The holy journal of the mighty lifter

[Bruise Brubaker]

HEY HEY!


I'm trading my old cursed routine for a holy westside-influenced one. I use the occasion to put my routine on the mighty WWB forums as I'm tired of using the doomed Windows notepad.


Let me introduce myself: my name is Thor and I am mighty.
By the way I'm from Québec (french), so English is a second language for me.

Stats:
AGE: 17 years young since the 24th of March.
BODYWEIGHT: ~185 pounds
BF: I don't care. If I contract my abs I can see the first two rows, but I seem to carry all my fat on my posterior chain.

Barbell Bench: 230*1
Cleans: 200*1
TrapBar Deadlift: 365*1
//GRIP Chins: me+70pounds*1

I've been lifting since november of 2001. I've been training once a week (at the very small school gym) from that day to the summer of 2002, I then took a week off, then trained 3.5 times a week for 3 months, then took 2 weeks off, then trained once a week for 4 weeks, then took 2 weeks off, and NOW training like a holy beast since the beginning of January (thrice every 6 days).


My main objective is powerful strenght, but I'll also slowly bulk for undetermined holy periods of time. I'm not thinking about competing, I do it to release mighty tension (healtier than killiing people) and because I love progressing (hitting new prs).

I'll post my holy routine soon.

[Bruise Brubaker]

The mighty division is:

DAY 1-I: ME BENCH DAY
DAY 2: REST
DAY 3-II: DE LEGS DAY
DAY 4: REST
DAY 5-III: DE BENCH DAY+BACK
DAY 6-IV: ME LEG DAY
DAY 7: REST

I'm not very strict about my holy routine. I do what I feel I should do. I don't care if I miss a day from time to time. Supplemental rest is rarely bad.

BTW I'm not going to post my diet as I don't count my calories. I eat healthy and the only supplement I am taking is a multi-vitamins once a day and 500mg of Vitamin C (cut in two doses). Both are from Kirkland's Signature.


MY HOLY ROUTINE SHALL ALWAYS BE REFERED AS "THE HOLY ROUTINE".

[rookiebldr]

What the hell

[Bruise Brubaker]

***************************************************
WEEK 1: DAY I Sunday the 13th
***************************************************

Flat Bench Press: making my way to 235*1 then I'll try 240*1.

235*1, then 240*1! Felt easy. When I succed my max effort lifts it always seems easy because I go through my sticking point very quickly.

What was different than usual:
I used a closer grip, about a finger-width closer.
I lifted in the afternoon instead of the evening.

I really think that using less of pecs while benching is really ideal for me. When doing speed bench recently I've felt that I was a little faster when using a closer grip than usual.

I recently read on elitefts.com how it's important to use more of the triceps when benching, it's safer for the shoulders. We often hear of shoulders and pecs injuries, but how often do we hear of triceps injuries?

Incline Dumbell Press: 3 sets.

65s*5,60s*5,55s*5

Lying dumbell tricep extension on a decline bench: 2 sets. Never done them before.

I really felt how unbalanced my triceps strenght is. What added to the difference is that my left shoulder is weaker, so when doing the incline db press my left arm probably used more triceps...

Front raises: 2 sets.

20s*6, 25s*5

It's an exercise I had'nt done for a long time.

DB bicep curl

35s*6,6,4
Only hit faillure on 3rd set. I do heavy back work on another day so I go light on biceps.

DB External rotation of the shoulder

15s*10, 20s*6


I'm eating tuna right now, straight out of the can. It's funny how everybody else think it's smell while I don't smell it anymore. I learned to appreciate the taste. I remember when eating my first can of tuna, the next day everything seemed to smell like tuna.

[Bruise Brubaker]

Lol, my first official spam

[MonStar]

Nice journal Magnus, impressive weights. Good luck.

[Ironman8]

Yes, very impressive. Good luck

[Bruise Brubaker]

Thanks for the comments.

[Bruise Brubaker]

When I'll acheive those goals, I'll concentrate on evening my arms/shoulders strenght.

Benching: 250 lbs.

What else? I don't think of anything else so that's all.

[Bruise Brubaker]

I also add that everytime I go the gym I do 20 reps of back extension followed by hamstring stretching.

[Bruise Brubaker]

By the way I do my bench with no arch, no pause, quick negative but no bouncing.

[Bruise Brubaker]

***************************************************
WEEK 1: DAY II Tuesday the 15th
***************************************************
short day

Powercleans: I do many singles, depends how I feel

135*3,145*2,155*1,165*1,185*1,205*1,215*1

Box Squat: The "box" (smith machine bench) might be too high but that's the only thing I can use...

225*3 for 4 sets

Hyperextension

+40lbs*25

Abs crunch (using a pulley machine for resistance)

80*8

I don't write my warm-ups. At the beginning of my workout there are always some hyperextension and some rotator cuff light work.
There is always some low volume stretching at the end of the day or between the sets.

[Bruise Brubaker]

***************************************************
WEEK 1: DAY III Thursday the 17th
***************************************************

DE BENCH + HOLY BACK

I don't isolate the traps, powercleans make them sore.

//GRIP chin-ups (weighted)

working my way to me+75lbs*1+1 toe assisted + 3 negatives


Speed Benching (done with 3 grips: "normal", closer, then what would be considered "close grip benching"): 8 sets

I'm going to use 155 lbs, which is 65% of my max. I use more than the recommended 55-60%, but I feel that I could send 135 lbs through the roof, which is too fast so I have to slow down at the top... I guess that 243 pounds might feel heavy to a 405 pounds bencher, while 144 pounds feels like nothing for a 240 pounds bencher.

155*3*8


Some tricep work, one arm at a time because I want to balance my arms

blah

DB Bicep curls: 2 set

40s*6,*4

Reverse flies (machine)

195*6

DB External rotation of the shoulder

15s*10

[Bruise Brubaker]

***************************************************
WEEK 1: DAY IIII (nyah) Saturday the 19th
***************************************************

It's my leg day but I should rather call it a posterior chain day.

Conventional Deadlift

It's the first time I go heavy with a normal bar deadlift (used to use a trap bar).

Made my way to a single with 335 pounds. It was easy and I think I'll quickly reach the big round 400 (or 405).

My grip seems to not be strong enough, I might start to use straps, and then work my grip. I want my personnal records to always stay strapless though.

Hyperextensions

Holding a 60 pounds dumbell: *25,*22

ABS

+80pounds(pulley)*7,then (?)

This is less than last time I did them but this time I had much more fatigue so this mean nothing.

[Bruise Brubaker]

Tomorrow the gym is closed

In fact I don't care. I'll rest in peace.

[Bruise Brubaker]

Ô Glorious Soreness
Will fill me with happyness
Intensity is the key to glory

Ô intensity
You are the ultimate key
What the hell am I doing

This is complete non-sense.

[Bruise Brubaker]

I've got my new avatar from a picture on http://www.deanandnigel.co.uk (someone talked about it on the general chat forum) that website is very funny.

[Bruise Brubaker]

***************************************************
------------------------------WEEK 2: DAY I --------------------------------***************************************************

Chest/Triceps/Biceps day (ME)

There's always a rotator cuff warming at the beginning of my work-outs. I also do a set of hyperextension (bodyweight*20) followed by 2 sets of hamstring stretching.

Flat dumbell press

35s*3,50s*3,60s*2,70s*1,75s*1,80s*1,85s*1 (last time I had done those I was weaker so I didn't know what weight to use)

and finaly 90s*0 (huh), 90s*2+1spotter (I was more focused and my grip was more natural-not straight like when holding a barbell but diagonal-... I might not have gone as low as usual on the second rep (and third) but my chest comes in the way of the dumbell plates. I guess that those who use very heavy dumbells (like the 120s) they have to use a paralel grip?

I'm looking forward benching the 140s!!! My gym dumbells go from 100 to 120, then to 140 (actually I think I could add a 2.5 pounds to all my dumbell weights as it's the weight of the dumbell bar). If I could get the 140s by the end of the year I'd be very impressed by my progress. I do not particularly want it.

Lying dumbell tricep extension

25s*4

I actualy feel a slight pain in my shoulders and elbows when doing tricep isolation, one arm at a time... It's the only exercise causing that. I'll drop em!!!

Dumbell decline bench

I've decided that from now I'd bench instead of doing tricep work like the normal westside routine asks for. DB Decline Benching has always given me sore triceps.

65s*7,7,7,7

Pec flies (machine)

200lbs*5
I give me 3 months to max that machine. I hate machines and I show them my power by maxing them (which I rarely do, but I went to a different gym once and I could do many reps with the max weight on the pullover machine. I should have brang my crowbar).

DB Bicep curl

35s*6/6 (alternating the reps between each arm)

I see on http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...enchPress.html that the biceps are "dynamic stabilizers" when doing decline bench. I dunno what that mean but I always felt my biceps working a little when decline benching. Plus the biceps work a little on the pec flies, as I use them so my elbow is flexed, thereforce not receiving all the tension. Something I use my biceps a little more at the end of the rom on pec flies, and it's a weaker point and I wanted to reach a higher degree of faillure.

DB External Rotations

many light sets (while waiting between db flat bench maxing), 20s*7.

[Bruise Brubaker]

I decided that I begin a grip experiment, which consist of training the grip very often with not much volume, mainly doing static holds. My grip is too weak.

[Bruise Brubaker]

I want to experiment many different things on me, like when I'll bulk I'll try a high volume (well I'm used to a low volume, sometime close to HIT, so for me a high volume isn't that high) to see my limits.

I think that finding what is best for me soon in my lifting career will help me in a far future.

[Bruise Brubaker]

***************************************************
-----------------------WEEK 2: DAY II -------------------------***************************************************


|Leg Press|

I only write the number of 45 lbs plates I've used in total.

I hate loading it. It's a workout by itself.

Heaviest sets: 16p*12,18p*5

The rom isn't as great as the others on the heaviest sets but

|Calves raise| On hack squat machine

Heaviest sets cuz I don't remember the the others: 6p+2*25*6

Some |static holds| up to 355 for like 2 seconds. My grips weaken very fast, it seems I could hold a lot on the first set but my strenght quickly disappear. With a trap bar I could deadlift 365 with it and hold it for a few seconds at the top. I guess that it's easier because the lats can actually help holding the weight by trying to bring my hands to my side.

I know that chalk would probably help me a lot, as the bar tends to mainly slip from my hands. But what I'm interested in is useful grip strenght, and I don't think chalk would make me progress faster, it would only help me put more poundage on the bar.


LONG LIVE TO CALLUSES!!!!!

[Bruise Brubaker]

***************************************************
-------------------------WEEK 2: DAY III -------------------------***************************************************

DE Bench, Back

|Speed benching

135*3
155*3*9 (3 different grips, from "normal" to close grip)
200*1 twice, close grip - The reps weren't as fast as needed, so I won't often do that kind of sets-

|Parallel grips CHIN-UPS|

Many warm-ups with ~15 pounds increments, usually I begin with bodyweight * 3, then +15 pounds * 2, then singles.

I did 75*1½ -I failled around the middle range of the second rep, the bottom is much easier for me- + 6 negatives, about 4 seconds each (counted in my head).

My objective is to reach +75lbs for 8 reps. I have no idea how much time it will take, probably a lot. I want to at least do 2½ reps within 3 "back training".

I've been going heavy for my chins for many weeks, so I want to increase the reps for some time before going heavy again.

|Dips| Staying as upright as possible to mainly hit the triceps
+45lbs*5,5,5

|Wrist extension|

30lbs*10,40lbs*4½,30lbs*8

[GhettoSmurf]

great job with the chin-ups! keep up the good work.

[Bruise Brubaker]

Thank you GhettoSmurf.

[Bruise Brubaker]

***************************************************
------------------------WEEK 2: DAY IIII ------------------------***************************************************

|DEADLIFT|

The carry over between trap bar deadlift and conventional deadlift seems to be very good. This is my second time doing heavy conventional deadlift. I was already prepared though by doing powercleans. I used a mixed grip for my sets over 300.

135*3,185*2,225*1,275*1
315*1,335,\\\365*1///

|DB Shrugs|

They are also for my grips

60s*6,80s*6 (rarely done them before, so I had to find the right weight),100s*6,140s*3

|Calves raise| Hack squat machine

360 (4 plates per side) *6, quickly followed by 270*6.
270*6 again

|Hyperextensions|

Many sets. I tried to find a way to continue to do them weighted, because holding a 60 pounds DB with my hands was too hard.

So I took an EZ-Bar and found out a way to put it on the bottom of my neck after being set up on the hyperextension thing. The EZ-Bar weights something between 15 and 20 pounds, I decided to consider it as 15 pounds.

bw+75*5
bw+65*9

It's also harder than when I was using a DB because the weight is further.

By the way I do my hyperextensions with a rounded back (the erector spinae extends as I get up).

|DB Shoulder external rotations|

Many warm-ups sets, 20s*10,20s*8

I'll be soon able to do a lot of reps with 20 pounds db, and I'm not sure if I should ever use the 25 pounds DB.