PL/BB Journal

[FearFactory]

2/12/12

Military - 3's - 175 input
120 x 3
135 x 3
150 x 3
165 x 1
180 x 1, woo hoo. Was fairly easy.

Pendlays off pins
215 x 10
195 x 10
175 x 10

DB Bench Press
110's x 10 (pr)
90's x 10
70's x 10

Next time would be 115's, which I have never even held before other than a DB row, so I am pretty excited. Also, zero left shoulder pain.

Neutral Chins
BW around 232
+30 lbs x 10 (possibly a PR, I dont feel like looking)
BW x 10
BW x 10

Close Grip Bench
225 x 10 (PR)
185 x 10
155 x 10

Really good bounce back workout today. My pressing is going up like crazy. Hmmm, I wonder why..probably because I am benching every upper body workout. My squat is going down, probably because I am squatting every 9 days. So I am going to pair my squats with deadlifts (5/3/1 for both) and the next leg day, I am going to do something similar to my close grip bench days. I am going to do a 10RM and do back down sets.

[Coke]

Good deal on stepping up the pace with your squats. Session is nice overall guy.

[FearFactory]

Ok so today I got prescribed xanax. I guess it's true, I am nucking futs.

[FearFactory]

2/15/12

Squat - 3's - 395 input
275 x 3
315 x 3
355 x 3

Deads - 3's - 520 input
315 x 3
425 x 3
465 x 3 (pr) Pretty easy, even after heavy squats. I still need to work on sitting back more, but it is very difficult with my very long femurs. I end up squatting the weight up instead of pulling if I try to sit back too much, but if I don't sit back enough, I end up falling forward which is what happened on my 2nd rep.

DB Incline Curls
40's x 14

Leg Press Calf
4 plates ps x 15 + 8 + 6

Hammer Curls
60's x 16, each arm

Decline Abs
Steepest Setting, weight behind neck like a squat.
+25 lbs x 5, then immediately to BW x 5
+25 lbs x 4, bw x 6
+25 lbs x 3, bw x 5 (failure)

New strategy with abs is to absolutely obliterate them with heavy weight and going to failure.

Squats (volume/repetition)
Trying something new here, started very light and it was still challenging which pretty much sums up the state of my ability to squat right now
135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10

I never have felt like I knew what I was doing on the squat in my 4+ years training, so I am going to try just slamming volume to hopefully get comfortable with the squat.

[LuNa]

Good work man. Its good that you put so much effort in working on form.

[FearFactory]

Good work man. Its good that you put so much effort in working on form.

Thanks, when you're weak as hell you gotta perfect your form .

[FearFactory]

Please chime in with advice...setting up a new leg workout to hopefully improve my squat. Do not care about size at the moment, just how much weight I can squat.

Lower A
Squat 5/3/1
Deadlift 5/3/1
Biceps/abs/calves
Squat 5x10 sets across (light weight)



Lower B
????? (Squats x 10RM or GMs 10RM)
If squats, then prob an easy ham movement like lying leg curls. if GMs, then probably lunges or something.
Abs/Calves/Biceps
Squats 5x10, sets across (light weight)

[FearFactory]

Something else I never tried is box squatting. Pause squatting could be an option as well, I am weak out of the hole and strong once I get going.

[LuNa]

Something else I never tried is box squatting. Pause squatting could be an option as well, I am weak out of the hole and strong once I get going.

*cough* Dynamic effort *cough* Westside *cough*

[FearFactory]

*cough* Dynamic effort *cough* Westside *cough*

Im not allowed to change routines for a year, just tweaks . Part of my new years resolution. I like this routine, I just want to make it work for squatting.

[chevelle2291]

just do madcow 5x5 and call it a day.

I dont think box squattings gonna help. other than thomas, i've never seen a raw pler who devotes a lot of time to box squats

[FearFactory]

just do madcow 5x5 and call it a day.

I dont think box squattings gonna help. other than thomas, i've never seen a raw pler who devotes a lot of time to box squats

Every other lift is way up, not switching routines. Just gonna squat for an 8RM on the lower B.

[LuNa]

just do madcow 5x5 and call it a day.

I dont think box squattings gonna help. other than thomas, i've never seen a raw pler who devotes a lot of time to box squats

O rly?

I think most, if not all, of the raw lifters using a Westside template use box squats, myself included. Now ofcourse, i have no clue how many raw lifters actually use Westside. Might just be Thomas and myself .

[LuNa]

Every other lift is way up, not switching routines. Just gonna squat for an 8RM on the lower B.

You could always do different variations (paused, box, regular) like that. That way you could figure out which will help and put more focus on them.

[chevelle2291]

O rly?

I think most, if not all, of the raw lifters using a Westside template use box squats, myself included. Now ofcourse, i have no clue how many raw lifters actually use Westside. Might just be Thomas and myself .

From the *very* little that i've read on wsb for raw pling, i was under the impression that the box wasnt utilized very much b/c you dont sit back that much going raw vs gear. Thomas can probably shed light on this. i know he likes the box. heh

[LuNa]

From the *very* little that i've read on wsb for raw pling, i was under the impression that the box wasnt utilized very much b/c you dont sit back that much going raw vs gear. Thomas can probably shed light on this. i know he likes the box. heh

There is actually a lot written about the topic which can be found on the Westside website. I am currently doing box squats only so when i retest i will know.

I think its important to just give it a go and see if your total goes up at a meet/retest.

[Time+Patience]

I like the idea of Good Mornings and the lunges afterwards. You will continue to get your Squats at the end with the 5x10's.

GM's need time to work with and get comfortable with. I'm talking months if you haven't done then for a while. They work the posterior so well.

Do you have access to a Reverse Hyper? If so, do you use it often?

[joey54]

Mike just read my journal and copy what I do for lower body.

[FearFactory]

There is actually a lot written about the topic which can be found on the Westside website. I am currently doing box squats only so when i retest i will know.

I think its important to just give it a go and see if your total goes up at a meet/retest.

I know Mason likes the box squat and says it carries over to both raw/suited.

I like the idea of Good Mornings and the lunges afterwards. You will continue to get your Squats at the end with the 5x10's.

GM's need time to work with and get comfortable with. I'm talking months if you haven't done then for a while. They work the posterior so well.

Do you have access to a Reverse Hyper? If so, do you use it often?

No reverse hyper. The only issue with GMs is it seems I am not recovered enough for the next pull day.

Mike just read my journal and copy what I do for lower body.

I'll check it out.

[FearFactory]

Looks like Joey does GMs along with his squats. I will give it a go.

So Heavy squats->Heavy deads Lower A.
Medium weight squats->light,medium GMs for lower B.

I gotta go easy on the GMs at the start for sure.

Also finally got my inzer knee sleeves. I hear they add 10-15 lbs if they are latched down so I am going to use them to try to overload my squat a bit.

[LuNa]

Looks like Joey does GMs along with his squats. I will give it a go.

So Heavy squats->Heavy deads Lower A.
Medium weight squats->light,medium GMs for lower B.

I gotta go easy on the GMs at the start for sure.

Also finally got my inzer knee sleeves. I hear they add 10-15 lbs if they are latched down so I am going to use them to try to overload my squat a bit.

Just wondering, but spreading the heavy squats/deads out is too much right?

[FearFactory]

Just wondering, but spreading the heavy squats/deads out is too much right?

Do you mean if I had med squats with heavy deads and heavy squats with gms?

I prefer to put both heavy on the same day to maximize my recovery, plus I have zero problem pulling heavy even after doing a 1RM on squat.

[chevelle2291]

Mike just read my journal and copy what I do for lower body.

THIIISSSSS.

[LuNa]

Do you mean if I had med squats with heavy deads and heavy squats with gms?

I prefer to put both heavy on the same day to maximize my recovery, plus I have zero problem pulling heavy even after doing a 1RM on squat.

Yeah thats what i meant.

[FearFactory]

Yeah thats what i meant.

Ya I tried that actually, was always under recovered because heavy weight was going on my back or being pulled every leg day.