April Mathis Training Log

[April Mathis]

04/16/2012 Deload Week: Shoulders/Triceps light

Shoulder Press on Machine
90x10x3sets

Reverse PecDec
60x10x3sets each side

DB Side Raises
15x10x3sets each arm

Band Triceps Pushdowns
Purple Bandx40x3sets choked up high on band

Rear Delts w/mini band
3sets of 20

PecDec
60x50 slow reps

Few sets of abs just bw

Shoulder is doing better than last week. Everything was less panful and with using very slightly more weight this week in regards to shoulder movements. Still going to go real slow with it. Got under a squat bar once with most fingers on the bar, but still some pain in doing so and not ready to squat with it yet. Should be a few more weeks. I'm going to make sure it's completely healed up before attempting it again though. Will be going light on everything the rest of the week. Will probably squat heavy Sunday, since I took a break from squatting just a couple weeks ago.

[April Mathis]

04/17/2012 Biceps

DB Curls
20sx10
30sx8
40sx8
50sx8

DB Hammer Curls
60sx6x3sets

KB Concentration Curls
45x10x3sets each arm

I helped a few people today. so just did a few sets of curls while I was there. Nothing heavy. I will do some back stuff Thursday and that's all for the deload week.

[April Mathis]

04/19/2012 Back - still deload week

Lat Pulldowns wide-grip (paused reps)
100x15
150x10x3sets

Hammer Strength Rows
45x10 each arm
90x10x3sets each arm

Shrug Machine
225x20x3sets

Straight-arm Pulldowns
50x10x4sets

That's it. Really needed the break this week. Not sure if I will squat heavy for sure on Sunday. My knee is still aching quite abit today, but my back feels pretty good. I may wait to go heavy the next week, but I will decide in a few days.

[April Mathis]

04/22/2012 Heavy Squat

Squat w/Cambered Bar (newer one)
barxsome
155x3
245x3
335x1
425x1 loose belt
515x1
585x1 loose belt/loose wraps
635x1 PR tighter belt/tighter wraps
Down set:
335x8 no belt or wraps

Side Bends
95x8x3sets each side

Abs on lat pulldown
100x15x3sets

Calf Raises
225x20x3sets

Hip Abductors/Adductors
Big red mini bandx15x2sets each per side

Good squat today. Felt like I got a little bit too far forward on the 635, but still got deep and it went up fine. Kind of getting annoyed I can't squat with a regular bar yet. My shoulder still hurts even getting under and unracking just the bar.

[GazzyG]

Hey April, great work with the squat PR!

Shoulder still giving you jip? Mine's only just feeling better now after almost four months.

[Brian Hopper]

Strong squat April, I saw your knee was hurting you. How'd it feel squatting?

[April Mathis]

Hey April, great work with the squat PR!

Shoulder still giving you jip? Mine's only just feeling better now after almost four months.

Thanks Gaz. It's getting better doing some stuff, except for squatting with a regular bar for some reason.

Strong squat April, I saw your knee was hurting you. How'd it feel squatting?

Thanks Brian. It was just sore. I had a small infection on my leg and couldn't walk right for a few days and that made my knee hurt some, but it's alright now.

[April Mathis]

Video from squatting yesterday. My 635 squat is at the end of the video:

http://www.ironscene.com/videos/5903...day-night-crew

[April Mathis]

04/23/2012 Shoulders/Triceps (still light)

Shoulder Press on machine
90x10x2sets
120x10x2sets

DB Side Raises
15sx10x3sets

Plate Raises
35x10x3sets

Reverse PecDec
75x10x3sets each side

Band Triceps Pushdowns
Green bandx30x4sets

A little bit of shoulders stretching

That's all today. Shoulder is getting better with the shoulder-related movements, just squatting with that damn bar still is the problem.

[Brian Hopper]

Looked strong in the video, Glenn's son is getting big.

[NickAus]

Congrats on the squat PR April!!

[April Mathis]

Looked strong in the video, Glenn's son is getting big.

Thanks. I was happy with it, just felt like I was a little too far forward. Tyler weighs about 250lbs. now and 5'11" tall. He's big for just turning 16 about a month ago. He's doing good in football on defensive line from what Glenn says.

Congrats on the squat PR April!!

Thanks Nick.

[thecityalive]

Fuckin genetic freak that kid is.

[Brian Hopper]

Yeah, that's pretty big for 16 years old. Glenn better watch out, lol.

[April Mathis]

04/26/2012 Bench

Bench Press
barxsome
135x8
225x3
275x3
315x3
365x3
Add carpet (paused reps)
405x3 PR
425x1 PR
435xmiss
435x1 PR

Flat DB Press
140sx9 PR
140sx8
140sx5

PecDec (paused reps)
120x10
90x10x2sets

Good bench day. Don't know why I missed 435 the first time, as 425 felt easy enough to double it. I think my setup was a little better on the second attempt, and got it, but it was slow and not easy. My shoulder felt good today full-range until 365, but still hurt some with that weight at the bottom. The small difference with the carpet press helps though so the heavier weights felt better after that. Db pressing was good too. I really wanted 10 with 140s on the first set though and it was feeling easy until the 9th rep then got hard fast, lol. Still 1 rep better than before.

[April Mathis]

Video of me benching 365x3, 405x3, 425x1 (not on video), 435x1:

http://www.ironscene.com/videos/5907...arpet-press-pr

[Brian Hopper]

Great job coming back and hitting that PR!!!

[mastermonster]

Awesome training and great 635 squat! Hope the shoulder keeps improving!

[April Mathis]

Thanks Brian and Buddy.

04/29/2012 Moderate Squat/Heavy Deadlift

Squat w/Cambered Bar (newer one)
barxsome
Add doubled green bands
barx3
155x2
245x2 loose belt
295x2
335x1x3sets

Deadlift off blocks (4" I think)
225x3
315x3
465x3 loose belt
535x1
605xmiss a couple inches off the blocks
565x1 think this might be a PR sadly

Shrug Machine
315x10x4sets paused reps

Lat Pulldowns wide neutral-grip
150x10x4sets paused reps

Well I learned that doubled green bands are really fucking heavy at the top, lol. I had no idea what they are, I just thought that since the bar was lower than a regular bar, it would be a good idea. I know that 335 plus the bands felt like quite abit more at the top than the 635 I did last week. Glenn told me later they add about 450-500lbs. I'm not sure it is that much, but felt like over 700lbs. on those sets anyways. Deadlift was ok. I wanted to get 605 off the blocks, but I only managed to get it up a couple inches. I think the most I have done on these before might be 545 though. If so, I guess the 565 wasn't too bad, but I don't remember for sure.

[NickAus]

DOUBLED green bands...........nice!!

[Brian Hopper]

Thats some sick tension April, nice work!!!

[GazzyG]

Very strong training, April! How much did the bands add at the top?

[April Mathis]

Thanks. Gazzy- I don't know. One of my training partners (Glenn) said it is the equivalent of about 450-500lbs. at the top. I'm not sure if it is that much, but it was heavy nonetheless.

04/30/2012 Shoulders/Triceps/Biceps

Modified Triceps Presses
barxsome
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
135x15

Shoulder Press on smith machine
135x8x4sets

Reverse PecDec
75x10x3sets each side

Band Triceps Pushdowns
Blue bandx15x4sets

DB Concentration Curls (short rest up to 75 reps)
30x10,10,10,10,10,9,8,8 each arm

Rear Delts with mini band
3sets of 20

Shoulder is getting much better. About halfway through I got under the squat bar a few times and hurts very little (where it's just barely noticeable) to hold the bar now, so it is almost healed enough to squat with it. I will probably wait about 2 more weeks to do so, however, so I don't reinjure it. This is also the first time I have done any shoulder pressing on a bar (yes it was smith machine but similar positioning to a barbell) and it felt good to about chin height, so I stayed no lower than that even though the weight was light.

[Brian Hopper]

Glad to see the shoulder is feeling better.

[April Mathis]

05/03/2012 Bench

Floor Press w/Fat Bar
barxsome
150x5
200x3
240x3
290x3
330x3
380x2
Add reverse green bands
420x3
460x1
490x1 cheated (my butt was off the floor to finish it)

PecDec
60x50x2sets

Bench with the barx50x2sets and some shoulder stretching

Good bench day. I have avoided floor pressing for years, because it always hurt my shoulder a lot to do them even with light weight, but today I tried it with Glenn and it was ok with the fat bar. I warmed up in smaller jumps to make sure. I guess everything from 330 up would pretty much be a pr, but it's not really comparable to that long ago.