thecityalive is dead meat

[thecityalive]

The name is Rob. This is my training journal. It contains a combination of letters and numbers to document feats of strength.

[thecityalive]

Weight: 174.6 lbs
80 degrees

Session duration ~1 hour
Goal: re-acclimation, post-hiatus*

Pre: 20 minutes dynamic foam rolling and stretching
Warm-up: 3 rounds sledgehammer (various angles), 30-60 second rest, 50m sprint, repeat.
Session:

• towel grip pull ups 3x12
• suspended ring push ups 3x12
• bicep curls 3x15 (20/25/30)
• dips 3x12
• outdoor tire flip/ double jump 50mx2
• suspended rows 2x12
• lunge 50mx2

very general day as it was my *first full session in a gym in about 4-5 months. Last semester flooded/ ruined my schedule and I unfortunately succumbed to it. However, even though I had not been in the gym for a while, during this time, I have been running 5-10k nearly two times a week. (with intervals in between). Along with playing in a summer roller hockey (want a great way to lose 5 pounds of sweat...there you go!) league, I have been somewhat keeping tabs on my general heath and fitness.

Preliminary day photos to come.

[thecityalive]

From this moment on, let it be assumed that I do some variation of foam rolling as my prestretch. I have been in love with it for a year now.

Weight 174 lbs


Warm up: 4x60 second sledgehammer drill - 30 second rest in between.

GHD 25 lbs press 4x10 (arm) *Had to do a modified version of this because the GHD was someone elses equipment apart from my gym...assholes
Triceps press downs 3x12
Hang clean 3x10 @115
Calf raises 3x12 @ 300
Abdominal pulls 4x20 @ 35 lbs

Pretty decent 2 day eval of where I am strength-wise. Granted, I didn't do any major lifts, but I suppose this was more for fatigue/endurance testing.

Full program starts next week.

[Cards]

welcome to journal land. What routine will you be running ?


Best of luck with your goals.

[thecityalive]

Thanks! I have narrowed down a schedule to my strength/ fitness level.

Last full-time training cycle: ~5 months ago

Starting stats:
175.6 Lbs
5'9"
22 y/o

Goals: Build mass, trim excess fat, over all stamina increase
Lift goals: >>>>>???????????-?????????-??????<<<<<<<<


DAY 1

• Broad jump @ body weight: 4x4
• Sumo deadlift @ 225*: 5x6
• BB Bulgarian squats @ 80*: 4x8
• Deadlift @ 275 <225 last 5 reps>: 3x8
• Hack Squat @135*: 3x15
• Seated calf raises@ 90: 4x10

<*> Can increase or needs revision. Thoughts?

[thecityalive]

Day 2

Warm up: 6 1-minute rounds of 10lbs sledgehammer work.

• Incline DB @ 60/arm 5x6 (60x2/55x3/50x2)
• Neutral Grip pulldowns @ 140 4x6
• Neutral DB Press @ 50 4x8
• Bent-Over lateral raises @ 15 4x8
• EZ Bar curls @ 25 4x6
• Single arm preacher @ 20 2x25
• Russian BB twist @ bar+25 3x16

Updated this a day late but a few comments post-work out:
Damn is my upper body out of shape. Didn't realize how off I was trying to incline DB press. Original workout called for a BB but I think I just overlooked it. Good pump though though out. I think it also shows my damn memory loss of what the hell lateral raises were...I remember looking at the list and scratching my head for a minute before I asked someone about what they were.

NOTE: If unsure ask.


I think one bonus goal is to increase my flat bench to 185 (what I used to get 6RM+ at) I have struggled to get my bench past 225 and I am really going to make a commitment to this. Diet changes are no problem, time to do battle in the gym.

[thecityalive]

Day 3

• Box Jump @ body weight 5x3 <*>
• Front Squat @ 185x4, 135X1 (5x6) Can probably sustain this weight for all sets next week
• Elevated DB Reverse lunge @ 90 4x8 <is this 16 total reps for one set?>
• Weighted squat jumps @ 60 3x10 <FUN>
• SHELC 3x8
• Seated Calf raise @ 90 4x10 <increase>

*<was unsure if I should have been box jumping on various heights or just one, FEED BACK PLZ>


One of my more favorite days. I never see anyone front squat where I lift, makes me feel like a superior being. haha.

[thecityalive]

Figure I'd make something in light of this journal.
Background is 2011 in binary.

[thecityalive]

Weight: 174.8

Warm-up: 6 rounds battling ropes (1 minute).

• Board press @ 185 6x3 <didn't have a board, improvised and used a towel> ***
• Chest-supported row @ 100 5x6
• Weighted 1/2 dips + 20 4x8
• High pull @ 115 4x8
• Single overhead DB press @ 30/arm 4x8
• Ring push ups 3xfailure ......CHECK
• Weighted chinups +20 3x8....EW
• Russian BB twist @ 55 3x16

REALLY surprised that I was able to bench 185 (even though board press doesn't allow for full ROM) for reps. You'd figure that a long hiatus from the gym would hinder my ability to do my old rep weight, but I suppose not. GRANTED, the bench was a bit shaky in the arms, but that will diminish over time as I retrain other smaller muscles and secondaries.

[thecityalive]

WEEK 2

Day 1:
Weight: 178.6

• Broad jump 4x4
• Sumo 5x6 @ 250 <easy mode>
• Bulgarian 4x8 @ 135 smith
• Deadlift 3x8 @ 300x2, 275x1
• Hack 3x15 @ 135
• Calves 4x10 @ 90

Increase intensity on deadlift...300x3 easy next week. Lost 2 pounds post-lift from sweat. Today was a scorcher.

[thecityalive]

Note: I should have been Romanian deadlifting instead of regular deadlifting. I think for now, I will alternate from sumo to regular deadlift as my first lift.

No wonder why that 2nd deadlift felt so fatigued.

[thecityalive]

Week 2 - Day 2

Weight: 178.0 lbs
Warm up: 6 1-minute rounds of battling ropes.

• Incline BB @ 135 5x6
• Neutral Grip pulldowns @ 140x1, 150x3 4x6
• Neutral DB Press @ 50 4x8
• Bent-Over lateral raises @ 15 4x8
• Iso Lateral press @ 150 4x8
• EZ Bar curls @ 40 4x6 (set weight of 40)
• Single arm preacher @ 20 2x25
• Russian BB twist @ bar+20x2, 10x1 3x16

Real good pump with the incline BB press. increase weight next week....do push press and win.

[thecityalive]

DAY 3

Weight: 178.6

• Box jump 5x3
• Front squat 5x6 @ 185
• Reverse DB lunge 4x8 @ 90
• Squat jumps 3x10 @ 80
• SHELC 3x8
• Calf raise 4x10 @ 100

[thecityalive]

7/16/11

1- Board Press 6 x 3 185 (increase)
Chest-Supported Row, wide grip 5 x 6 100
Weighted ½ Dips 4 x 8 70-75
High Pull 4 x 6 60 sec 70-75
Single Overhead DB Press 4 x 8 60 sec 70-75
Blast Strap or Ring Pushups 3 x failure 45 sec Body Weight
BB Rollouts

[thecityalive]

7/16/11

1- Board Press 6 x 3 @185 (increase)
Chest-Supported Row, wide grip 5 x 6 @100
Weighted ½ Dips 4 x 8 +25
High Pull 4 x 6 @115 (increase)
Single Overhead DB Press 4 x 8 @50x1, 40x3
Blast Strap or Ring Pushups 3 x failure
BB Rollouts


Post-workout: 6 rounds, battling ropes

[thecityalive]

WEEK 3

Day 1

Weight 176.2
Warm-up: Tire smash, battling ropes (replaced broad jumps with my sprint warmups)

Sumo Deadlift

• 295x6
• 300x6
• 300x6
• 305x6
• 315x6

Bulgarian Lunge (increase weight next week)

• 135x8
• 135x8
• 135x8
• 135x8

Romanian Deadlift (increase next week)

• 135x8
• 135x8
• 185x8

BB Hack Squat

• 135x15
• 185x15
• 185x15

Calves 4x10 @ 100

[Cards]

nice deadlifts, does the routine call for 6s or?

[thecityalive]

Yeah, 5 sets of 6. Currenly modeled after the HCT12 4 day split with slight variation. Instead of weighted jump ropes, I do battling ropes.

Keep in mind these are sumo deadlifts....frankly, I don't know how much easier or harder they are in comparison to regular deadlifts (All I know is sumo is more explosive hips than quads)

Thanks for the feedback/ support, I hope to video some of these sessions soon.

[thecityalive]

Today though Friday, I am forced to take off from this. Working 9:30pm-9 am shifts doing security for the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Gonna have to improvise. HELP!

[thecityalive]

Looks like this will be a week off...

damn it I hate hiatus. 9:30pm-9am is gonna wreck me. Only 2 more nights of this crap.

[Cards]

what do you do for work?

[thecityalive]

Well aside from working at Powerhouse Gym, this past week (wed-friday) I was working 9:30pm-9am doing security on the streets of ann arbor.

bad sleep schedule +nuts hours = me taking a short break

in retrospect, I think I want to travel away from this hypertrophy plan.



any ideas for a isolation routine build? Been considering lookin at other journals here, but I want to keep my goals of mass growth, and increased strength in mind. I think the 2 weeks that I had full goes to show that I am getting stronger and have more in the tank. Perhaps I should just ride out this hypertrophy routine for the month + another.

[thecityalive]

Well today is the proving. I will be keeping on with this Hypertrophy routine until I further my research in building another routine.




LOWER BODY EXPLOSION!

[thecityalive]

WEEK 4

Day 1

Weight 178 (TBH I forgot to weigh in today and I now feel like a jackass not recording it or even doing it. I was zoned)
Warm-up: Start up jumps, dynamic stretching.

Sumo Deadlift

• 300x6
• 300x6
• 300x6
• 315x6
• 315x5, 335x1

Bulgarian Lunge (increase weight next week)

• 185x8
• 185x8
• 185x8
• 185x8

Romanian Deadlift (increase next week)

• 185x8
• 185x8
• 185x8

BB Hack Squat

• 185x15
• 185x15
• 185x15

Calves 4x10 @ 100

I need to see a radiologist to X-ray my right tibia, I hope my break 3 years ago is holding up with the pins in there. I'm feeling it esp on the lunges.
I love it when my deadlift goes up. I remember yelling "EASY MODE" after I 3-white lighted that lift. 405 is gonna be soon.

[thecityalive]

WEEK 4

Day 2

Weight 176.6

Incline BB Press

• 155x6
• 155x6
• 155x6
• 155x6
• 155x6

Neutral Grip pulldowns

• 140x6
• 160x6
• 160x6
• 170x6

Neutral DB Press (increase next week)

• 55x8
• 55x8
• 55x8
• 55x8

Push Press

• 95x8
• 95x8
• 95x8
• 95x8

Bent-Over lateral raises

• 15x8
• 15x8
• 20x8
• 15x8

EZ Bar curls

• 45x6
• 45x6
• 55x6
• 55x6

Single arm preacher (each arm)

• 20x25
• 20x25

Russian BB twist
3x16@ 45BB+10