2.25/9] 3.5/12, 3.75/10, 4.0/8
Sunday, 9/27/15
Sitting, front: [2.25/9] 3.5/12, 3.75/10, 4.0/8
Routine Changes
I have now finished four weeks of my 12 week “Rehab” routine. My hamstring is doing considerably better, so will be making some changes to my routine. Mostly, I will gradually move to training squats and deadlifts with my normal alternating weeks style of only doing the same exercise every other week. However, I will continue to do raw squats every week for a while, as I have a long ways to go to get the weights back to where they were before the injury. But eventually, as the weights get heavier I will do squats with sleeves Week A and squats with wraps Week B. To prepare for the latter, I will start doing reverse band squats Week A instead of manta ray squats to get heavier weights on my back.
I will ease back into speed work, doing it first for deadlifts before trying it for squats and doing squats and deadlifts in a rapid fashion before doing jump lifts. I will continue to do leg curls on both squat days for the next couple of weeks, but then move them to Week A deadlift day where they fit better and alternate them with hyperextensions Week B. I will continue to do calves work on both squat days, as I feel they need the work. But I will use two different exercises, probably DBs Week A and a barbell Week B, both standing. I might try sitting calves instead Week A, but it is not easy to do such in my home gym.
For deadlifts, I will split up the two stances, doing conv DLs Week A and sumo DLs Week B. I will follow up the conv DLs with a sumo assistance exercise and sumo speed work and the sumos with a conv assistance exercise and conv speed work. I will thus train both stances equally. Come contest time, I will use whichever stance I am handling the most weight with. Deadlifts have progressed well enough that I will use gear (belt, knee sleeves, wrist bands) starting with my next workout so as not to risk hurting something else.
I previously moved my rotator cuff work to the mornings after hitting my heavy bag to shorten my bench assistance workouts. That has been working out well, so I will now move my ab work to the mornings to make room for the extra hamstring and calves work in the afternoons. I have been hitting the heavy bag for 20 minutes but will cut down to 15 minutes. The rotator cuff and ab work should only take about 15 minutes, so that will give me a 30 minute workout in the mornings. Since I do higher reps and take shorter rest times for rotator cuff and abs work than for most other exercises, they are a somewhat of a cardio exercise and should fit well.
That’s it. Nothing monumental, just some tweaking as I try to get back into harder training on squats and deadlifts and make some changes to try to keep such an injury from happening again. As ways, here’s trusting the LORD this all works out and a contest next year becomes a possibility.
My
Diet Evaluation Logs - 2015 has been updated with September’s numbers.
10/1/15
Miscellaneous Links
New Bands:
Now that my hamstring is doing considerably better, I started doing reverse band squats this training week so as to get some heaver weight on my back, as I didn’t want to go too long without doing so. For these I got a new pair of #4, average bands. I will use my old #4 bands on deadlifts. The bands get stretched much more on deadlifts than on squats, so I figured it would be best to use a different pair for each lift. The old ones are green while the new ones are yellow, but they are identical in width and thickness, so they should provide the same tension, except for the yellow ones being newer.
I also got a pair of #2, monster-mini bands for reverse band benches in my next routine. I was using #3, light bands, but they added too much for raw benches. I also already had #1, mini-bands, but they would add too little. The monster minis and minis are the same width, but the monster minis are twice as thick. The monster-minis are yellow, the light bands are purple, and the mini-bands are red.
I got the new bands from APT.
Which Deadlift Stance Is Best?
After posting about training both conv and sumo DLs, I did some Googling to find opinions on the two stances and came across the following article comparing the biomechanics of each. It’s a good read: Which Deadlift Stance Is Best?
New Article:
Inexpensive Nutrition Kindle eBooks Reviews is a new article on my fitness website. It provides detailed reviews of: Nutrition for Dummies, Clean Food Diet, and Paleo Diet Made Easy.
Week 5 of 12 (Week A)
Bodyweight: 121.2 pounds.
Body fat: 11.7%, 14.2 pounds.
LBM: 107.0 pounds.
Waist: 32-1/2”.
These numbers are finally moving
ion the right direction again.
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Bench Assistance
Wednesday – 9/30/15
Gear: Crain power belt, Redline wrist wraps.
Shoes: Adidas: AdiPower lifting shoes.
Incline Benches: [Dumbbells: 10s/15, Barbell: 45/9, 70/7, 100/5, and gear: 115/3], 130/5, 135/3, 140/1
Dips: [bwt./9, 15/7, 27/5, add wrist wraps: 40/5] 50/6, 55/4, 60/2
V-Grip Chin-ups: [bwt./6, bwt./4] bwt./8, 2.5/6, 5/4
Barbell Reverse Curls: [45/9] 52/12, 52/10, 55/8
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:37
This was an excellent workout, with everything going as planned. I am trying a little higher reps for arms and eventually for hamstrings and calves to see if that is more productive, and it felt good here.
Music: Pandora – Christian Rock Radio
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Squats
Thursday – 10/1/15
Gear: None.
Shoes: Crain Power Squat Shoes. Nike sneakers.
Raw Squats: [45/20, 70/9, 95/7, 115/5, 135/3] 150/6, 157/6, 165/6
Reverse Band Squats: [135/--, 155/9, 165/7, 175/6] 185/6, 195/6, 205/6
DB Calves: [15/9] 20/10, 22/10, 25/10
Leg Curls: [3.75/9, 5.75/7] 7.0/10, 7.25/10, 7.5/10
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:37
A good workout. This was the first time since my injury that I didn’t have overt problems getting down. It only took a few reps with the bar, which is normal for me. Once again, I could have done more on squats, but I am being very cautious about not pushing it.
It felt good to get a little heavier weight on my back, even with band assist. But I wasn’t sure how much weight to use on them. I started with 135, but that wasn’t enough to get down, so I went up to 155 and then added ten pounds per set.
My hamstring felt okay for most of this workout. It only bothered me, as always, on the leg curls. But I’m determined to keep doing them as in the long run I think they will prove beneficial, even if I am only able to use very light weights on them.
I wasn’t sure how many sets I was going to do on the RB squats, so I ended up recording my top two sets.
Music: Pandora – Passion Radio
Still keeping on softer CCM throughout my squat workouts,
until I am able to work harder during them. Then I will go back to Christian
hard rock or white metal.
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Benches
Sunday – 10/4/15
Gear: Crain: power belt, Genesis wrist wraps.
Shoes: Adidas AdiPower lifting shoes.
Dead Stop Benches: [Regular: 45/15, 75/9, Stop: 95/7, 115/5, add gear: 135/3] 150/5, 157/3, 165/1
Rack Benches: [95/9, 115/7, 135/5, add gear: 150/3] 165/6, 172/4, 180/2
Speed Benches: [65/7] 85/8, 90/6, 95/4
Dumbbell Rows (elbows out): [32/9, 45/7, 57/5] 65/7, 67/5, 70/3
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:41
An excellent workout, with everything going according to plan.
Music: Pandora – Red Radio
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Deadlifts
Monday – 10/5/15
Gear: Crain power belt; APT: knee sleeves, wrist bands.
Shoes: Nike wrestling shoes; Nike sneakers.
Conv Deadlifts: [45/15, 135/9, 170/7, 205/5, add gear: 235/3] 260/6, 272/6, 285/6
Sumo Platform (3” Deficit) Deadlifts: [135/9, 155/7, 175/5, add gear: 195/3] 215/6, 225/6, 235/6
Sumo Speed Deadlifts: 135/8, 135/8, 135/8
Hyperextensions: [bwt./9, 7.5/7] 10/10, 11.25/10, 12.5/10
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:40
It felt good to use gear on deadlifts for the first time this routine. The limited gear doesn’t do much in terms of helping the lifts, but it just feels more “professional” having it on.
That said, conv DLs went well. I am to the point where I need to work somewhat hard on them, and my hamstring only bothered me slightly on the top set. Then it did not bother me at all on the two sumo exercises, but I didn’t go very hard on them since it was the first time this routine doing such.
But then my hamstring bothered me a good bit starting with the first warm-up set of hypers and through the rest of the sets, then it continued to bother me even after icing it and the next morning. I can only hope and pray I did not aggravate it and this does not lead to a setback. I won’t know until I squat on Thursday.
This leaves me in a quandary as to what to do with hypers and leg curls. It seems like I can squat and deadlift without much pain, but these exercises are problematic. But does that mean they are doing what I want them to do--focus on the hamstring; and if I stick with them, they will strengthen and heal this hamstring once for all? Or does that mean I should avoid such movements as doing them will just keep aggravating the hamstring and keep it from ever healing?
My only thought right now is I already planned on changing the placement of these exercise after my next training week, and maybe that will make a difference. I will only do the hypers Week B after conv assistance exercises, which work the hamstrings in a manner more similar to hypers than the sumo movements I did here, and I will move leg curls from squat days to this DL day and do them after the sumo movements, which work the hamstring more and more similar to leg curls than squats do. Maybe that will make them less problematic. But if not, then maybe I will go the route of avoiding them. I’ll see what happens over the next three training weeks and then decide. Here’s praying I don’t mess up my hamstring even more in the process of deciding.
Music: Petra – “Rock Block” (a “Best of” CD).
My old notebook froze up on me, so I switched to my standby music box.
______________________________
Morning Workouts
Week 5, Day 1
Wednesday, 9/30/15
Heavy Bag: 15 minutes
Rotator Cuff: Shoulder Horn (arms together): [2.5/9] 3.75/12, 4.0/10, 4.25/8
Abs: Sit-ups: [2.5/9] 7.5/12, 8.75/10, 10/8
Workout Time: 0:33
Next time I will go a little higher on the reps for both rotator cuff and abs and eliminate the warm-up sets.
Week 5, Day 2
Sunday, 10/4/15
Heavy Bag: 15 minutes
Rotator Cuff: Lying, in: 3.5/17, 3.75/12, 4.0/10
Abs: Leg Raises: 12, 12 reps
Workout Time: 0:28
Annual Physical Exam – 2015
Annual Physical Exam – 2015 is a new article. It discusses the effects of increased sodium and cholesterol intakes on blood pressure and blood LDL cholesterol levels, respectively.
Week 6 of 12 (Week B)
Bodyweight: 121.6 pounds.
Body fat: 12.3%, 15.0 pounds.
LBM: 106.6 pounds.
Waist: 32-1/2”.
______________________________
Bench Assistance
Wednesday – 10/7/15
Gear: Crain power belt, Redline wrist wraps.
Shoes: Nike sneakers.
Dumbbell Decline Benches: [20s/15, 35s/9, 47s/7, add gear: 57s/3] 65s/7, 67s/5, 70s/3
Barbell Presses: [45/9, 55/7, 62/5, add gear: 70/3] 77/6, 82/4, 87/4
Pull-ups: [bwt./7, bwt./5] 2.5/8, 5/6, 7.5/4
Curl Bar Curls: [45/9] 55/12, 57/10, *57/10
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:45
This workout went much better than last time. The only miscue was I forgot to change the weights for the last set of curls. I realized it after I started the set and saw the 2-1/2s on the floor that were supposed to be on the bar! I thus just repeated set two.
Videos:
DB
Declines
Presses and Pull-ups
Curls
I’m not sure why, but the recording kept stopping every time I touched my phone. I thus ended up with three videos.
Music: Pandora – Disciple Radio.
I think I got the old notebook fixed. I ran defrag. I’ve been meaning to do that but kept forgetting, and it really needed it. My dear ol’ dad was probably always turning it off wrong, just pushing the power button, splattering files all over the place. It is running much better now.
______________________________
Squats
Thursday – 10/8/15
Gear: None.
Shoes: Crain Power Squat Shoes; Nike sneakers.
Raw Squats: [45/15, 75/9, 100/7, 125/5, 150/3] 165/6, 172/6, 180/6
Manta Ray Squats: [45/9, 75/7, 100/5, 120/3] 140/6, 147/6, 155/6
Barbell Calves (on 2-1/4” high platform): [85/9] 110/12, 115/12, 120/12
Leg Curls (legs together): [5/9] 7.25/12, 7.5/12, 7.75/12
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:36
My hamstring has been bothering me slightly throughout the day ever since Monday’s workout and that slight discomfort continued throughout this workout, but it didn’t get any worse, even on leg curls. This workout thus went as planned. The only thing was I felt a slight twinge in my left knee on the final set of manta ray squats. I’ll take that as a “warning” it is time to add in gear on squats, which I will do next week.
Videos:
Squats
and manta ray squats
Calves and leg curls
Music: Pandora – Contemporary Christian Music Radio
This is the main CCM station on Pandora, and it is excellent music for listening to while I am working on my PC, but it is not so great workout music, but I kept it on with not working hard. But by the next time I do this workout, God-wiling, I should be working hard enough that I will need harder rock to help me get psyched up.
______________________________
Benches
Sunday – 10/11/15
This should have been my planned extra day off, but with my hamstring injury, only half of my workouts have been hard of late; so I really did not need the extra day off and will delay it a week.
Gear: Crain: power belt, Genesis wrist wraps.
Shoes: Adidas AdiPower lifting shoes.
Benches: [45/15, 85/9, 105/7, 125/5, add gear: 140/3] 155/5, 162/3, 170/1
Dumbbell Benches (alternate arms): [32s/9, 42s/7, add gear: 50s/5] 55s/8, 57s/6, 60s/4
Push-ups: [regular: 8] Clap: 10, 10, 10
Curl Bar Rows: [45/9, 70/7, 85/5] 95/8, 100/6, 105/4
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:48
A very good workout, except for taking a little too long. But that was due to once again fighting off an allergic reaction and having my mind on work issues during this workout.
Looking at the video, I need to pause my bench a little longer.
Music: Pandora – Thousand Foot Krutch
______________________________
Deadlifts
Monday – 10/12/15
Gear: Crain power belt; APT: knee sleeves, wrist bands.
Shoes: Nike wrestling shoes; Nike Sneakers.
Sumo Deadlifts: [45/15, 135/9, 175/7, 210/5, add gear: 242/3] 270/6, 285/6, 295/6
Conv Reverse Band Deadlifts: [185/9, 210/7, 235/5, add gear: 260/3] 285/6, 300/6, 315/6
Conv RB Speed Deadlifts: 185/8, 195/6, 205/4
Hyperextensions: [bwt./9, 7.5/7] 12.5/10, 13.75/10, 15/10
Stretching: ~5 minutes
Workout time: 1:44
I increased sumo DLs by ten pounds over conv DLs last week due to moving them to first rather than second after conv DLs. And the intensity was just about right. I was working somewhat hard by the last set, and my hamstring only bothered me slightly. But then I aggravating it slightly setting up the bands, and it bothered me a bit more through the rest of the workout, but not excessively, even on hypers. I thank the LORD for that, and I think I was right--doing the hypers after a conv DL move is a better placement for them. I had no idea how much weight to use on the conv RB DLs, but I picked it just about right.
The song playing during sumo DLs is currently one of my favorites. “I Feel Like a Monster” by Skillet. A great workout song!
Music: Pandora – Skillet Radio
______________________________
Morning Workouts
Week 6, Day 3
Wednesday, 10/7/15
Heavy Bag: 15 minutes
Rotator Cuff: Sitting, front: 3.5/14, 3.75/12, 4.0/10
Abs: Crunch Side-Bend Combo: 8.75/14, 10/12, 11.25/10
Workout Time: 0:33
Week 6, Day 4
Sunday, 10/11/15
Heavy Bag: 15 minutes
Rotator Cuff: Lying, down: 3.5/14, 3.75/12, 4.0/10
Abs: Dip Bar Twisting Leg Raises: [--/9] 3s/15, 3s/15
Workout Time: 0:37
I decided to give the “lying, down” exercise another try. As long as I don’t go too far down, it doesn’t bother my shoulders, so I will stick with it.
These workout logs are continued at: Full Workout Logs: Starting 10/14/2015 – Two by Two Plan; Routine A (Rehab), Weeks 7-12 of 12.
Full Workout Logs: Starting 8/31/2015 – Two by Two Plan; Routine A (Rehab), Weeks 1-6 of 12. Copyright © 2015 By Gary F. Zeolla.
Powerlifting and Back Pain
The first book is geared towards the beginner to intermediate powerlifter. It presents sound training, competition, dietary, and supplement advice to aid the reader in starting and progressing in the sport of powerlifting. The second book details how I overcame years of crippling low back and was able to return to the sport of powerlifting.
Starting and Progressing in Powerlifting: A Comprehensive Guide to the World's Strongest Sport
Overcoming Back Pain: A Mind-body Solution (Second Edition)
See also this series on Amazon (#ad).
Powerlifting and Strength Training
Powerlifting and Strength Training:
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