A Monkey with a Gun

[Keith]

Ditching the cleans may be a good idea considering all the posterior chain work you're doing. Good job, bud.

[borracho]

wow dude...huge jump on the squats! You are definately motivating me to try and keep up...

[Sidior]

Solid call on ditching the cleans for now. It is a great exercise but focusing on the big 3 will get you that 1000lb total sooner.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Front squats:
45x10
135x8
220x3x3

Bench:
45x10
135x6
215x5x3

Deads:
45x5
135x5
225x5
275x2
325x4

Pull ups:
10x6
10x4x2

Hypers:
25x10
35x10

DB curls:
45x8

Notes: I went with my girlfriend to the gym who did a few squats with a 20lbs bar we have. She wasn't feeling well because she didn't have much to eat so she went to grab a bite to eat (and brought me left overs when I was done my workout :D). I didn't have much to eat either since I'm running low on groceries, so I was feeling kind of drained myself. My legs are fried, thus the triples instead of sets of five on the front squats. I hit 215x5x3 on the bench with room to spare so hopefully I won't stall again next time I bench. I was only planning for a triple on the deads, but decided to pull a fourth rep. Overall, I'm pretty satisfied, although it's pretty clear that my lower body needs a bit of a break.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Ditching the cleans may be a good idea considering all the posterior chain work you're doing. Good job, bud.


wow dude...huge jump on the squats! You are definately motivating me to try and keep up...


Solid call on ditching the cleans for now. It is a great exercise but focusing on the big 3 will get you that 1000lb total sooner.

Thanks for the support and motivation guys.

[killxswitch]

Looks like a solid workout for not having any food in you.

[View 1]

Looks like a great day in the gym even if you were drained. Still thinking of switching back to the 5x5 routine?

[Jorge Sanchez]

Looks like a solid workout for not having any food in you.

Thanks, I was pretty satisfied.


Looks like a great day in the gym even if you were drained. Still thinking of switching back to the 5x5 routine?

Thanks for the props. I'm going away for a month in 3 weeks and I won't have access to a gym. I really want to increase my lifts aggressively until then to try to hit 1000 total so I'm going to keep on going with Rippetoe. My plan is still to switch to the 5x5 eventually, but I'm going to ride the Rippetoe wave as long as can still increase the weight every workout (which will likely be quite a bit longer since I'll be coming back after a month-long layoff).

[CrazyK]

I like your routine, balanced and full body.

[mickyjune26]

keep pushing it hard, eating right and you'll be hitting 1000! You shouldn't lose too much strength if you eat right during the 3 week break, right?

[borracho]

WOO HOO!!!! on those daeads and the bench! Looks like I got some work to do on 'bof those movements now so I dont get blown away by you!

[Jorge Sanchez]

I like your routine, balanced and full body.

I only wish I could take any of the credit for it. I just do what Rippetoe tells me. Thanks for stopping by.


keep pushing it hard, eating right and you'll be hitting 1000! You shouldn't lose too much strength if you eat right during the 3 week break, right?

That's the plan. Last time I went backpacking I lost about 20lbs and a metric ton of strength, but I'm going to try to do much better this time around. I think I'm going to buy some weight gainer to supplement my diet while I'm gone, because I just won't get enough food otherwise.


WOO HOO!!!! on those daeads and the bench! Looks like I got some work to do on 'bof those movements now so I dont get blown away by you!

You've still got a few pounds on me, but I don't plan on slowing down so neither should you.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back Squat:
45x10
135x8
185x2
260x5x3

Strict Military Press:
45x10
95x6
120x5
120x4
120x3

BB Rows:
45x10
115x8
170x5x3

Dips:
45x5x3

Overhead situps:
30x10x2

I went in determined to make another 10lbs increase on my squats. It was definitely the hardest, most draining thing I have ever done in the gym, but also one of the most satisfying. I had almost no energy for the rest of my workout. I'm sure I could have done better with the presses had it not been immediately after the squats, but I'm still really happy with the workout.

Slightly off topic, I saw a poster in my gym for a crossfit class on the olympic lifts so I think I'm going to check that out. I'd really like to get into the olympic lifts but I have absolutely no clue about proper form. If I can only get into a class before I leave my goal of 1000lb total might have to take a backseat.

[Keith]

Huge squatting today, dude. Good to hear you put everything into it. What do you think you're maxing out at now?

[Jorge Sanchez]

Thanks. I think there's a reasonably good chance that I could hit 340-345 with a belt and wraps right now. I'd like to be able to hit a 355-360 squat in another three weeks. I'm also aiming for a 385-390 deadlift and a 255-260 bench in the same time frame which would put my total at 995-1010.

I think in another week or week and a half I'm going to start throwing on a belt for some squat and dead singles, at the end of my rep work, so I can practice getting a bit more out of the belt.

[Sidior]

I still think you can hit a grand even with the addition of the class. Stay focused and eat!

[jbrin0tk]

Nice work on those squats, man! 260 for 2 sets of 5 is great!

[Keith]

Thanks. I think there's a reasonably good chance that I could hit 340-345 with a belt and wraps right now. I'd like to be able to hit a 355-360 squat in another three weeks. I'm also aiming for a 385-390 deadlift and a 255-260 bench in the same time frame which would put my total at 995-1010.

I think in another week or week and a half I'm going to start throwing on a belt for some squat and dead singles, at the end of my rep work, so I can practice getting a bit more out of the belt.



Thanks for those numbers. Surprisingly, I've never looked over what I can do to hit 1000 lbs. Those are very ideal numbers for me, actually. 60-70 lb improvement in my squat, 50 lbs in my dead, and 20 lbs in my bench. I hope to get this by the end of the year the way things are going with my groin.

Sounds good about training for singles with the belt. Get some practice in before the Toronto meet! I want to see some big numbers then.

[View 1]

Great squating!!! I wish too that someone would teach me the proper way to do olympic lifts, cause I do them but I know my form is not 100% correct.

[killxswitch]

Nice job squatting, heavy squats really take it out of me too. Your millies were still pretty strong IMO, though maybe mine are just weak lol. Good luck with whatever you decide in reference to the crossfit training and your 1000 lb. total. I think you could do both if you really pushed yourself, how much more time do you have?

[Jorge Sanchez]

I still think you can hit a grand even with the addition of the class. Stay focused and eat!

It turns out the class is going to be held when I'm away, but they do it pretty regularly. Last night, I talked to the guy who runs the crossfit gym where it's being held. He's got bumper plates and kettlebells and "one of Canada's top weightlifting coaches," in Dan Robitaille. I think I'm going to check the place out when I get back.

I've been training my ass off and eating up a storm, although I'm still always hungry, oddly. I think a grand is going to be mine.


Nice work on those squats, man! 260 for 2 sets of 5 is great!

Thanks. I actually hit 260x5x3.... typo. Thanks for pointing it out.


Thanks for those numbers. Surprisingly, I've never looked over what I can do to hit 1000 lbs. Those are very ideal numbers for me, actually. 60-70 lb improvement in my squat, 50 lbs in my dead, and 20 lbs in my bench. I hope to get this by the end of the year the way things are going with my groin.

Sounds good about training for singles with the belt. Get some practice in before the Toronto meet! I want to see some big numbers then.

You'll have that by the end of the year, easily. In fact, I would be surprised if you couldn't hit that in a couple of months, even with the groin. I don't squat incredibly wide and my squat has still been increasing regularly. As long as narrow squats don't bother your groin, I don't see any reason that would have to slow you down too much.

I still haven't decided if I'm going to try to post a max at the Toronto meet. I might aim for a max bench or I might make it my last regular workout followed by a few days off before testing my max.


Great squating!!! I wish too that someone would teach me the proper way to do olympic lifts, cause I do them but I know my form is not 100% correct.

Thanks, Jefe. I've really been wanting to get into O-lifts for a while now, but I just don't feel comfortable teaching myself so this is really ideal. You might want to check the net to see if there is an olympic lifting gym or crossfit group near you -- they'd definitely be willing to teach you.


Nice job squatting, heavy squats really take it out of me too. Your millies were still pretty strong IMO, though maybe mine are just weak lol. Good luck with whatever you decide in reference to the crossfit training and your 1000 lb. total. I think you could do both if you really pushed yourself, how much more time do you have?

Thanks. I've got three weeks less a day as of today. I'm not going to try out the crossfit until I get back so 1000 should be within my reach.

[mickyjune26]

How many days' food do you carry at one time when you backpack? Congrats on the continual squat increases. If you keep it up, you'll be passing me for sure in squatland!

[Jorge Sanchez]

How many days' food do you carry at one time when you backpack? Congrats on the continual squat increases. If you keep it up, you'll be passing me for sure in squatland!

It's not backpacking as in hiking through woods. It's more hop on a train with a backpack and hang out in a city. I don't usually carry a whole lot of food with me because I hit up grocery stores and restaurants every day for food.

I think I've still got a ways to go before I catch your squat, but thanks for the props.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Front squat:
45x10
135x8
185x5x3

Bench:
45x10
135x6
220x4 (+1 with help)
220x3 (+1 with help)
220x3 (+1 with help)

Deads:
45x5
135x6
225x5
add belt
275x2
315x2
335x1
355x1
365x1 10lb PR

Pull ups:
10x6
10x5
10x4

Hypers:
35x10x2

I've been feeling really drained lately. I think squatting and deadlifting heavy so frequently is starting to take a toll on me so I kept the front squats light today. Depending on how I feel tomorrow and Saturday, I think I'll take a couple days off before I hit the gym again. I'm going to try for 10 hours sleep tonight to see if that helps. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the workout. I've pretty much resigned myself to seeing my bench increase every other workout, but I should still be able to hit my bench goal with that rate of progress.

Ever since my last workout I have had an absolutely insatiable appetite. I literally gorge myself and I am still hungry. To make matters worse, I spilled about half my lunch today:swear:.

[Keith]

Wow that's some taxing **** all in one day! Awesome benching and congrats on the deadlift PR! 3 and a quarter must feel good. I'm looking to hit that as soon as my injury is healed up. We post our workouts at the same time a lot eh? Lol, I just noticed that now. Oh, and spilling food is just about the worst thing ever. Literally. I absolutely lose it if I do. It's rare, but it does happen at times. Especially if you make it and it costs a lot.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Wow that's some taxing **** all in one day! Awesome benching and congrats on the deadlift PR! 3 and a quarter must feel good. I'm looking to hit that as soon as my injury is healed up. We post our workouts at the same time a lot eh? Lol, I just noticed that now. Oh, and spilling food is just about the worst thing ever. Literally. I absolutely lose it if I do. It's rare, but it does happen at times. Especially if you make it and it costs a lot.

Yeah, I've noticed we've been posting at the same time lately. Eerie. Thanks for the shoutouts. I'm looking forward to hitting 2pps for 3 sets of 5 on the bench.



I pass a local TV station on my bike ride to work and I noticed some guy setting up to deadlift the back of a Mazda3 for the morning show. I would have liked to stick around to watch, but I was late for work yesterday and I didn't want to make it two in a row. How much do you think you would have to pull to be able to lift the back of the car?

[borracho]

congrats on the DL PR! the benching looks like its coming along quite well...I wish I could get off this DB bench kick and get back in the BB groove but that does not seem to be happening.

good work dude, that 1k total is going to be your bitch soon

[Keith]

I pass a local TV station on my bike ride to work and I noticed some guy setting up to deadlift the back of a Mazda3 for the morning show. I would have liked to stick around to watch, but I was late for work yesterday and I didn't want to make it two in a row. How much do you think you would have to pull to be able to lift the back of the car?

That's awesome. I've seen a bunch of people deadlift the back of cars on TV, so I'm going to assume it's about 700 lbs maybe? Keep in mind it's more like a pin pull because of the height they're starting at. So maybe it's anywhere from 700-900 lbs.

[mickyjune26]

ROFL - monkeys always spill their lunches. You should be used to it! Good idea on the rest man. Though I don't know how you can actually sleep for 10 hours. Anytime I try to sleep for more than 8, I just dream about crazy crap like trying to clean a .50 calibur gun that's loaded, waiting for it to accidentally go off. THen again, maybe i should play less GTA4.

Congrats on the PR 3pps + a quarter is a solid weight.


That's good you can eat right on this next trip. You do that and the strength loss will be minimal. As for the post-workout meals, I'm the exact same way. I pretty much eat an entire days' worth of carbs after the workout...usually dirty. :(

[Ben Moore]

I pass a local TV station on my bike ride to work and I noticed some guy setting up to deadlift the back of a Mazda3 for the morning show. I would have liked to stick around to watch, but I was late for work yesterday and I didn't want to make it two in a row. How much do you think you would have to pull to be able to lift the back of the car?

No, I'd say if you can pull 450+ you would be able to get that car off the ground. The fulcrum where the end of the car dead implement hits makes it a bit easier. That and the height you pull from. There is also a technique of sorts to it making more akin to a trap bar pull. Obviously a bigger car will be heavier.

[jbrin0tk]

Nice work on that 365 pull, Jorge! Getting closer to 1,000lbs all the time!

[tangerine dream]

Nice work man. The crossfit class sounds like an awesome opportunity. I wish I had one near me so I could learn and see if I do my full cleans right.

[View 1]

Congrats on the 365 deadkift PR! I love hitting PR's its always a good feeling. Pretty soon your gonna hit 405, and trust me that one is a great feeling.

[Jorge Sanchez]

ROFL - monkeys always spill their lunches. You should be used to it! Good idea on the rest man. Though I don't know how you can actually sleep for 10 hours. Anytime I try to sleep for more than 8, I just dream about crazy crap like trying to clean a .50 calibur gun that's loaded, waiting for it to accidentally go off. THen again, maybe i should play less GTA4.

Congrats on the PR 3pps + a quarter is a solid weight.


That's good you can eat right on this next trip. You do that and the strength loss will be minimal. As for the post-workout meals, I'm the exact same way. I pretty much eat an entire days' worth of carbs after the workout...usually dirty. :(

Thanks, buddy. I'm going to try to eat a lot better this time around. I'm going to see if I can't find a gym a couple of times just to get in a quick workout here and there. I think that will help a lot. If not, I'll just have my girlfriend jump on my back and I'll do squats and push ups with her there.


No, I'd say if you can pull 450+ you would be able to get that car off the ground. The fulcrum where the end of the car dead implement hits makes it a bit easier. That and the height you pull from. There is also a technique of sorts to it making more akin to a trap bar pull. Obviously a bigger car will be heavier.

That's awesome. I'd love to be able to deadlift a car someday.


Nice work on that 365 pull, Jorge! Getting closer to 1,000lbs all the time!

Thanks, buddy. I think it's going to be close. If I had another week, I'd have no doubt about it, but I think it's going to come right down to the wire.


Nice work man. The crossfit class sounds like an awesome opportunity. I wish I had one near me so I could learn and see if I do my full cleans right.

I'd search google, there might be something nearby. It's definitely a good opportunity. I'm looking forward to it.


Congrats on the 365 deadkift PR! I love hitting PR's its always a good feeling. Pretty soon your gonna hit 405, and trust me that one is a great feeling.

It was nice, but I'm more focused on my 1000 total right now so individual PRs probably don't mean as much as the would otherwise. It's definitely nice to know that I'm headed in the right direction.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Squat:
45x10
135x8
205x2
265x5x2
add belt
275x3
285x1
Walkouts:
315
355

Strict Military Press:
45x10
95x6
125x5
125x4
125x3

BB rows:
45x10
125x7
180x5x3

Dips:
45x6x3

Overhead situps:
30x10
35x10

CGBP:
45x10
165x8
175x6

DB Curls:
35x10
40x10

Good but very tough workout. I could have easily hit 275x5 with the belt, but I didn't want to push it too much.

[Sidior]

Strong squatting! What kind of belt are you using at OttawaU?

[fooz]

lookin' strong in here bud, keep up the solid work!

[Jorge Sanchez]

Strong squatting! What kind of belt are you using at OttawaU?

It's a little scrawny two-prong belt they lend out at the gym. I'm not sure what the brand is, but it's made of leather and pretty thin top to bottom and front to back. Definitely not as heavy duty as yours, but I can get it a lot tighter, although I've still been wearing it pretty loose. Do you think I could get more out of it if I really ratcheted it in there?


lookin' strong in here bud, keep up the solid work!

Thanks for the kind words. I definitely plan to keep it going.

[Sidior]

It's a little scrawny two-prong belt they lend out at the gym. I'm not sure what the brand is, but it's made of leather and pretty thin top to bottom and front to back. Definitely not as heavy duty as yours, but I can get it a lot tighter, although I've still been wearing it pretty loose. Do you think I could get more out of it if I really ratcheted it in there?


I find the tighter my belt is when I squat the better. Deadlifting though I need some room to push my abs out. It is all personal preference, jack if up and see if you like it more.

[Jorge Sanchez]

I'll try to play around with it a bit, but I don't have too much time get it figured out. I'll give it a try and if I'm not comfortable with it, I'll just stick to keeping it looser.

[killxswitch]

Strong work, how'd the walkouts feel?

[jbrin0tk]

Great session, man! How did the 355 feel on your back?

[Keith]

Great squatting, bud! How'd the walkouts feel?


EDIT: Wow, I just realized everyone is asking that question.

[Sidior]

Man I know I said the squatting went well but....


How did the walkouts feel?




















ahahah
I crack myself up

[CrazyK]

You're a little animal. Good job again on the strong effort full body routine.

[View 1]

355 thats great, that 1000 total is coming real quick.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Strong work, how'd the walkouts feel?


Great session, man! How did the 355 feel on your back?


Great squatting, bud! How'd the walkouts feel?


EDIT: Wow, I just realized everyone is asking that question.


Man I know I said the squatting went well but....


How did the walkouts feel?




















ahahah
I crack myself up

Thanks, guys. 355 felt pretty heavy, but I thought I should get used to it on my back since that's the weight (+/- 5lbs) I'm aiming to hit in another week or so.


You're a little animal. Good job again on the strong effort full body routine.

Thanks, dude.


355 thats great, that 1000 total is coming real quick.

It was a 355 walkout, not a squat, but thanks nonetheless. I hope to squat that in another week for my 1000 total.




I leave exactly two weeks from today. I plan to do 2 more regular workouts - one today (heavy bench and deads) and one Thursday (heavy squats). Saturday, I'll work my way up to an 80-85% single of what I plan to max at the following week for each of the big three. Then I plan to take 2-3 days off before starting my max attempts. I think it will probably look like this: Tuesday: squat or deadlift; Thursday: Bench; Sunday: squat or deadlift. Thoughts or suggestions?

[Jorge Sanchez]

Front Squats:
45x10
135x8
185x5x3

Bench:
45x10
135x6
185x2
225x4
225x3 (+1 with help)
225x2 (+1 with help)

Deads:
45x5
135x6
225x5
275x2
315x3
345x2

Pull ups:
10x6
10x4x2

Hypers:
35x10x2

I took the front squats light again today, but I went down real slow and real deep and boy could I feel it in my quads. I jumped the weight on the bench even though I didn't hit my rep goals last time, so I'm satisfied with what I did this time around. I feel like I could have pushed myself more on the deads but I had a little kink in my back all day so I decided to play it safe -- I really need to sit properly at work. Decent workout; nothing to write home about.

Oh yeah, I also got called "one of the big guys" today, which I got a kick out of because I'm definitely not big.

[Keith]

Way to give'r. Let me ask you, do you actually enjoy front squats? I hate them with a complete passion. Did a small guy call you a big guy?

[Jorge Sanchez]

It's a love-hate relationship, just like most of the other lifts. I really think they've done wonders for my core strength and really helped my back squat. Yeah, he was definitely smaller than me. I think he only called me big because I was repping 2pps on the bench (not that that's really all the impressive) - I don't think it had anything to do with my size.

[jbrin0tk]

Haha, I didn't even realize that everyone else had asked the same question! Nice work on the bench, man!

[Jorge Sanchez]

Haha, I didn't even realize that everyone else had asked the same question! Nice work on the bench, man!

Thanks, J.

Back squat:
45x10
135x8
205x2
245x2
add belt
265x3
285x3
285x0 Failed coming out of the hole
lose belt
225x5

Military press:
45x8
95x6
125x5
125x2
125x3

BB rows:
45x10
125x6
165x5x2

I'm very disappointed with this workout and with my effort. I wasn't feeling it at all today - I didn't even feel comfortable squatting the bar. I've been kind of distracted over the past 24 hours and I didn't get much sleep last night or eat very much today (which I didn't realize until I got home and realized how hungry I was). Hopefully that's all it is and I'll be back in form next time. I was just giving up today.

[Keith]

I think I've asked you this before, but what's your PR for a back squat? No need to stress over these types of days. I was unusually starving throughout my whole workout tonight. That drives me insane, too. You still got 'er done, though.

[fooz]

It's allright bud, we all have our bad days. Get a good night rest, and kill the next workout bro.

[killxswitch]

Hey guy, **** happens you know? Sometimes you're mentally elsewhere and you're beat before you even get to the gym. Those days suck, but it seems like they're a precursor to a big day within the next few lifting sessions. I know squat especially gets in my head sometimes.

[View 1]

We have good days and bad ones, your gonna bounce back next time bro. Getting in their and doing something is better than not going at all. Your still gonna hit the 1000 total!!!

[Jorge Sanchez]

I think I've asked you this before, but what's your PR for a back squat? No need to stress over these types of days. I was unusually starving throughout my whole workout tonight. That drives me insane, too. You still got 'er done, though.

Thanks, Keith. 315 is my current best squat.


It's allright bud, we all have our bad days. Get a good night rest, and kill the next workout bro.

Thanks, that's the plan


Hey guy, **** happens you know? Sometimes you're mentally elsewhere and you're beat before you even get to the gym. Those days suck, but it seems like they're a precursor to a big day within the next few lifting sessions. I know squat especially gets in my head sometimes.

Yeah, you're right. The squats just did not feel right.


We have good days and bad ones, your gonna bounce back next time bro. Getting in their and doing something is better than not going at all. Your still gonna hit the 1000 total!!!

I hope so. I'm going to start maxing on the big three on Tuesday, so hopefully I'll hit it.



I'm pretty sure my poor workout was a result of a ****ty diet yesterday. When I got home, I ate two chicken breasts, two salmon filets, a bunch of rice, a bunch of noodles and a protein shake. I weighed myself immediately afterwards and I still weighed less than the day before, so I must have really starved myself during the day. I also felt a lot better afterwards.

[killxswitch]

Damn all that and you weighed less than yesterday? Crazy. What are you looking to lift to get to 1000? I know the traditional combo is 250/315/435, but 1000 is 1000, right?

[borracho]

Dont let it stress you buddy....I felt like I had a sh1t work out today too...just gota shake it off and contine..still lookin like that 1k total is with in your reach, you definately seem to have the motivation for it.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Damn all that and you weighed less than yesterday? Crazy. What are you looking to lift to get to 1000? I know the traditional combo is 250/315/435, but 1000 is 1000, right?

I'm looking to put up 255-260/355-360/385-390. Looking at those numbers right now, I feel like I might come up just short, but I'll be maxing all this coming week and I'm going to do my damndest to hit 1000, however it comes.


Dont let it stress you buddy....I felt like I had a sh1t work out today too...just gota shake it off and contine..still lookin like that 1k total is with in your reach, you definately seem to have the motivation for it.

Thanks, you're right I'll be right back at it next time. I'm going to have to eat like a pig tonight, though. We had a golf tournament at work today. Yesterday my boss convinced me to ride my bike to the course, which was about 10k away. We did it in less than 20 minutes, but was I ever beat. I'm also in for over 30k on my bike today, with the to and from work and the golf course. I gotta bump up those calories big time today. I'm also done my cardio for the next year.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x10
135x8
185x3
225x2
255x1
275x1

Bench:
45x10
135x6
185x3
210x2
235x1
225x1

Deads:
45x5
135x5
225x5
275x2
315x1

Pull ups:
BWx10

Short and sweet. I kept it relatively light today, no belt on anything. Everything felt really good. My next workout will be a max attempt, likely deadlifts.

The whole time I was there, there was a personal training certification course going on and the instructor was presumably teaching these aspiring personal trainers - who all looked like they had never touched a weight in their life - how to put a leg routine together. He spent close to an hour showing them how to properly use 3 machines.:confused: Meanwhile I was banging out my squats and deads. No wonder personal trainers have such a bad rep.

[Keith]

LOL @ personal trainers. I get them at my work all the time. Looks like a really fun day. Big 3 on the same day is awesome. Good luck with the new max attempt.

[killxswitch]

Good luck with your deadlift max. The PTs at my gym are at least all fit-looking, but still recommend terrible exercises (they all love squatting and benching in the smith).

[borracho]

Good luck with them max lifts bud...I am sure you will kill it before you fly the coupe.

[Jorge Sanchez]

So I am officially trying to nail the 1000 mark starting today with some deads. I'll be trying to work my way up to at least 385, but I'd really like to hit 390+ to take some of the pressure off some of my other lifts later this week.

My previous best lifts since coming back (and goal lifts) are:
SQ: 315 (355)
DL: 365 (390)
BN: 235 (260)
Total: 915 (1005)

My squat has gotten much stronger since my last max attempt, but that was with wraps. I'm hoping to meet up with Sidior towards the end of the week so I can use his wraps (and motivation) again, otherwise I'm afraid a 355 squat is going to be out of reach.

I still had plenty left after those max deads and bench so I think those goals are more easily attainable than the squat.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!

[killxswitch]

Good luck bro.

[borracho]

good luck dude...lookin forward to seeing the results.

[Keith]

Good luck, bro. I'm right behind you!

[mickyjune26]

ROFL at the personal trainers. You should have walked by clapping clouds of chalk in their faces. Oh well....diff strokes for diff folks.

Good luck on the PR. I'm really rooting for you man. You really seem to have a 355 in you!!!!

[jbrin0tk]

Jorge, good luck on your goal of a 1000 total. I think it's within your reach. Kick some tail, brother!

[View 1]

Good luck bro, I know you can do it.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Good luck bro.


good luck dude...lookin forward to seeing the results.


Good luck, bro. I'm right behind you!


ROFL at the personal trainers. You should have walked by clapping clouds of chalk in their faces. Oh well....diff strokes for diff folks.

Good luck on the PR. I'm really rooting for you man. You really seem to have a 355 in you!!!!


Jorge, good luck on your goal of a 1000 total. I think it's within your reach. Kick some tail, brother!


Good luck bro, I know you can do it.

Much appreciated brethren. Your continued support is definitely motivation to reach my goals.

Deadlift:
45x8
135x5
225x3
275x1
315x1
355x1
385x1 smokeshow
405x1 40lbs PR!!

Hypers:
BWx10

On the way to the gym I got it in my head that I was going to try 405. 385 went up really easily so onto 405 I went and I nailed. I loaded up the bar with 415 afterwards -- I think there was about a 50-50 chance of hitting it -- but I decided not to try it, because my form deteriorated a bit on the 405 and I didn't want to risk and injury when I'm so close to totaling 1000 and about to go backpacking.

After I hit it, there was some guy standing behind me that had given me a hard time when I loaded up 315 on the bar for reps a couple of weeks ago - he didn't think I could do it. After I hit 315 he came over and we started talking training. After I pulled the 405 today I turned around and he was right behind him, so I asked him if he thought I could go for more weight. His response was, "You only did one. You're supposed to do at least 8." I just smiled and shrugged at him -- there was nothing that could bring me down.

And to make things even better, it was poring rain when I was in the gym, but it completely stopped as soon as I was done, so I had a dry bike ride home. I got home and my degree was here waiting for me -- Honours degree in Political Science, Magna Cum Laude -- along with a $400 check for back-pay. Everything is really coming up Nate today.

Tested total: 955 with squat and bench PRs left to go. I don't think there's much that can stop me from hitting 1000 now.

[Sidior]

****ING RIGHT! 4 wheels is a huge milestone.

[Keith]

WTF? That's ****ing awesome! Congrats, man. You must feel amazing. Conventional or sumo? Good call on not going any heavier after 405. That's one big PR. What the hell made you hit a 40 lb PR anyways? About that dude... that's why I don't train at a ****ing gym. There's no way in hell I could just shrug my shoulders and walk away after a comment like that. Sounds like everything else is coming along very nicely for you, too. 1000 will come before you know it!

[fooz]

Holy **** bro. 40 lb PR. Keep it up!! 405 is prolly heavys as ****!!

[CrazyK]

Your deadlift is huge.

[killxswitch]

Hell yes Jorge! 405, that's incredible bro! 1000 is yours for the taking.

[Jorge Sanchez]

****ING RIGHT! 4 wheels is a huge milestone.

Thanks, dude. I figured 385 was so damned close, I might as well shoot for the extra plate.


WTF? That's ****ing awesome! Congrats, man. You must feel amazing. Conventional or sumo? Good call on not going any heavier after 405. That's one big PR. What the hell made you hit a 40 lb PR anyways? About that dude... that's why I don't train at a ****ing gym. There's no way in hell I could just shrug my shoulders and walk away after a comment like that. Sounds like everything else is coming along very nicely for you, too. 1000 will come before you know it!

I was very happy about it. I pull conventional. I've never tried sumo -- it just looks like it would feel too unnatural for me.


Holy **** bro. 40 lb PR. Keep it up!! 405 is prolly heavys as ****!!

Actually, I held it at lock out for a couple of seconds, just to be sure I got the lift, and I didn't really notice that it felt that heavy. I was just happy to get it up.


Your deadlift is huge.

I don't know about huge, but it's on it's way.


Hell yes Jorge! 405, that's incredible bro! 1000 is yours for the taking.


Thanks, man. Two more lifts to go, so hopefully I'll be totaling 1000 be week's end.

[View 1]

Congrats on the PR, 4 plates on deadlift is a lovely feeling. After you hit a 1000 what do you plan to do from there?

[tangerine dream]

405 is sick man. Haha I bet it sucked taking all those plates off..

[Steven001]

I thought it was time I had a look at your progress thread, since you've been so helpful to me in my own. You're lifts have improved so much since you started out and it looks like you're going to reach your goal of 1000 - which is brilliant.


After I hit it, there was some guy standing behind me that had given me a hard time when I loaded up 315 on the bar for reps a couple of weeks ago - he didn't think I could do it. After I hit 315 he came over and we started talking training. After I pulled the 405 today I turned around and he was right behind him, so I asked him if he thought I could go for more weight. His response was, "You only did one. You're supposed to do at least 8." I just smiled and shrugged at him -- there was nothing that could bring me down.

Good on you! The guy's probably just jealous and very surprised that you managed to lift 405 after thinking you were going to fail 315.

Awesome progress, Jorge.

[jbrin0tk]

That's really awesome about your deadlift, Jorge! Nice work. So what are you shooting for now on your other lifts (to get your 1000 total) since your dead was a bit higher than you thought it might be?

[Jorge Sanchez]

Congrats on the PR, 4 plates on deadlift is a lovely feeling. After you hit a 1000 what do you plan to do from there?

After 1000 I'm going to take a month-long vacation in France and Italy. I probably won't have access to a gym, which I'm kind of bummed about, given my progress lately, but it will definitely be worth it. I'm going to try to maintain my strength however possible.


405 is sick man. Haha I bet it sucked taking all those plates off..

It took a while, but it was definitely worth it.


I thought it was time I had a look at your progress thread, since you've been so helpful to me in my own. You're lifts have improved so much since you started out and it looks like you're going to reach your goal of 1000 - which is brilliant.



Good on you! The guy's probably just jealous and very surprised that you managed to lift 405 after thinking you were going to fail 315.

Awesome progress, Jorge.

Thanks for stopping in and thanks for the props.


That's really awesome about your deadlift, Jorge! Nice work. So what are you shooting for now on your other lifts (to get your 1000 total) since your dead was a bit higher than you thought it might be?

Thanks, dude. I'm still aiming for my original goals on my other lifts, but we'll see what happens. (More on this below)

Bench:
45x10
135x3
155x1
185x1
212.5x1 Loaded the bar unevenly
235x1 Went up really easily. I thought 260 was mine, no problem.
255x0 I think I could have had it, I just lost the groove
255x0 Johnny-on-the-spot jumped in a little quicker than I would have liked, but if I'm completely honest with myself, I don't know if I would have gotten it anyways
250x0 I just had nothing left

So no PR, which is very disappointing to say the least. I spent the day training my replacement at work, in my second language, which was incredibly draining. I felt like **** before hitting the gym and I think I may actually be getting sick, but that's really no excuse. This failure was all on me -- I just wasn't there mentally and I increased the weight far too aggressively. I still think I could have hit 255, but that's on me.

I'll be benching again, probably on Monday -- maybe Sunday -- and I'm going to make sure to walk out with a PR of some sort. Hopefully 250+, but for sure 245.

Tested total: still 955, still with bench and squat left.

[borracho]

he dude...shake it off. 255 will be yours no prob. Eat like a fat ass the day/night before, and be sure to eat before hitting the gym with some carbs and you'll nail it no problem...maybe some coffee?

[Jorge Sanchez]

I hope so, man. I'd be happy with 245 right now, to be completely honest. I just shouldn't have gotten so greedy.

[fooz]

It'll come man. Like borracho said, just make sure your eating properly before the workout and getting enough rest. You'll get it. Almost to the 1,000 mark man!!

[Jorge Sanchez]

Thanks, man. I think part of the problem is that I've been eating like a little bitch lately. I've got a lot of other stuff on my mind at the moment, so I often forget to get enough food in. I just gorged myself and I will continue to do so for the next four days.

[borracho]

I just gorged myself and I will continue to do so for the next four days.

thats what we like to hear!

On another note..and this is just me..I dont think I could have hit 255 with that ramp up either. I dont think I would have been warmed up sufficiently. I know you were trying to reserve energy by the way you did it but from my experience I dont think I could do that.

[Jorge Sanchez]

thats what we like to hear!

On another note..and this is just me..I dont think I could have hit 255 with that ramp up either. I dont think I would have been warmed up sufficiently. I know you were trying to reserve energy by the way you did it but from my experience I dont think I could do that.

I've never really maxed on bench before, so what would you suggest?

I'm definitely going to go for smaller jumps next time. Probably something like 205, 225, 235, 245, 250, and 5lbs jumps as far as I can go.

[borracho]

I'm not sure..but I can tell you that when I go:
135, 205, 225....
or:
135, 185, 225...
I would fail at 225. I would get it up, but I wouldnt be able to get more than 2-3 reps

If I did some thing like
135, 185, 205, 225, 255...then I'd be ok. Its just making that big jump to 225 that messes me up. It doesnt give me enough time to get in a groove I guess.

[Sidior]

Stuff you face tomorrow, you are going to squat something nasty on Saturday.

[Keith]

We follow each other too much. You failed on a bench PR, too, eh? That pissed the hell out of me, too. Make it up in the squat. IMO, 5 lb jumps are very ugly and fatiguing. I think Barracho gave good advice in his last post with choosing weight to work up with.

[killxswitch]

That sucks man, but just shake it off like everyone else said. I think it's normal to have kind of a letdown after a big PR, especially if you've got a lot on your mind. It seems like a lot of us have had that same issue lately, kind of weird.

[Jorge Sanchez]

I'm not sure..but I can tell you that when I go:
135, 205, 225....
or:
135, 185, 225...
I would fail at 225. I would get it up, but I wouldnt be able to get more than 2-3 reps

If I did some thing like
135, 185, 205, 225, 255...then I'd be ok. Its just making that big jump to 225 that messes me up. It doesnt give me enough time to get in a groove I guess.

Yeah, I see what you're saying. I think more warm ups at a lower weight might be a good idea and I doubt they would really take much, if any, of my strength away for the max attempt.

I think part of the problem is also that I wasn't getting a lift off. I don't like to ask for lift offs from randoms at the gym because they tend to screw it up and I find it harder to find my groove, but unracking 255 also takes a lot of my energy away before I've even started the lift.


Stuff you face tomorrow, you are going to squat something nasty on Saturday.

I'm on it!!


We follow each other too much. You failed on a bench PR, too, eh? That pissed the hell out of me, too. Make it up in the squat. IMO, 5 lb jumps are very ugly and fatiguing. I think Barracho gave good advice in his last post with choosing weight to work up with.

God damn it!! Well I'll just have to make up for it on Monday so you can hit a big bench. I think 5lbs jumps will be fatiguing too, but I really want to make sure to hit a PR, which is 245, minimum. I also am afraid to jump right to 255 since I failed twice last time.


That sucks man, but just shake it off like everyone else said. I think it's normal to have kind of a letdown after a big PR, especially if you've got a lot on your mind. It seems like a lot of us have had that same issue lately, kind of weird.

Yeah, thanks man, you're right. I'm squatting tomorrow so hopefully I can put up a big number there. Then I'll try the bench again. I'm 99% sure I'll hit 250 and I think I can make 255 mine too. I really wasn't feeling well yesterday and I was afraid I was getting sick, but after a good night's sleep I feel much better.

Now I just need FOOOOOOOOD!!

[Jorge Sanchez]

Squat:
45x10
135x5
135x5
185x2
225x1
add belt
260x1
add wraps
295x1
325x1
345x1 Kinda ugly
355x1 Much better 40lb PR

Bench:
45x12
95x10
135x5
160x1
185x1
205x1
225x1
240x0
240x0

So I trained with Dave (Sidior) again and he helped me hit another awesome squat PR, which put me 5lbs away from 1000 total. I figured I'd hop on the bench and bang out a rep at 240, which should have been a piece of cake. I didn't have enough time to recover from my last max bench attempt on Thursday and my shoulders started feeling really drained at around 185, but I decided to keep pushing regardless - 240 should not have been a problem, I thought. On the second try I missed literally inches from lockout. I kind of wish I had waited until Monday for the extra recovery, because I would have hit 240 no problem. I'm still going to try again on Monday or Tuesday, but I'm afraid I'm not going to have enough recovery time. If I can't hit it, I'll move onto the deadlift and try to pull 410. Either way, I'm hitting the 1000 mark in the next couple of days.

Tested total: 995, with a burned out attempt at a bench left.

[fooz]

PRs going thru the roof, very impressive man. 995, damn!!

[philly08]

Great job in here with these PRs man!

Got a little greedy with the bench, eh? Haha. Must feel good to be on the doorstep of 1000 though. You'll knock that out next workout no problem.

[jbrin0tk]

Way to go, Jorge!! Yes! That is one huuuuuuge PR! And you know you've got 5lbs. in you somewhere!

[Sidior]

Fantastic squatting today bro. The way the 225 moved and then both 240 misses I have no doubt you are good for 250 if you were fresh and not mind ****ing yourself. I will make sure to train next time we get together again lol.

[borracho]

Congrats on the huge squat PR...quite a big step dude...nice work.
Dont worry about the bench stuff...I think if you wait till tuesday you'll bang out 245 like it was your highschool sweetheart.

[CrazyK]

You're having some insane PR's. You been hitting up the pharmacy lately? :P

[Jorge Sanchez]

PRs going thru the roof, very impressive man. 995, damn!!

Thanks, buddy, but I'm not there yet.


Great job in here with these PRs man!

Got a little greedy with the bench, eh? Haha. Must feel good to be on the doorstep of 1000 though. You'll knock that out next workout no problem.

Yeah, I keep ****ing myself over with the bench. I actually am beginning to hate the bench, which is funny because it used to be my favourite/best lift.


Way to go, Jorge!! Yes! That is one huuuuuuge PR! And you know you've got 5lbs. in you somewhere!

Thanks. I'm going to squeeze out another 5 somewhere on Monday or Tuesday, depending on how I feel tomorrow.


Fantastic squatting today bro. The way the 225 moved and then both 240 misses I have no doubt you are good for 250 if you were fresh and not mind ****ing yourself. I will make sure to train next time we get together again lol.

Thanks again for all your help. I really wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for you. You'll definitely have to train next time. Watching you move that huge weight really gets me pumped.


Congrats on the huge squat PR...quite a big step dude...nice work.
Dont worry about the bench stuff...I think if you wait till tuesday you'll bang out 245 like it was your highschool sweetheart.

Thanks, bro. I hope you're right. One thing's for sure, I'm going to get that 5lbs somehow. I would be incredibly stoked with a 240 bench, even though I know I'm good for more.


You're having some insane PR's. You been hitting up the pharmacy lately? :P

Thanks, man, that is an incredible compliment. It actually brought a big smile to my face when I read it.

[Jorge Sanchez]

I just did 5 push-ups to see how my chest/shoulders were feeling and I doubt I'll be able to hit 240 today. I think I'm going to wait until tomorrow morning to head to the gym again, the only problem is that my flight leaves tomorrow afternoon, so it will definitely be my last chance before I leave. Even with the extra day, I think the 5lbs is going to have to come from my dead, because I don't think my chest and shoulders can handle another heavy bench attempt.

[borracho]

I think you got it under wraps, honestly. If you were able to do that 235, 240 should be no problem assuming you feed your self like the fat ass you want to be. Maybe doing some light stretching through out the day and evening will prep you for tomorrow?

[Keith]

God damn! You're killing me! That's another insane PR. I don't know how you're hitting them. I remember a couple of months ago you challenged me to a race to 1000 lbs and even told me I'd probably take it. You're ripping it and deserve it, man. I still have quite a bit to go. I've ran into injuries and my mind hasn't been in the best place to get there. I need to train with you guys for some motivation. 410 sounds more reasonable then benching again if your shoulder is too beat up. Congrats on everything, man.

[Jorge Sanchez]

I think you got it under wraps, honestly. If you were able to do that 235, 240 should be no problem assuming you feed your self like the fat ass you want to be. Maybe doing some light stretching through out the day and evening will prep you for tomorrow?

240 honestly should not be difficult for me at all, I just didn't give myself enough time before trying again. I wish I hadn't have been so greedy and just waited for today, I just really wanted to get it over with. I've been eating tons but my chest and shoulders still feel pretty beat up. I went swimming today and my chest just didn't feel 100% when I was doing the front crawl. I don't even want to imagine what 240 will do to it. I'm going to wait until tomorrow, but I'll still probably end up pulling rather than benching.


God damn! You're killing me! That's another insane PR. I don't know how you're hitting them. I remember a couple of months ago you challenged me to a race to 1000 lbs and even told me I'd probably take it. You're ripping it and deserve it, man. I still have quite a bit to go. I've ran into injuries and my mind hasn't been in the best place to get there. I need to train with you guys for some motivation. 410 sounds more reasonable then benching again if your shoulder is too beat up. Congrats on everything, man.

Yeah, I remember that. We should have made a bet like Lion and Killxswitch. You're not as far off as you think. I remember when I first brought that up that 1000 felt like it was months and months away, but I just really hit the weights hard. The injuries have slowed you down a bit, but if you bust your ass you can have it in a few weeks, I'm sure. It would definitely be good to train with you and the motivation of others definitely helps -- if it wasn't for the last time I trained with Dave, I don't think I would have even attempted to make it to 1000 at this point, but watching him move the weight he does gets me pretty motivated. It's just hard for me to justify going all the way to Toronto just to train. I'll make it one day, though.

I think you're right about the pull. As long as I'm not too beat up from the squatting (and I'm feeling alright right now), it should go up relatively easily. I'm going to stuff my face and get lots of sleep tonight and go for broke tomorrow morning.

[View 1]

Congrats on the squat PR, your breaking PR's left and right bro. 5lbs away is nothing you got this.

[jbrin0tk]

Good luck with it, man. I know that somewhere in one of your lifts you've got an extra 5lbs!

[TheLion]

i'm in here now. subscribed. go hit your total

[borracho]

Good luck today and safe travels buddy...be sure to get a few pics of the opposite sex for us deprived folk'

[Jorge Sanchez]

Congrats on the squat PR, your breaking PR's left and right bro. 5lbs away is nothing you got this.

Thanks, Jefe. No doubt about the 5lbs. :D


Good luck with it, man. I know that somewhere in one of your lifts you've got an extra 5lbs!

Damn straight!


i'm in here now. subscribed. go hit your total

Well sorry to disappoint but this is going to be my last workout for another month or so. At least I hit a grand.


Good luck today and safe travels buddy...be sure to get a few pics of the opposite sex for us deprived folk'

Thanks borracho. I'll do my best on the pics, but I won't be able to post them until I get back.

Bench:
45x20
95x8
95x8
135x4
160x1
185x1
205x1
225x1
240x1 Relatively easy
250x0 Never had a chance

Tested total: 1000lbs!!

Pull ups:
BWx10

I still didn't feel 100% but I felt a lot better than I did on Saturday. I had a huge breakfast and loaded up on caffeine before my workout. 240 went up pretty easily, but I was only able to get 250 a couple inches off my chest. I have no doubt I could have hit 250+ if I was fresh, but I'll take 240.

It's a little bittersweet, though, because I did hit my 1000 total but I haven't hit a bench PR since coming back from Europe the first time. I hit 240x4 in December of 07. But I'll gladly take it.

I'm leaving for Nice at 2:00 this afternoon, so it was definitely good to hit the 1000 today. I would have really been pissed if I hadn't. I really want to thank all of you who have followed along on my journey and kept me motivated, even after ****ty workouts. Unfortunately, I will be away from a computer a lot for the next month or so, so I can't give you all the journal loving you deserve, but I'll try to drop in whenever I can. Regardless, I wish you all the best of luck in achieving your goals.

As for me, I'm going to do my best to maintain my weight and strength for when I get back, but I'm sure I will have to climb my way back up to 1000 once I get back.

[TheLion]

good job reaching your goal man. have fun. be safe. stay strong.

[jbrin0tk]

Jorge, that is awesome, dude! Congrats on reaching 1000lbs.! Have fun in France and be safe, man! I'm gonna miss your encouragement on my journal!

[philly08]

Great job man! Now you can actually enjoy your vacation :)

Thanks for all your support, and I'll look forward to hearing from you when you get back. Have fun over there.

[Guido]

Ha! See, that 240 was a piece of cake! You just can't have any doubt. Confidence is huge and a big part of the mental mastery needed to lift teh really heavy weights.

Good job, and soon enough you'll have that 250.

[borracho]

'grats dude. Have a good time!

[Keith]

Congratulations, dude! That's a huge milestone and you deserved it. Have fun, be safe, and eat up while you're away. Take some pics and bring us back some stories.

[Keith]

Yeah, I remember that. We should have made a bet like Lion and Killxswitch. You're not as far off as you think. I remember when I first brought that up that 1000 felt like it was months and months away, but I just really hit the weights hard. The injuries have slowed you down a bit, but if you bust your ass you can have it in a few weeks, I'm sure. It would definitely be good to train with you and the motivation of others definitely helps -- if it wasn't for the last time I trained with Dave, I don't think I would have even attempted to make it to 1000 at this point, but watching him move the weight he does gets me pretty motivated. It's just hard for me to justify going all the way to Toronto just to train. I'll make it one day, though.

I'm in their bet now but I'm very far behind. I'm only at 865 right now. But I am healed 100% now and I'll be givin' 'er full throttle. I'm always motivated to see someone throw around some serious weight. But I understand about you not driving to Toronto. No biggie.

[Jorge Sanchez]

good job reaching your goal man. have fun. be safe. stay strong.


Jorge, that is awesome, dude! Congrats on reaching 1000lbs.! Have fun in France and be safe, man! I'm gonna miss your encouragement on my journal!


Great job man! Now you can actually enjoy your vacation :)

Thanks for all your support, and I'll look forward to hearing from you when you get back. Have fun over there.


Ha! See, that 240 was a piece of cake! You just can't have any doubt. Confidence is huge and a big part of the mental mastery needed to lift teh really heavy weights.

Good job, and soon enough you'll have that 250.


'grats dude. Have a good time!


Congratulations, dude! That's a huge milestone and you deserved it. Have fun, be safe, and eat up while you're away. Take some pics and bring us back some stories.

Thanks for all the props and well wishes guys. It felt awesome to hit 1000. I honestly didn't think I would be able to do it when I first mentioned I would try to hit 1000 before I left, but it just goes to show you what hard work and dedication can get you. It definitely brought my training to another level and I'm excited to see what I can do once I get back and have a solid chunk of time to dedicate to training.


I'm in their bet now but I'm very far behind. I'm only at 865 right now. But I am healed 100% now and I'll be givin' 'er full throttle. I'm always motivated to see someone throw around some serious weight. But I understand about you not driving to Toronto. No biggie.

865 is not too far away. You'll hit get it soon and I think you can even win the bet (although it will be harder on a cut). I'll make it out to Toronto one of these days, but I don't know if I'll be throwing around any serious weight -- I will have to work my way back up to where I was and beyond. Dave, though, is a monster and that's why I love training with him. And if you're ever in the Ottawa area, let me know and we can definitely train together.

[Sidior]

****ing right dude, I knew you could do it! Now enjoy your vacation with the gf.

[mickyjune26]

Awesome work dude! I knew you could get some serious weight on that squat the way you were repping it out at lower weights. Good solid work on the bench. Bench is a weird one, going up in leaps and jumps.

Have fun on the trip. feel free to hit up a internet cafe to say hi once and a while, let us know how the trip is going. I told someone the other day that the best adventure would be backpacking around europe. You're onto something there.

Maybe I could learn how you do it, with the schedule, cost, etc?

[Jorge Sanchez]

feel free to hit up a internet cafe to say hi once and a while, let us know how the trip is going.

So I decided to take your advice. Im currently stuck in an Italian border town waiting for a train to go to La Cinque Terre. I just spent the last 3 days on the Cote Dazur and it has been absolutely amazing. I really want to move here. I went scuba diving yesterday and the day before I went to Monaco; that place just smells like money. Other than that, Ive just been hanging out on the beach with a bunch of hot chicks who like to let it hang out, if you catch my drift.

Im on my way to meet my girlfriend and we will be travelling around for a few weeks together.

I think Ive found the secret to getting more protein and helping to maintain my strenght and weight. I drink about a gallon of whole milk every day. Its great, it satisfies my thirst and my hunger.

[mickyjune26]

Milk is the bomb dude, as long as the sugar doesn't make you crash. That's awesome! I would drink a half-gallon of milk if I didn't feal like eating.

Thanks for posting this. that sounds like a lot of fun. How much does a trip like this cost and how long will you be gone?

[borracho]

you tease us with a statement like this:

Ive just been hanging out on the beach with a bunch of hot chicks who like to let it hang out, if you catch my drift.


....and you dont follow up with pics? Ban him, IMO!

have fun buddy

[Kiaran]

Hey, dude, just got done goin through your journal here. Thought I'd stop by since I see you on the forums all the time. You've made some really awesome progress and your recent PRs are insane! Doin a fine job, bro. I'll be stoppin in regularly and probably will be takin some notes. Sounds like you had a good time earlier this year on your trip and you are about to take another?

[CrazyK]

Italy is wonderful, the pizza is so different then here but is just amazing. Try the ice cream too! Some of the best in the world.

And I'm jealous of your ability to drink milk like that. Lactose intolerance means more then a glass and I'll have explosive diarhea for hours.

[View 1]

Congradulations on the 1000 total!!! I knew you could do it. Enjoy your vacation
you earned it bro.

[killxswitch]

Yeah bro, awesome job! 1000 lbs. is yours! Don't forget to do something over in Europe so you don't lose all your strength. Have a good time man.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Milk is the bomb dude, as long as the sugar doesn't make you crash. That's awesome! I would drink a half-gallon of milk if I didn't feal like eating.

Thanks for posting this. that sounds like a lot of fun. How much does a trip like this cost and how long will you be gone?

The price can really vary, depending on how you do it. You can stay in hostel dorm rooms, with up to 14+ other people and you can get a bed for under 20 euros a night. If you find a place with a kitchen you can eat relatively inexpensively, probably for under 10 euros a day if you really wanted to be cheap.

The first time around, I figure I spent about 500-600 Canadian dollars a week staying in dorm rooms and eating pretty cheaply and sparsely (I lost 20lbs in just under 2 months). The exchange rate was also a lot more favourable than this time. This time around, I figure I spent just under 1000 Canadian dollars a week, but I was with my girlfriend so we got private rooms, which are at least twice as expensive, and we ate out a lot more.

If you're interested in doing it, feel free to send me a PM. I'd be more than happy to give you more info.


you tease us with a statement like this:


....and you dont follow up with pics? Ban him, IMO!

have fun buddy

Well I didn't take any pictures of topless women because that's just creepy, but I'm going to try to post up a few pics today if I can figure it out.


Hey, dude, just got done goin through your journal here. Thought I'd stop by since I see you on the forums all the time. You've made some really awesome progress and your recent PRs are insane! Doin a fine job, bro. I'll be stoppin in regularly and probably will be takin some notes. Sounds like you had a good time earlier this year on your trip and you are about to take another?

Thanks for stopping in. I just got back from my trip and it was awesome. I'm glad to have you following along, but I'll have to work my way back up to my PRs again. Hopefully it won't take me too long.


Italy is wonderful, the pizza is so different then here but is just amazing. Try the ice cream too! Some of the best in the world.

And I'm jealous of your ability to drink milk like that. Lactose intolerance means more then a glass and I'll have explosive diarhea for hours.

Ah yes, the gelato. I indulged at least two times a day while I was there. And I gave up on the milk idea because I think it was making me break out.


Congradulations on the 1000 total!!! I knew you could do it. Enjoy your vacation
you earned it bro.

Thanks, Jefe.


Yeah bro, awesome job! 1000 lbs. is yours! Don't forget to do something over in Europe so you don't lose all your strength. Have a good time man.

Thanks. The plan was to do some sort of exercising, but it didn't really happen as planned.

[Jorge Sanchez]

So I got back around midnight (which felt like 6 am for me) last night, after my initial flight from Paris was delayed for two hours, which caused me to miss my connecting flight in Montreal, which made me about 3 hours late, all told.

I started in Nice, France, where I later returned for a little over a week, for 4 days on my own before going to Lerici, Italy to meet my girlfriend, where I stayed for a little over a week. Both Lerici and Nice are absolutely gorgeous. They're both right on the Mediterranean, with perfectly blue seas, jagged cliffs, green hills and colourful flowers. The weather was absolutely amazing. I didn't see more than three clouds over a three week period, until I got to Paris.

Nice, and the whole Côte d'azur is like the playground for the rich and famous. Within an hour of Nice is Cannes and Monaco and Monte Cristo, which are both gorgeous places. There are lots of beaches, although, they're mostly pebbles, not sand, to the West. Cannes has a nice sandy beach. Everything here is amazing and I am seriously considering moving to Nice.

Lerici is a small Italian town, very close to the Cinque Terre. My girlfriend was taking an Italian class there offered through her school, so that's the reason I went. Their class was hooked up with a home-cooked Italian meal every day, and fortunately for me, I got to partake. From Lerici, I took day trips Genoa to the Cinque Terre to do some of the hikes. I also went sea-kayaking to a private little cove that had cliff diving, and a little grotto that you had to swim under water to get to. The only light coming in was through the water and it made everything glow a green/blue colour. It was probably one of the coolest things I've ever done.

I also went to Toulon for one day, and it sucked (don't got), as well as Venice and Paris, which are very cool cities, although I've already been.

I only took about 20 pictures, but fortunately, my girlfriend was a little shutter-bug.


As far as training goes, I didn't really do very much of anything while I was away. I did a little bit of stretching, push ups a few times, and I squatted my girlfriend once, but she only weighs 115lbs.

Fortunately, I stepped on the scale this morning and I only lost about 6 or 7lbs, and that could be mostly water weight after a long travel day where I didn't eat enough or drink enough water. I don't feel that I've lost any size, except a little bit in my legs. Hopefully all that means I haven't lost too much strength and I'll be right back where I was in a few weeks.

Before I left, I suspended my gym membership for a month, and it isn't reactivated until Thursday. In the meantime I think I might go to a local crossfit gym that I've been interested in. They have an olympic lifting club every weeknight and I'm interested in incorporating that into my routine. Or I might just try going to my gym to see if one of the staff will let me in. Whatever I do, it'll be relatively light for the next couple of weeks.

Edit: I'll probably taking the pictures down in a week or two.

[CrazyK]

That's awesome. Seeing all the pics reminded me of when I went there, what a nice place to take your girl. She's cute!

[Keith]

Uh oh, he's back!

Dude, that place is beautiful! Looks like you had an awesome time! My sister and her husband just came back from there along with a few other places in Europe and they had a blast! Good to hear you didn't lose that much weight. You should be able to get things rolling again after a week or two. So how quickly will you be hitting 1100?!

[borracho]

I take it ya didnt bring us any pics of those EU girls eh?


I take that back..i see several asses on that beach pic. thanks jorge!

[Jorge Sanchez]

That's awesome. Seeing all the pics reminded me of when I went there, what a nice place to take your girl. She's cute!

Thanks, I'd pass along the compliment if I didn't think it would sound kind of creepy. It is a great place - you're luck to have gone. I am very seriously considering moving to Nice.


Uh oh, he's back!

Dude, that place is beautiful! Looks like you had an awesome time! My sister and her husband just came back from there along with a few other places in Europe and they had a blast! Good to hear you didn't lose that much weight. You should be able to get things rolling again after a week or two. So how quickly will you be hitting 1100?!

It was one of the nicest places I've ever been. Let me see where I'm at now before I answer that question. I'm actually thinking of heading towards the fitday route or, at the very least, moving towards a more olympic lifting routine, but we'll see what happens.


I take it ya didnt bring us any pics of those EU girls eh?


I take that back..i see several asses on that beach pic. thanks jorge!

I was wondering if you would spot those, barracho. I also have a few other beach shots where titties pop up, but I didn't think you could handle them.

[philly08]

Jorge, good to see you back! I'm sure you're refreshed and itching to smash some weights now.

[killxswitch]

Welcome back and nice pics.

[borracho]

I was wondering if you would spot those, barracho. I also have a few other beach shots where titties pop up, but I didn't think you could handle them.


Whats are these "titties"? I was under the impression the opposite sex was given a standard issue vagina and ass ...have I been missing out on some thing else here?

Eh..good to have ya back, though I am sure you're not all that happy about it. Where are you from any way?

[Coke]

What an awesome vacation, those are some incredible shots.

[TheLion]

i want to go

[jbrin0tk]

Yeah, man, beautiful pics. I'm a country boy, haha, and I love the land we have out here, but I'll be damned if those aren't some beautiful views. Good luck with coming back to training. I'm sure it won't take you long to get back where you were when you left.

[fooz]

yay he's backkk! Cute girl, awesome pics man. Must've been ****in awesome.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Jorge, good to see you back! I'm sure you're refreshed and itching to smash some weights now.


Welcome back and nice pics.


What an awesome vacation, those are some incredible shots.


yay he's backkk! Cute girl, awesome pics man. Must've been ****in awesome.

Thanks, guys!! It really is a beautiful part of the world. I intend to live there one day, maybe soon.


Whats are these "titties"? I was under the impression the opposite sex was given a standard issue vagina and ass ...have I been missing out on some thing else here?

Eh..good to have ya back, though I am sure you're not all that happy about it. Where are you from any way?

One day you'll start to notice girls developing.....

I'm from Canada, eh?



i want to go

I want to go back.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Front squat:
45x20
95x12
135x8

Back squat:
135x8x2
155x6

Bench:
45x20
95x12
135x10x3

Deads:
45x6
135x8
185x8
225x5

Notes: Just taking it easy getting back into the swing of things. I would have liked to have done a few more sets of squats, but my hamstrings were feeling a bit tight so I decided to call it a day and see how I feel tomorrow. Other than that, things felt really good. I think I'll probably be back in the gym tomorrow since I'm going away for the weekend.

I realized that my hands turned into soft little pansy hands while I was away. I need my callouses back. I also need to get my diet back on track because it was definitely sub-par today, but it didn't really effect my workout since I was going so light.

[View 1]

Pictures look beautiful, Italy is the only place I want to visit in the world. Bet you had a great trip, which reminds me im in need of a vacation big time lol. Workout looks good, and your doing the right thing by taking it easy, your strength will come back in no time, it happened with me this year.

[borracho]

Its great to see you getting back into the swing of things..keep it up.

BTW, what work out are you going to be following? I want to think I remember you talking about the starr 5x5? Is that correct?

[CrazyK]

Good first workout back. From someone that has had a lot of these life events that led to inconsistent training, work on good conditioning your first 3-4 weeks back. High reps, low rest, etc... Prevents injuries and doesn't shock your CNS as much as low reps high weight.

[Keith]

Thanks, guys!! It really is a beautiful part of the world. I intend to live there one day, maybe soon.

Most people say that when they come back from a vacation. We're still really young, experience a lot more of the world then make your decision as to where you'd like to live ;). There's so much more out there!




Not a bad workout to get back into the swing of things. Good choice of exercises. Callouses always heal up pretty quickly for me, too. I notice a difference taking a week off. Now hurry up and get back to some real weight.

[killxswitch]

Good job getting back in there. When did you become a mod?

[Jorge Sanchez]

Pictures look beautiful, Italy is the only place I want to visit in the world. Bet you had a great trip, which reminds me im in need of a vacation big time lol. Workout looks good, and your doing the right thing by taking it easy, your strength will come back in no time, it happened with me this year.

Thanks, dude. I think you're right.


Its great to see you getting back into the swing of things..keep it up.

BTW, what work out are you going to be following? I want to think I remember you talking about the starr 5x5? Is that correct?

I'm going to stick to Rippetoe until I work my way up to my old form, and then ride it as far as I can. After that, I'll probably switch to Starr.


Good first workout back. From someone that has had a lot of these life events that led to inconsistent training, work on good conditioning your first 3-4 weeks back. High reps, low rest, etc... Prevents injuries and doesn't shock your CNS as much as low reps high weight.

Good advice. I'm going to play it by ear, but I'm going to take my time working my way back up to heavy weight. I've been and will continue to do a lot of flexibility and mobility work outside of the gym, so I think that might speed up the process a bit.


Most people say that when they come back from a vacation. We're still really young, experience a lot more of the world then make your decision as to where you'd like to live ;). There's so much more out there!




Not a bad workout to get back into the swing of things. Good choice of exercises. Callouses always heal up pretty quickly for me, too. I notice a difference taking a week off. Now hurry up and get back to some real weight.

I don't mean I'll live there for my whole life, maybe just a year or two. I'll probably live all over the world when it's all said and done.

I'll start moving some weight soon, but I'm not in a huge rush -- I don't want to hurt myself. I do feel like it will come back fairly quickly, even though I do have a bit of DOMS today. The good news is that I didn't really feel like I was activating my glutes and hams on all but the last set of squats, but they're a little sore today so I must have been doing something right.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Good job getting back in there. When did you become a mod?

Thanks, KS. Just the other day, so you better not get on my bad side :evillaugh:. Just kidding.

[killxswitch]

Thanks, KS. Just the other day, so you better not get on my bad side :evillaugh:. Just kidding.

Lol congrats to you. Sir.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Not really much to congratulate me about, but thanks, I guess.

[killxswitch]

I guess I just assumed being given mod status was something of an honor. But whatever.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Yeah, for sure, it's just not really based on any personal accomplishments or anything like that, if you catch my drift.

[Kiaran]

Damn, that place looks really pretty, man. I will definitely put it on my list of trips to take in my lifetime. Good to have you back, bro. You thinkin of startin some crossfit or what? I don't feel sorry for you about your hands hurting. That's what you get for taking a month off and going to Europe, hah!

[Jorge Sanchez]

Thanks, Kiaran. I think I'm going to check out that crossfit gym to see if it's something I'm interested, but not until I get my strength back up first.

Back squat:
45x10
95x10
135x10
155x8
175x5

OH Press:
45x10
65x10
95x8
95x6

BB Row:
45x10
65x10
95x8
105x8

Notes: It was three days since the last time I was in the gym, which I'm not too happy about. But the time off was spent at my cottage which was a lot of fun, so it balances out in the end.

Solid workout. Squats felt better than last time. A little low on the volume side, looking at it written down like that, but that might not be such a bad thing -- my hamstrings were still sore this morning from Thursdays workout with a top squat of 155 :confused:.

A little off topic, I woke up this morning and started getting ready for work. I made myself breakfast and had a piece of bacon and started feeling really nauseous so I sat myself down next to the toilet. I started dry heaving and I probably would have puked if I had more in my stomach. The first thought running through my head was "oh no, I'm going to miss another training day." But once I stopped dry heaving I felt a lot better and wolfed down my meal and didn't have any more problems all day.

[CrazyK]

Good workout in there. Squatting always sucks the first few weeks back just because of the lack of flexibility and conditioning.

That's weird that you dry heaved, but I get that naseous feeling the morning too once in a while.

[borracho]

I was a bit sick my self today...though I know the culprit. I went to sams club yesterday afternoon and purchased some salsa...turned out it was spoiled. :) Been sick ever since..sorta.

BTW, good workout...be back at it in no time.

[fooz]

Ease back into it slowly, doing great so far.

[Keith]

I started dry heaving and I probably would have puked if I had more in my stomach. The first thought running through my head was "oh no, I'm going to miss another training day." But once I stopped dry heaving I felt a lot better and wolfed down my meal and didn't have any more problems all day.

Hahahaha I've done this before and that's exactly what runs through my head. Nothing else.

Looks like you're getting back at it, dude. Your strength will be back up in no time.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Good workout in there. Squatting always sucks the first few weeks back just because of the lack of flexibility and conditioning.

That's weird that you dry heaved, but I get that naseous feeling the morning too once in a while.

The squatting actually feels pretty good. I managed to stay surprisingly flexible while I was gone. I guess my half-assed weekly stretches helped.


I was a bit sick my self today...though I know the culprit. I went to sams club yesterday afternoon and purchased some salsa...turned out it was spoiled. :) Been sick ever since..sorta.

BTW, good workout...be back at it in no time.

Sucks about the spoiled food, dude. Thanks for the encouragement.


Ease back into it slowly, doing great so far.

Thanks, fooz. It's hard to avoid the temptation to push some more weight, but it's better for me this way.


Hahahaha I've done this before and that's exactly what runs through my head. Nothing else.

Looks like you're getting back at it, dude. Your strength will be back up in no time.

Thanks, buddy. I can't wait to get back to where I was so I can start smashing some more PRs.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x10
95x10
135x8
185x5x3

Bench:
45x10
95x10
135x8
165x5x3

Deads:
45x??
135x5
185x5
225x5
255x5

Pull-ups:
bwx6x2
bwx4 or 5 (can't remember)

Notes: I really had to restrain myself from adding more weight to the bar. Everything feels really good and I know I have lots more in me. At least I'll be squatting my BW on Friday so I won't feel like quite such a girl. The only problem is that I don't have any speed coming out of the hole, so if that doesn't improve I'll have to add in some speed work once I feel like my squat is at a respectable level.

[TheLion]

arent you in europe or something?

[CrazyK]

Don't feel like a girl. Everyone starts somewhere and you're getting back in to it a hell of a lot better off then most. Keep up the good work.

[Jorge Sanchez]

arent you in europe or something?

I got back about a week and a half ago.


Don't feel like a girl. Everyone starts somewhere and you're getting back in to it a hell of a lot better off then most. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the kind words. I don't actually feel like a girl, but I do feel very pretty. But I wonder if these pants make my butt look big. ;)

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squats:
45x10
95x10
135x8
185x2
205x5x3

Overhead Press:
45x10
65x10
95x5x3

Power clean:
45x10?
95x8
115x5x3

Dips:
BWx8x3

Notes: Speed felt a lot better on the squats today so I'm happy about that. The weight still doesn't feel to heavy, so that's a good sign, although I think I'm going to start making smaller jumps once I hit 2pps (probably on Monday). I was trying to nail down my clean form after studying Rippetoe's explanation in SS. They feel much better than before. The triple extension and catch just seemed to click today, although I think I'm jerking it a little bit off the floor. I'm going to make them a staple in my routine, although I feel kind of sad about leaving out rows. Maybe I'll alternate or something like that.

[View 1]

Looks good, everything seems to be coming back well. Granted small stuff like coming out he whole on squats and other sticky points will pop up, but you'll push threw them like nothing in no time.

Ive decided too that I want to include cleans into my routine every week ( hang cleans in my case ) from now on, and I have good form, but not great form. Ill have to go read that SS article again, I read it before but its been along time.

[CrazyK]

Haha I bet you do look pretty ;) Improve that squat and the butt will be even bigger.

[Keith]

Hurry up and get those numbers up, "moderator". :p

I want you to hit my numbers in 2-4 weeks. If not, I'll never post here again! Well, I will, just trying to push ya.

[borracho]

wow dude..wont be long at all before you're squatting more than me, again.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Looks good, everything seems to be coming back well. Granted small stuff like coming out he whole on squats and other sticky points will pop up, but you'll push threw them like nothing in no time.

Ive decided too that I want to include cleans into my routine every week ( hang cleans in my case ) from now on, and I have good form, but not great form. Ill have to go read that SS article again, I read it before but its been along time.

Thanks.

Cleans are definitely a tough exercise to have great form with. I think without a coach watching you at least weekly it's pretty near impossible, actually.


Haha I bet you do look pretty ;) Improve that squat and the butt will be even bigger.

Bubble butt, here I come.


Hurry up and get those numbers up, "moderator". :p

I want you to hit my numbers in 2-4 weeks. If not, I'll never post here again! Well, I will, just trying to push ya.

What are your maxes these days? I'm hoping to be putting up something respectable in another four weeks. You've been putting up some pretty impressive PRs lately, but you better believe I'm coming for you.


wow dude..wont be long at all before you're squatting more than me, again.

That's the plan. :evillaugh: It'll still be a little while yet.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x10
95x8
135x6
185x2
225x5x2
225x4

Bench:
45x10
95x8
135x6
175x5x3

Notes: 225 felt way harder than it should have. I played soccer for two hours yesterday and I quickly realized that it was my first time running in months (probably close to a year). I am pretty stiff today, which definitely hurt my squats. I also drank far too much and didn't eat or sleep nearly enough over the course of the weekend, but I don't really think that would have effected 225. Besides, the bench felt alright (a little tougher than it should have, but still fairly easy), so I'm pretty sure it was the stiffness that did me in. That, combined with the fact that I had to come meet my girlfriend, caused me to skip deadlifts. Hopefully I'll be feeling better by Wednesday's workout.

[philly08]

Good job getting back into it Jorge, you're definitely climbing steadily. I felt good about myself there when you were doing the same weights as me...didn't last long though :)

[View 1]

Its all good jorge, you took alot of time off, and playing soccer didnt help for sure, but still a solid effort.

[borracho]

Considering the amount of time you've been back, its pretty impressive that you're back at the 225 on squats already. How is the form feeling? Good-average?

[Jorge Sanchez]

Good job getting back into it Jorge, you're definitely climbing steadily. I felt good about myself there when you were doing the same weights as me...didn't last long though :)

Well you just need to hurry up and catch up. I know you've got it in you.


Its all good jorge, you took alot of time off, and playing soccer didnt help for sure, but still a solid effort.

True enough. I've got to keep that in mind. Thanks, Jefe.


Considering the amount of time you've been back, its pretty impressive that you're back at the 225 on squats already. How is the form feeling? Good-average?


Yeah, I guess it's not too bad. My form has been feeling really on point, except for this last workout. Because of the stiffness it was quite uncomfortable for me to squat properly so I think that threw my form off quite a bit. I think I'll try 225 again next workout, whenever my legs feel 100% again.

[fooz]

I feel your pain bro. Doing great so far.

[jbrin0tk]

I am sure you will get back where you were quickly, Jorge. Keep bustin' tail over there, man!

[Kiaran]

Good to see you're being patient and easing back into your routine, bro. 225 always feels heavy, lol. Just accept it and load er' up, right? Anyway, you sound tired, get some more rest. How's the whole dry-heaving thing going that you were having some issues with up above? No more episodes? I feel that way sometimes in the mornings with certain smells or if anything is too tight on my neck. Usually I just need to drink a glass of water cause my throat is dry and irritated. Give it a shot I suppose.

[CrazyK]

Great work after the soccer. I feel you on doing activity like that all the sudden after not really doing anything but lifting for a while. Suprising how out of shape you get from not doing fast paced sports.

[Jorge Sanchez]

I feel your pain bro. Doing great so far.

I know you do fooz. Thanks.


I am sure you will get back where you were quickly, Jorge. Keep bustin' tail over there, man!

I hope so. I'm going to keep at it until I do.


Good to see you're being patient and easing back into your routine, bro. 225 always feels heavy, lol. Just accept it and load er' up, right? Anyway, you sound tired, get some more rest. How's the whole dry-heaving thing going that you were having some issues with up above? No more episodes? I feel that way sometimes in the mornings with certain smells or if anything is too tight on my neck. Usually I just need to drink a glass of water cause my throat is dry and irritated. Give it a shot I suppose.

Thanks, Kiaran. I've actually felt sick a couple of times since. I'm pretty sure it's because of my multivitamin. Sometimes I take it before I make my breakfast and I think it makes me feel sick. If I take it with food I feel fine.


Great work after the soccer. I feel you on doing activity like that all the sudden after not really doing anything but lifting for a while. Suprising how out of shape you get from not doing fast paced sports.

No kidding. I really need to do some more of that stuff, although it is killer. I need to get into better all around shape, even though I do ride my bike for about 40mins a day, so my cardio's not bad, I can't run for **** anymore.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x10x2
95x5
135x5
155x3
185x2
205x1
225x3x3
185x3

OH Press:
45x10
95x6
100x5x3

Hang clean:
45x??
100x???

Power clean:
135x5
135x2

Notes: My hips and quads were still ****ed from the soccer, so I decided to take it relatively easy. Still, I'm not too happy with the workout. Everything really needs work.

Squats: I need to convince my body to sit back with any appreciable weight on my back. It feels like I have lots of strength to make the lift, but my body just won't let me.

Press: I'm hyperextending my back on this lift, I really need to cut that out.

Power clean: ****ing sucked!! I couldn't get the triple extension or rack down at all this workout, after figuring it out last time -- I'm using my arms to get it up instead of the hip extension. My shoulders started to hurt because I kept missing the proper rack position and I kept jerking it off the floor, which cut my shin open so I decided to call it a ****ty day.

I need to take it more easy. I think I'm going to back off the weight a little bit and work my way up slowly. I need to forget what I used to lift and just focus on doing things properly.

[fooz]

dude, i'm having the exact same problem, with the whole weight issue. It's nerve wrecking. It'll all come back though. No need to worry.

[View 1]

Im glad that your focusing on form, I think we all get caught up in trying to beat our previous lifts, that sometimes our form suffers, I know that my form is off sometimes because I want to lift heavier than I did last week. Your body is still adjusting to being back into the gym, you'll be back to 100% soon.

[borracho]

It takes a lot of dicipline to back off and check the ego...tons of respect go to you for that.

[CrazyK]

It's good you're making re-evaluations. I used to fall in to that same trap of wanting to just jump in to the intensity I was doing before a long break but realized that I was doing more harm then good. Good intensity though, keep it up with higher reps.

[Jorge Sanchez]

dude, i'm having the exact same problem, with the whole weight issue. It's nerve wrecking. It'll all come back though. No need to worry.

I know. It's frustrating as hell.


Im glad that your focusing on form, I think we all get caught up in trying to beat our previous lifts, that sometimes our form suffers, I know that my form is off sometimes because I want to lift heavier than I did last week. Your body is still adjusting to being back into the gym, you'll be back to 100% soon.

Yeah, I'm in no rush, though. I'm just going to take it easy. My long term progress will be better that way.


It takes a lot of dicipline to back off and check the ego...tons of respect go to you for that.

Thanks, borracho. That means a lot.


It's good you're making re-evaluations. I used to fall in to that same trap of wanting to just jump in to the intensity I was doing before a long break but realized that I was doing more harm then good. Good intensity though, keep it up with higher reps.

Yeah, you mentioned that to me before. I should've listened to you. I knew it too, I just wanted to start smashing some PRs again.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x10
45x5
95x8
135x6
155x5
185x8x3

Bench:
45x10
95x8
135x6
180x5x3

Deads:
45x6
135x5
185x5
225x5
265x5

Notes: I backed off the weight and everything felt much better. My squats felt way more stable and I was really able to concentrate on my form, which was really on point. I switched up a few things with my set up which I think are really going to help in the long run.

I'm going to take it nice and easy from this point on out -- I'm not going to force anything. The weight will come with time and my progress will be much better and faster in the long term, even if it takes me a little bit longer to get to where I was.

That said, I think I'm going to start to drop some weight starting Monday. I figure progress for the next couple of months is pretty much assured, so I'm going to see if I can lose some BF in the meantime. Then when I hit a wall, I'll be at a good starting spot to hop on the bulk train.

[Keith]

Damn, that looks like a lot of volume and would be very tiring. Good to hear you're toning and firming up for the next little while. It will do you good and I'm sure your girlfriend will enjoy it, too.

[CrazyK]

Good job on lowering the weight and focusing on forms and solid reps. Gives your body time to re-learn the exercise patterns.

[jbrin0tk]

Good session, dude.

[RedSpikeyThing]

nice old school workout. Hit the big three and get out, I like it.
I can't believe I've never posted in here. EVER.

Have some :spam:

[Kiaran]

Pretty good idea you have there with running the mini-cut while you get your strength back. Why have I never thought of that? I've put the breaks on my bulk and am tryin to drop about 10 lbs as well. Solid moves on that bench, btw. Almost more than you were squattin :D Legs better get a move on it!

[Jorge Sanchez]

Damn, that looks like a lot of volume and would be very tiring. Good to hear you're toning and firming up for the next little while. It will do you good and I'm sure your girlfriend will enjoy it, too.

The volume's not too bad, although it does get very tiring when the weight gets heavier. Everything is still relatively light right now, so I can get in and out in under and hour.


Good job on lowering the weight and focusing on forms and solid reps. Gives your body time to re-learn the exercise patterns.

Yeah, exactly. I really need to nail my form down.


Good session, dude.

Thanks, buddy.


nice old school workout. Hit the big three and get out, I like it.
I can't believe I've never posted in here. EVER.

Have some :spam:

Thanks. I'll add a couple more assistance exercises once i start to get back into the swing of things.


Pretty good idea you have there with running the mini-cut while you get your strength back. Why have I never thought of that? I've put the breaks on my bulk and am tryin to drop about 10 lbs as well. Solid moves on that bench, btw. Almost more than you were squattin :D Legs better get a move on it!

Yeah, we'll see how the cut works out -- I really don't enjoy them, but I lose weight pretty easily. My squats will increase a lot quicker than my bench, so no worries there.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x10
45x6
95x8
135x5
160x3
195x8x3
135x5

OH Press:
45x10
65x8
95x5x3

Hang clean:
45x??
65x??
95x??

Power clean:
95x5
115x5
135x5

Notes: Things felt pretty good. Still a bit of work to put in to nail down my squat form 100%, but it's feeling better -- my hips were really stiff though. I figured out why my quads were so stiff last week: it's all the cleans. The bar banging against my thighs really messes them up -- I can already feel them tightening up from today's session. I think I might have to put them aside until I'm comfortable with my squat form. OHP felt a lot better today.

[View 1]

I feel you about cleans killing your quads, when I did them last time my quads hurt for like 4 days.

[Kiaran]

Damn, look at you go with the Cleans. That **** kills me. I avoid Olympic moves like the plague, lol! (and no, I Squat like a powerlifter, so that doesn't count). I don't know how you have enough energy left after Squatting to go hit two different Clean movements, wtf? Glad to see the squats are coming along too, bro. Just remember, hips back first then knees can begin unlocking, and all the while keep that core tight as you can. Those are my keys anyway.

[fooz]

monkey w/ the gun goes pew pew

[CrazyK]

The OH press looks good, strict form is always best.

[Jorge Sanchez]

I feel you about cleans killing your quads, when I did them last time my quads hurt for like 4 days.

Yeah, it's too bad because they're a great exercise that I would love to master. I'm going to keep plugging away at them.


Damn, look at you go with the Cleans. That **** kills me. I avoid Olympic moves like the plague, lol! (and no, I Squat like a powerlifter, so that doesn't count). I don't know how you have enough energy left after Squatting to go hit two different Clean movements, wtf? Glad to see the squats are coming along too, bro. Just remember, hips back first then knees can begin unlocking, and all the while keep that core tight as you can. Those are my keys anyway.

Well the hang cleans were just a warm up for the power cleans, so it wasn't too bad. The squat form is getting back to where it used to be. Thanks for the reminders.


monkey w/ the gun goes pew pew

Thanks?


The OH press looks good, strict form is always best.

Yeah, I'm really taking this opportunity to get my form locked down. Form before weight.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x5
45x5
135x8
160x5
185x3
205x5x3
225x1
135x5

Bench:
45x10
95x8
135x5
160x3
185x5x3

Deads:
45x6
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x5

Notes: It's amazing how much strength I've managed to lose over a month without the iron. But I'm not letting it discourage me. I'm really focused on nailing down my form. I figured out what was screwing me up with my squats: a lack of shoulder flexibility. I moved my grip out a bit and really focused on keeping my upper body quiet and it helped a lot. I'm going to do some shoulder stretches to help that. My bench and deadlift form felt really good but there's always room for improvement.

[borracho]

I know it seems like you've lost a lot but considering you were gone for a full month...you're in great shape. I am worried about where I will fall when I come back on sunday...and that'll only be 6 days! My eating has been terrible...no breakfast...lunch at 12...snack at 4 and then dinner at 10. Definately not what I am used to as far as eating goes.

[philly08]

Looking good Jorge. Glad to see you fixed up your squats. You'll be crushing those old PR's sooner than you think with this slow and steady approach.

[Sidior]

You always rebound quickly. Once we are both back SFW we should get together to train again.

[fooz]

It'll come back bro. Mines coming back and it's feeling great.

[jbrin0tk]

Solid volume on everything, man. You'll get there before you know it, brother. Keep up the hard work!

[View 1]

Great all around lifts bro, your rebounding back faster than you realize.

[CrazyK]

Don't worry your strength will rebound in no time. Just start hitting up the kitchen and sticking to the good principles you've learned on exercise. Good work.

[mickyjune26]

welcome back monkey man. Pretty soon those chimpanzee arms will be gorilla-sized!

[Keith]

How was your diet on your trip? Not expecting that you counted or anything, but did you eat a lot of protein and cals or just ate whatever, whenever?

[Kiaran]

It's crazy how quickly strength goes away huh? That is what pisses me off most about weight lifting. It's like we put all this work in and can't even take a damn month off without losing half the work put in. Granted it does come back quicker the second time round, but still. Nice job hittin the big three in one workout there again, bro.

[Jorge Sanchez]

I know it seems like you've lost a lot but considering you were gone for a full month...you're in great shape. I am worried about where I will fall when I come back on sunday...and that'll only be 6 days! My eating has been terrible...no breakfast...lunch at 12...snack at 4 and then dinner at 10. Definately not what I am used to as far as eating goes.

Thanks barracho. I'm sure you'll be right back where you were after a week back.


Looking good Jorge. Glad to see you fixed up your squats. You'll be crushing those old PR's sooner than you think with this slow and steady approach.

I think you're right, philly. Thanks for the support.


You always rebound quickly. Once we are both back SFW we should get together to train again.

It's a deal. You still interested in checking out that crossfit gym when you're all healed up? Apparently they just picked up a powerlifting coach. It's too bad you're a "bodybuilder" now. ;)


It'll come back bro. Mines coming back and it's feeling great.

Yeah, I think mine is finally starting to kick back in too. I'm glad I'm not going through it alone, fooz. We should start a support group.


Solid volume on everything, man. You'll get there before you know it, brother. Keep up the hard work!

Thanks, J-bro.


Great all around lifts bro, your rebounding back faster than you realize.

Sometimes I'm just too hard on myself. Thanks, Jefe.


Don't worry your strength will rebound in no time. Just start hitting up the kitchen and sticking to the good principles you've learned on exercise. Good work.

Sound advice.


welcome back monkey man. Pretty soon those chimpanzee arms will be gorilla-sized!

Haha, I hope so, but I'd settle for the strength of a gorilla with chimpanzee arms at this point.


How was your diet on your trip? Not expecting that you counted or anything, but did you eat a lot of protein and cals or just ate whatever, whenever?

At first I drank tons of milk, but then I said **** it and just ate whatever. I only lost a few pounds so I didn't think I'd lose much strength, but it's coming back quickly. I just have to prime my body again, I guess.


It's crazy how quickly strength goes away huh? That is what pisses me off most about weight lifting. It's like we put all this work in and can't even take a damn month off without losing half the work put in. Granted it does come back quicker the second time round, but still. Nice job hittin the big three in one workout there again, bro.

No kidding. Thanks for the shout-outs, Kiaran.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x8
45x5
95x8
135x6
160x3
185x2
215x5x3

OHP:
45x8
65x6
100x5x3

Hang clean:
45x5
45x5
65x5

Power clean:
65x5
95x3
125x5x3

Hypers:
25x10x2

Notes: Solid workout. Squats felt awesome - the focus on form is really paying off and I think I'll be back up to where I was in a few more weeks. OHP was really good too. I managed to eliminate the back hyperextension. I know I said I'd cut out the powercleans, but I'm a sucker for them. They're really starting to come along. The only problem is that I keep scraping open my shin - I guess I'll have to start wearing sweats.

As far as the dieting goes, I really haven't done any this week. I'm actually going to get on the train next Monday. I'm going to cut out carbs at all times except pre/post-workout and at dinner. Everything else will stay the same, so I should be able to drop fat slowly while piling the plates onto the bar.

[Keith]

The only problem is that I keep scraping open my shin - I guess I'll have to start wearing sweats.

Or knee socks if it's too hot. Knee socks with shorts are teh style. It's in this season.

Glad to hear your strength is coming back quickly. Your workouts look killer and a lot of stuff I wouldn't want to touch like your olympic lifts.

[CrazyK]

Great job on the squats, you're coming through. I follow those same diet guidelines, it works! :)

[Jorge Sanchez]

Or knee socks if it's too hot. Knee socks with shorts are teh style. It's in this season.

Glad to hear your strength is coming back quickly. Your workouts look killer and a lot of stuff I wouldn't want to touch like your olympic lifts.

Yeah, the socks aren't a bad idea. I keep reopening the same scrapes so I've got to do something. The Olympic lifts are fun. I'm going to make you try them whenever we actually train together.


Great job on the squats, you're coming through. I follow those same diet guidelines, it works! :)

Thanks, dude. I'm just hoping to drop a few pounds, nothing too crazy, so I think it will work pretty well for me. I know it's been paying off for you.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x8
45x5
195x5
135x5
175x3
205x1
225x5x3

Bench:
45x10
95x6
135x5
160x3
190x5x3

Deads:
135x5
185x5
225x3
265x1
285x5

Pull ups:
BWx6x2
BWx4

Notes: I had a pretty bad sleep last night and woke up with a sore back - I must have slept on it funny. I felt pretty crappy all day, like I was hungover, but I only had a couple of drinks over the whole weekend so I don't know what that was about. Workout felt really good though. The squats were probably some of my best ever. The weight didn't feel easy, but it's really progressing nicely.

Bench was a little off. I had trouble staying in the groove, but it's still relatively light, so it wasn't a big deal.

My form was a little off on the deads too because I opened up the same scrape and I kept trying to avoid it which through me off a bit.

[View 1]

Great looking workout. Sucks that you keep hitting the same part on your shin, I have bruises all the time from deads.

I was gonna ask you to after you do alot of cleans or power cleans, does your traps and delts get really sore? Mine were killing me all weekend after I wnet heavier than I have before.

[borracho]

Nice work on the squats and deads...looking very good.

[Keith]

Ahh, I've felt like I've been hungover at random times, too. It sucks and makes you wonder why. Glad to hear everything is coming along nicely. Out of anger and frustration, I would have probably dragged the bar into my shins more knowing that I split it open again. Good to see you don't do the same.

Is this weekend still happening if you can get away from your girlfriend (which you can do because you're a moderator)? WORLD will be there and I brought it by Detard and he'll come, too.

[jbrin0tk]

You're already on the way back up, man. Keep at it and you'll get back to where you were in no time.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Great looking workout. Sucks that you keep hitting the same part on your shin, I have bruises all the time from deads.

I was gonna ask you to after you do alot of cleans or power cleans, does your traps and delts get really sore? Mine were killing me all weekend after I wnet heavier than I have before.

Yeah, the scrapes are from when I first started doing the cleans, I was jerking it off the floor which cut open my shin. Now they're so fragile they get cut every time I pull from the floor.

My traps do get a bit sore, and my shoulders got bruised at first, from catching the bar. They don't bruise anymore - I'm not sure if it's because they've toughened up or if I'm just catching the bar better.


Nice work on the squats and deads...looking very good.

Thanks, borracho. It's feeling good.


Ahh, I've felt like I've been hungover at random times, too. It sucks and makes you wonder why. Glad to hear everything is coming along nicely. Out of anger and frustration, I would have probably dragged the bar into my shins more knowing that I split it open again. Good to see you don't do the same.

Is this weekend still happening if you can get away from your girlfriend (which you can do because you're a moderator)? WORLD will be there and I brought it by Detard and he'll come, too.

I'm 90% coming to Toronto. My gf wants to visit a friend and she wants me to come with her, but there's a chance I might be able to slip away for a couple of hours. Where do you live? I'm going to be staying near Church and Jarvis. How long would it take me to TTC to your place?


You're already on the way back up, man. Keep at it and you'll get back to where you were in no time.

Thanks, buddy. It felt like a long way at first, but I'm getting back into the swing of things quickly.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squats:
45x6
45x5
95x5
135x5
175x3
205x1
235x5x3

OHP:
45x8
65x6
105x5x3

Hang cleans:
45x5x2
95x5

Power cleans:
95x3
135x5x2
135x1

Notes: Squats are starting to get tougher. My second set was pretty sloppy but I fixed up my form on the third and it was much smoother. On Friday I'll be going for 245, which, if I'm not mistaken, is the point at which I was able to hit a 315 squat before I left. Cleans felt really good until the third set when my right calf cramped up which caused me to drop the weight. It happened about a week and half ago too, so I'll have to see about getting some more water and maybe a banana in me next time before I train. Other than that, the weight was pretty easy, but it's too far out in front of me - something to work on next time.

[Steven001]

It amazing how far you can fall behind with just a few weeks off. You seem to be making some great progress now! Keep it up, mate!

[philly08]

Those squats are really climbing Jorge. Nice job on getting yourself back up to speed.

[Jorge Sanchez]

It amazing how far you can fall behind with just a few weeks off. You seem to be making some great progress now! Keep it up, mate!


Those squats are really climbing Jorge. Nice job on getting yourself back up to speed.

Thanks for the encouragement, guys!

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x10
95x6
135x6
135x6
175x3
215x1
245x5x3

Bench:
45x10
95x8
135x5
165x1
195x5x3

Deads:
45x5
135x5
185x5
225x5
265x1
295x5

Pull ups:
BWx8

Notes: I felt like **** going into and throughout this workout. I had no confidence going under the bar with any of my lifts. I guess I shouldn't really complain since the weight keeps going up, but this workout was definitely a grind. 245 felt a lot easier than the 235 on Wednesday, and the deads and bench were easy too. I bitched out on some of my assistance lifts (again) because I wasn't feeling very well. I'm getting back to where I was pretty quickly now, so I'm happy about that.

[jbrin0tk]

Making that quick progress, bud! How much weight were you squatting 3x5 before you left? What about benching 3x5? Rest up, man, your training is looking good like always!

[View 1]

Solid workout espeacially if you weren't feeling good. Your body is starting to come around, and give it a couple more weeks and youll pretty much be right where you were before you took your vacation.

[Sidior]

Why do you think you have been feeling like ****?

[CrazyK]

For feeling like **** you did an awesome job. I'm always suprised with how strong you are for your size.

[Keith]

Damn. Didn't notice how much everything was coming up. Great job with that, bud. How do you like doing the big 3 so often in a single training session?

[borracho]

It seems to me that its just all in your head dude...workout seems great

[Jorge Sanchez]

Making that quick progress, bud! How much weight were you squatting 3x5 before you left? What about benching 3x5? Rest up, man, your training is looking good like always!

I'd have to check, but I think I was squatting 265-270 for five and benching 220ish for five. I hope to be squatting that in another two weeks. Bench, I'm going to take a little slower in hopes that I can progress a little longer - I always seem to hit a bit of a wall once I start pressing 225 for reps.


Solid workout espeacially if you weren't feeling good. Your body is starting to come around, and give it a couple more weeks and youll pretty much be right where you were before you took your vacation.

That's the plan. I'm feeling pretty good about things right now.


Why do you think you have been feeling like ****?

My joints felt really stiff because my girlfriend decided to sleep on me. I also had something for lunch that really didn't agree with my stomach, and that was the real problem.


For feeling like **** you did an awesome job. I'm always suprised with how strong you are for your size.

Thanks, Crazy. I don't feel strong for my size (I'm about 205-210) but give me another couple of months.


Damn. Didn't notice how much everything was coming up. Great job with that, bud. How do you like doing the big 3 so often in a single training session?

Yeah, everything is moving nicely. I like it a lot. Get in, do the heavy lifts, get out. My body responds pretty well to it, and I'm used to it because I've been following a similar split for about a year now, with a few extended breaks sprinkled in, of course.


It seems to me that its just all in your head dude...workout seems great

Workout was definitely great, so I shouldn't complain. I just didn't feel great. I hope tomorrow goes as well.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x8
45x6
115x5
165x5
205x3
225x1
255x5x3

OHP:
45x8
65x6
115x5
115x3
115x4

Pendlay Rows:
45x10
95x8
135x5x3

Notes: I got absolutely drenched on the way to the gym, so that made for a pretty uncomfortable workout. It was a pretty average workout. I'm happy that my squats keep flying up, but I'm a little disappointed with the presses. I'm sure I could have had my rep goals, I just wasn't focusing. I skipped out on the cleans because my right calf has had a knot in it ever since it cramped up last time I was doing cleans. It actually cramped up while I was walking down the street yesterday, so I thought cleans would be a little too much today. I plan to be cleaning again on Friday.

I really need to start doing my accessory work, especially the dips to help with my pressing. I think my triceps are the weak link.

[jbrin0tk]

Hey bud, good work today! Your squats are improving every time you step into the gym! Keep working at the presses and they will come, too. I used to do my overhead presses the way you do (3x5) and sometimes it took two or three weeks before I could complete 3 sets of 5 with a given weight. I'm sure you will have it in no time!

[View 1]

Looks good, I havent done pendlay rows in along time, they are a great middle back builder. As for the dips, have you ever done floor presses ( I use DB for safety reasons ) or JM presses? If you did a rotation of a couple different tricep exercises it might work to your advantage.

[CrazyK]

Squats look great. I bet those quads are coming in nicely.

[borracho]

Wow! The squats are definately coming along very quickly..and I feel you on accessory work..my arms are feeling like jello..er, at least my biceps are

[Keith]

Dude, getting drenched in rain is hardcore. That should make your workout bettorz! Glad to see you keep on increasing! When do you think you'll be back to 1000?

[Jorge Sanchez]

Hey bud, good work today! Your squats are improving every time you step into the gym! Keep working at the presses and they will come, too. I used to do my overhead presses the way you do (3x5) and sometimes it took two or three weeks before I could complete 3 sets of 5 with a given weight. I'm sure you will have it in no time!

Thanks, dude.


Looks good, I havent done pendlay rows in along time, they are a great middle back builder. As for the dips, have you ever done floor presses ( I use DB for safety reasons ) or JM presses? If you did a rotation of a couple different tricep exercises it might work to your advantage.

I've never tried either of those. Maybe I'll throw them in for a change of pace once I've been on the dip train for a bit. I need to get consistent first before I worry about complicating things.


Squats look great. I bet those quads are coming in nicely.

More in the glutes actually. Thanks.


Wow! The squats are definately coming along very quickly..and I feel you on accessory work..my arms are feeling like jello..er, at least my biceps are

Thanks, borracho.


Dude, getting drenched in rain is hardcore. That should make your workout bettorz! Glad to see you keep on increasing! When do you think you'll be back to 1000?

Hopefully 2 weeks. I'm pretty close to where I was when I left already. I don't plan on testing my maxes for a while, so I won't know for sure.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x10
95x6
145x5
185x3
225x1
265x5
265x4
265x0

Bench:
45x10
95x6
135x5
175x1
200x5x3

Deads:
135x5
225x3
275x1
305x5

Notes: Mother****er!!! Not the effort I wanted. 265x5x3 will be mine on Friday - I should have had it today, I just had nothing in the tank. Everything else kept moving even though I felt completely drained, so I guess it's not all bad.

[View 1]

I know you didnt quite get the numbers you wanted, but that is the most solid workout Ive seen from you since you got back from vacation.

[Jorge Sanchez]

I know you didnt quite get the numbers you wanted, but that is the most solid workout Ive seen from you since you got back from vacation.

You're right. I'm still making progress, and I wouldn't accept anything less, I just felt like I should have had the squats and everything else felt way harder than it should. I wasn't there mentally of physically.

But I figured out what the problem is. I've been trying to lose weight, but I don't like counting calories. I had a feeling I haven't been eating enough, but this confirms it. My diet up to and including my workout was:

Calories: 1744
F: 56g
C: 145g
P: 166g

The sad thing is that I've been eating even less on non-workout days. It's basically the same numbers, minus 800kcals, 120g of carbs, and 40g of protein.

Dinner obviously bumps all those numbers up, but I had no idea that I was under-eating by so much. On workout days, I'm probably only around 2700kcals, and non-workout days I'm under 2000. :omg:

[mickyjune26]

I respect you for sticking to the basic, but very effective routine you have going here. If only everyone would just squat, bench and deads. KEep at it soldier!

[borracho]

If it makes you feel any better..I had a (seemingly) horrid work out as well...so bad that I probably wont even post it...but, at least you went in. I am just calling mine a maintenence work out. :rolleyes:

[jbrin0tk]

Hey, man, still looks like you are making solid progress. Great job with those squats; you'll have 265x3x5 in no time, buddy.

[Keith]

I respect you for sticking to the basic, but very effective routine you have going here. If only everyone would just squat, bench and deads.

I concur.


Great to hear it'll only be another couple of weeks before you're at 1000 again. So by the time you come train with us, you'll be pushing some decent weights again. And we will be getting you to test out some maxes when you come. Not necessarily a single, but at least a heavy double or triple.

[Jorge Sanchez]

I respect you for sticking to the basic, but very effective routine you have going here. If only everyone would just squat, bench and deads. KEep at it soldier!

Thanks, Micky. That means a lot coming from you considering your incredible progress in the past 9-10 months.


If it makes you feel any better..I had a (seemingly) horrid work out as well...so bad that I probably wont even post it...but, at least you went in. I am just calling mine a maintenence work out. :rolleyes:

It doesn't make me feel any better. I wish we were both nailing PRs. All in due time I guess.


Hey, man, still looks like you are making solid progress. Great job with those squats; you'll have 265x3x5 in no time, buddy.

Thanks, J. You always know just what to say. ;)


I concur.


Great to hear it'll only be another couple of weeks before you're at 1000 again. So by the time you come train with us, you'll be pushing some decent weights again. And we will be getting you to test out some maxes when you come. Not necessarily a single, but at least a heavy double or triple.

We'll see what happens. How come you haven't hit the 1000 milestone yet? I'm very disappointed to see that that contest has sort of fizzled out. I fully expected someone to do it before I got back from my trip.

[Jorge Sanchez]

Back squat:
45x8
95x6
135x5
175x3
205x2
235x1
265x5x3

OHP:
45x8
75x5
115x5
115x4x2

Hang clean:
45x5

Power clean:
95x4
135x3x3

Notes: Solid workout. Probably one of the best sets of squats I've ever done. It seems if I just really concentrate on form rather than getting the weight up it works out better for me. I figured out a couple mental cues that keep my form pretty dialed in. Didn't get my rep goals again on the OHP, but I realised that I only had 110 on the bar on Monday, even though I wrote 115 here, so it's still progress. I went for triples on the cleans because I was a little worried about my calves cramping up again. It sort of felt like they might, so my ankle extension wasn't all there.

I'm going to have shawarma :drooling: (if you don't know what it is, you should find some and try it) for dinner and then I'm off to a spa for a Nordic bath (alternating hot and cold water for a couple of hours) with my girlfriend. It should feel nice after a good workout.

PS. Goals for next week: 1) get on my accessory lifts and 2) squat 280x5x3