This routine is compliments of xahrx. I got the spreadsheet from him. It looks very interesting, so... I'm sticking to this for 10-12 weeks.
I did swap a few exercises from the ones he had, but other than that, I am going by his layout. The changes I made were good mornings instead of ham curls and then leg extensions instead of lunges. This was just a matter of personal preference.
This will be the first time in quite a while that I've done more than just deadlifts for my legs... and the first time in probably a couple years that I've done any sort of calf work, so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Weeks will be layed out as Sunday/Monday then one day off, then Wednesday/Thursday, then two days off, then back to Sunday again. I will be sticking to this unless work gets in the way or I find I can't handle it, in which case I might bring in more days off. Maybe got to a 8 or 10 day week instead of seven.
We'll see.
Today was Day 1, DE Chest Back / ME Legs
Bench 20x2x80 lbs
Row 20x2x90 lbs
These were both very easily, obviously. I focused on explosiveness, speed and keeping proper form throughout.
Next...
Deadlifts (with straps) 3x8x265 lbs
These really sucked. I used the straps mainly to familiarize myself with how to use them. Anyway, clearly I've been doing too many singles with deadlifts and not enough "higher rep" work with them, because I came very close to puking during the last two sets.
Calf Raises 3x8x220 lbs
Leg Ext 3x8x135 lbs
Calf Raises and Leg Exts were both very easy. Maybe I was having an off day when I tested my maxes. Might have to adjust later on.
Deadlifts (no straps) 3x3x310 lbs
Strangely, these were actually really easy. I was expecting to be fatigued from the near-puking deads I had done a bit earlier. No. I've also determined that lifting without strap, with a mixed grip, seems easier to me. That might be because I am new to straps, who knows.
Calf Raises 3x3x255 lbs
Leg Ext 3x3x155 lbs
Both were very easy again. So... I'll see what happens next week and adjust if need be.
After that, I felt a bit incomplete, so I decided to do more deadlifting. I actually had the camera out and decided to take some video. I'm having some trouble getting my capture device to work though. If I get it working soon, I might post the footage.
Deadlifts
1x315 lbs - flew up with ease
1x385 lbs - felt a little bit heavy
1x435 lbs - it was pretty hard
At this point, my bar BROKE.
Okay, WTF. I have the broken bar on video. One of the ends that holds the weights cracked and slid down into the middle of the bar. It is supposedly a 1000 lb test bar. I had 435 on it, and it broke? I'm going to see about taking it back to where I bought it, but probably not.
Strangely, the other bar I have, which I got free from the bro I bought my rack from, is standing up to the abuse just fine. And it's an old bar, you can tell. It is brown, there is no chrome color left at all. From what the guy, a former powerlifter, told me, he had used it for years. So...
After that, I did some rack pulls, but they didn't go too well.
Rack Pulls
1x455 lbs
1x505 lbs
0x555 lbs - I thought I may as well try it, but it just wasn't happening. Oh well.
1x525 lbs - This sucked, so I knew I was done.
Clearly, all the singles, doubles and triples I've been doing over the past few months has helped me regain and surpass my former strength in deadlifts, but has done nothing really for my work capacity. 3x8 on the deadlifts just sucked. I kept my protein down solely through strength of will. But... I'm going to keep doing it, because in a few weeks, it probably won't suck so much.
Hopefully, I'll get my capture device working tonight. It is ancient. I'd like to start posting a few videos now and then. Mainly, I wanted to do some videos so I can watch my form and maybe get some critiques on it. Now, I think I might just take some periodic video footage of my progress. I'm not a huge attention whore, but still, it sounds like fun and at least then people will know I'm not full of **** regarding my supposed numbers - not that they are impressive enough to sound like I'm lying anyway. But whatever.
Tomorrow is max-stim for Chest/Back/Arms. Joy.
I did swap a few exercises from the ones he had, but other than that, I am going by his layout. The changes I made were good mornings instead of ham curls and then leg extensions instead of lunges. This was just a matter of personal preference.
This will be the first time in quite a while that I've done more than just deadlifts for my legs... and the first time in probably a couple years that I've done any sort of calf work, so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Weeks will be layed out as Sunday/Monday then one day off, then Wednesday/Thursday, then two days off, then back to Sunday again. I will be sticking to this unless work gets in the way or I find I can't handle it, in which case I might bring in more days off. Maybe got to a 8 or 10 day week instead of seven.
We'll see.
Today was Day 1, DE Chest Back / ME Legs
Bench 20x2x80 lbs
Row 20x2x90 lbs
These were both very easily, obviously. I focused on explosiveness, speed and keeping proper form throughout.
Next...
Deadlifts (with straps) 3x8x265 lbs
These really sucked. I used the straps mainly to familiarize myself with how to use them. Anyway, clearly I've been doing too many singles with deadlifts and not enough "higher rep" work with them, because I came very close to puking during the last two sets.
Calf Raises 3x8x220 lbs
Leg Ext 3x8x135 lbs
Calf Raises and Leg Exts were both very easy. Maybe I was having an off day when I tested my maxes. Might have to adjust later on.
Deadlifts (no straps) 3x3x310 lbs
Strangely, these were actually really easy. I was expecting to be fatigued from the near-puking deads I had done a bit earlier. No. I've also determined that lifting without strap, with a mixed grip, seems easier to me. That might be because I am new to straps, who knows.
Calf Raises 3x3x255 lbs
Leg Ext 3x3x155 lbs
Both were very easy again. So... I'll see what happens next week and adjust if need be.
After that, I felt a bit incomplete, so I decided to do more deadlifting. I actually had the camera out and decided to take some video. I'm having some trouble getting my capture device to work though. If I get it working soon, I might post the footage.
Deadlifts
1x315 lbs - flew up with ease
1x385 lbs - felt a little bit heavy
1x435 lbs - it was pretty hard
At this point, my bar BROKE.
Okay, WTF. I have the broken bar on video. One of the ends that holds the weights cracked and slid down into the middle of the bar. It is supposedly a 1000 lb test bar. I had 435 on it, and it broke? I'm going to see about taking it back to where I bought it, but probably not.
Strangely, the other bar I have, which I got free from the bro I bought my rack from, is standing up to the abuse just fine. And it's an old bar, you can tell. It is brown, there is no chrome color left at all. From what the guy, a former powerlifter, told me, he had used it for years. So...
After that, I did some rack pulls, but they didn't go too well.
Rack Pulls
1x455 lbs
1x505 lbs
0x555 lbs - I thought I may as well try it, but it just wasn't happening. Oh well.
1x525 lbs - This sucked, so I knew I was done.
Clearly, all the singles, doubles and triples I've been doing over the past few months has helped me regain and surpass my former strength in deadlifts, but has done nothing really for my work capacity. 3x8 on the deadlifts just sucked. I kept my protein down solely through strength of will. But... I'm going to keep doing it, because in a few weeks, it probably won't suck so much.
Hopefully, I'll get my capture device working tonight. It is ancient. I'd like to start posting a few videos now and then. Mainly, I wanted to do some videos so I can watch my form and maybe get some critiques on it. Now, I think I might just take some periodic video footage of my progress. I'm not a huge attention whore, but still, it sounds like fun and at least then people will know I'm not full of **** regarding my supposed numbers - not that they are impressive enough to sound like I'm lying anyway. But whatever.
Tomorrow is max-stim for Chest/Back/Arms. Joy.
