Brian Hopper's Training Log

[Brian Hopper]

What's up everybody, im starting up a log and I hope you all enjoy it!!!


July 13, 2009
Monday
Bench Accessory

Log Press
with the small 90lb log
90-2x10
140-1x6
160-1x6
180-1x6
190-1x6
210-1x5
140-1x15
110-1x12

Seated Rows
4x8-10

JM Presses
With a Fat Bar
75-1x6
125-2x8-10

[Brian Hopper]

July 14, 2009
Tuesday
ME-Lower

Stiff Legged Deadlift
With a hook grip
155-2x6
245-1x6
335-1x6
425-1x1
475-1x1
515-1x0
515-1x1
335-1x6

Zercher Squats
Out of chains, off a box, and with a cambared bar
145-1x6
235-1x6
325-1x6
375-1x6
415-1x3
465-1x1
505-1x0

Reverse Hypers
140-2x10
210-1x10

[Brian Hopper]

Well, Thursday's our ME-Upper Body day, and it sucks because I couldn't train today. But I will look at it as a good thing because next Thursday we plan on benching in our shirts. So hopefully I can use today to rest, and come back next week and set a PR!!!

[Brian Hopper]

July 17, 2009
Friday
DE-Lower

Raw High box Squats w/ Saftey squat bar
135-2x6
225-1x6
275-1x6
315-2x6
365-1x3
275-1x6

THE BLOB
165-3x10

Hammer curls
3x10

Finished off with some ab work using the pulldown machine. I did 4 sets for 10 reps each.

[Clifford Gillmore]

Cool to see you start a journal Brian, it'll be cool to follow your progress.

[Brian Hopper]

Cool to see you start a journal Brian, it'll be cool to follow your progress.

Thanks, hopefully I will keep it interesting for everyone.

[Brian Hopper]

July 20, 2009
Monday
Bench Accessory

Bench Press
With a Fat Bar
BAR-2x10
165-1x10
255-1x6
305-1x6
345-2x5
305-1x10

I'm still afraid to take a heavy raw bench, 345 is the heaviest I have gone since Feburary. I was feeling a stretch on the 5th rep so I racked it, being afraid it might tear again. But I do feel like I am making it better by doing these reps.

JM Press
With a Fat Bar
125-1x8
165-1x8
185-1x6

Snatchs
65-2x6
85-1x6
109-3x6

Here we kept the weight light and we pretty much worked on being explosive.

[Brian Hopper]

July 21, 2009
Tuesday
ME-Lower

Rack Pulls
We did these out of chains, it was setup right below my knee.
135-2x6
245-1x6
335-1x6
425-1x2
515-1x1
605-1x1
695-1x1
Added belt
715-1x1-PR!!!!
745-1x0
This didn't even break off the chains
745-1x0
I missed it again, but at least this time I got the weight moving about half way. I made to much of a jump, I got the one PR which im happy about but it would of been nicer if I made a smaller jump.

Chain suspended GM's
with a camabared bar
145-1x6
235-1x6
285-1x6
325-1x6
345-1x6
375-1x6

Reverse Hyper
140-3x10

All in all it was a good day. The two things I would of done different would be to put my belt on when I went for 695lbs for the rack pull. Right now my lower back is jacked, and tomorrow I have a chiro. appoitment. The second thing I would of done different would of been for me to make a smaller jump in weight. But I feel I have learned from these mistakes and hopefully next time I won't do the same thing again.

[Brian Hopper]

Well, I went to the chiro. today and I feel a little better. Im still a little tender on my left side, im just gonna put some ice on it and hopefully it will get better soon. This back injury is what caused me to stop lifting before and it also was the cause of me being able to comeback or not. Lucky for me I was able to, and I feel like I havent been playing it safe with my back. This is something im gonna have to do, if I want to be competitive in this sport.

I was planning on shirting up tomorrow, but im not sure I will be able to get setup properly. Monday it hurt pretty bad to get my feet underneath me so I can arch my back. But we will see, if I can't shirt up then I will do some heavy presses out of chains with the bar set at a 1 or 2 board.

[nockits]

wow. your numbers are ridiculously high!
especially that squat number in your sig! keep it up, good stuff!

[Brian Hopper]

wow. your numbers are ridiculously high!
especially that squat number in your sig! keep it up, good stuff!

Thanks!!! That 920lb squat was recent, I did it at the APF Senior Nationals. That's also were I did that bench and deadlift at. Right now I'm just fighting through some aches and pains.

[Brian Hopper]

July 23, 2009
Thursday
ME-Upper

Reverse band Bench Press
green bands with the fat bar
165-3x6
255-1x6
345-1x3
345-1x1
395-1x1
415-1x1
455-1x1
475-1x1

I stopped here, I couldn't get a proper setup because of my back. I was having a hard time getting my left leg under me. This sucks, because that 475 felt good and my best reverse band is 485, I think I could of beat it today. Oh well, maybe next time!!!

Tricep Pushdowns
4x10

Hammer curls
3x10

That's pretty much it for today. I really wanted to shirt up, but I couldn't arch my back properly because of the pain I was feeling when I would try. So today I pretty much just went in and did a little something. It wasn't much but at least I went.

[Brian Hopper]

I'm sitting here at work and I'm pretty bored so I busted out my grippers from Heavy Grip and did a few sets. I did the #150 for a set of 10 reps each hand to warm up and then I did #200 for 5 sets of 4 reps each hand. I know this probably sounds pretty light but, my left hand sucks bad. I actually feel like my grip is getting stronger because before I couldn't crush the #200 with my left hand for 4 reps in a row.

[Brian Hopper]

Well, since im on vacation this week im not going to be training. But im looking at this as a good thing so I can let my back get better. I did bring home a KB and a green band so I can help stretch out my back. But I miss the gym already!!!!!

[Brian Hopper]

It's sad to say that my vacation is over and I'm back to work. It was ruff going back but it's only for 4 days and then I'm off again for another 6 days. Tomorrow I start back training again, I'm actually pretty excited about it. I'm sitting here at work thinking about what I want to do.

[Brian Hopper]

August 3, 2009
Monday
Bench Accessory


Seated calf raises
3x10

Standing calf raises
4x10

Standing close grip pulldowns
I did these to warm up a little bit
3x10

Bench Press
Bar-1x20
95-1x12
135-1x12
185-1x10
225-1x6
275-1x6
315-1x8
315-1x4
315-1x5
225-1x10

I felt like I had no endurance to bench, I don't know if it was because I was at a different gym or because of the week off.

JM press
95-1x8
135-1x8
165-1x8

DB Flyes
3x10

Panora presses
3x10

Lat pulldowns
I did these behind the neck
3x10

Seated rows
3x10

shrugs
2x10

I think I did alittle to much today, I was pretty amped up to go back to the gym and just felt like training. I need to start doing some DB flyes or pec-dec work to help with my recovery. I was getting a pretty good stretch at the bottem and was getting scared.

[Brian Hopper]

August 4, 2009
Tuesday
ME-Lower

Sumo Deadlift
135-2x6
225-1x6
315-1x3
405-1x1
455-1x1
455-1x3
I stopped here because I just wasn't feeling it. Stuff just didn't seem right.

Rack Pulls
245-1x6
335-1x1
425-1x1
515-1x1
605-1x1
695-1x0
At this point, I just called it quits and went home to get ready for work. I hope the rest of the week isn't like this.

[Brian Hopper]

August 6, 2009
Thursday
ME-Upper

Reverse band bench press
with the fat bar and we lowered the bands about 6in from where we normally have the bands set, and it was a little bit harder.
Warmup
BAR-1x20
Added the bands
165-2x6
255-1x6
345-1x3
395-1x1
435-1x1
455-1x1
475-1x0
I should of tried it again, but instead I decided to do a couple of drop sets.
395-1x4
305-1x10

JM presses
with the fat bar
165-4x8-10

Front raises
with the fat bar
75-2x8-10
95-3x8-10

Pulldowns
3x10

Pec-dec rear delts
4x10

It turned out to be a pretty good day, I really wish I got that 475lb reverse band bench. My best is 485lbs with the bands placed 6 inches higher then they were today. Oh well, maybe next time!!!!!

[Brian Hopper]

August 7, 2009
Friday
DE-Lower

Speed Squats off a 14" box
with a buffalo bar and no briefs
BAR-1x10
Added blue bands
BAR-1x3
145-1x3
235-1x3
325-4x2
375-2x2

Speed pulls out of a Jump Stretch Board
with quaded monster minis
135-2x1
225-2x1
275-1x1
315-4x1

Those are two exercises I really need to start doing again.


Reverse Hyper
140-1x10
210-1x10
280-2x10

Shrugs
4x8-10

[Brian Hopper]

August 10, 2009
Monday
Bench Accessory

Speed Bench
With fat bar and monster minis doubled
bar-1x6
165-1x3
215-7x3
I haven't done speed work with bands for awhile and everything felt pretty good and strong. I wanted to add a little bit more weight but was afraid the bar speed will slow down. So I left the bar weight at 215lbs.

Chain presses
With the fat bar and the chains were also set at 3-4 board height.
255-1x6
345-1x5
395-2x5
435-1x4(I might of got 5 but can't remember, so I will stick with 4)

One arm kettlebell presses
we did these with the ball part of the KB facing up, which of course made it alot harder.
3x6

Today was really good day, I moved my grip out a finger on my first two workouts. This is something I need to start working on, most of the time my pinkie is always on the ring.

[Brian Hopper]

I got a little bored so I pulled out my grippers!!!!

#150-2x10

#200-1x5
#200-1x8
#200-2x10

#150-2x20
#150-2x10 seconds each hand

#200-2x5 seconds each hand

I am starting to feel my grip strength progressing.

[Brian Hopper]

August 11, 2009
Tuesday
ME-Lower

Stiff legged deadlift
off a 4" platform with a hook grip
155-2x6
265-1x6
355-1x3
465-1x1
515-1x1-Tore some skin off of both my thumbs. This really got to me and I think messed up my mental thought for the rest of the workout. I put some tape on both of my thumbs and switched to my deadlift grip.
555-1x0-I just couldnt get into it.
465-1x0-Now at this point I was ready to throw in the towel

Zercher Squats
Out of chains, with a cambared bar and off of a 13" box
145-2x6
235-2x6
325-1x6
415-1x1
465-1x2
505-1x1
595-1x1
645-1x1

After doing the SLD and having a crappy workout, I felt like I needed to do something big. I do believe that the box was to low and was causing me to make the lift a 2 part movement. This caused me to hold on to the bar pretty low. I felt like my arms weren't getting under the bar properly. So next time im going to put a thin bumper plate on the box and hopefully that will help.

[Brian Hopper]

August 13, 2009
Thursday
ME-Upper

Floor press with a fat bar
Ring finger on the ring
BAR-1x20
165-1x10
165-1x6
255-1x6
305-1x4
345-1x2
365-1x2
385-1x1
405-1x1 PR!!!
415-1x0

3brd Bench Press
Middle finger on the ring
135-1x10
225-1x10
315-1x10
365-1x6

Supersets
DB kick backs with Panora press
3x10

Hammer curls with barbell curls
3x10

pec-dec rear delts with seated chest press
3x10

Seeing how I never really did singles for the FP, I now set a PR at 405 and now I have something to aim for. I also havent done any raw board presses like that in a VERY long time. This is something im gonna have to bring back into my training, I really enjoyed doing them. I should of gone up in weight and maybe do a 4brd, but I had to hurry up for work so I decided to do some supersets which wore me out.

[Clifford Gillmore]

405 FP is sweet as! Great zercher sqauts too!

[Brian Hopper]

August 14, 2009
Friday
DE-Lower

Squats to chains
With a mastadon bar, raw and competition stance
BAR-1x10
150-2x3
240-1x3
330-1x3
420-1x3
510-1x3
560-2x3
600-1x3
650-1x1

Goodmornings
with a cambared bar
145-1x6
235-1x6
325-1x6

Leg curls
with purple bands
3x10-20
At the end of each set I held it for as long as I could!!!!