Vincent Dizenzo Training Log

[Coke]

Love reading your log, Vin. Not only do I get a kick out of seeing the big numbers, but I like the insight into your mind.

Totally agree, you be laying it out there dude...great log.

[vdizenzo]

Love reading your log, Vin. Not only do I get a kick out of seeing the big numbers, but I like the insight into your mind.

Totally agree, you be laying it out there dude...great log.

Thanks guys, I'm grateful for the feedback. I'm just glad to know my log has some meaning for people.

[vdizenzo]

Friday ME Bench
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Warmup
Bench w/10 chains 410/460/470x1
Dead bench 405/450/490x1
Fat bar jm's 165 4x15
Thumbs up v lat raises 20 3x15

Iced pecs/shoulders

Did not even remember what my pr was for this training cycle. I had bad foot placement on the 460, but it still went well. It was heavy, but I thought I had another in me. I originally told Rhodes 465, but he said 470. Anyway, when it was my turn I told Rhodes to just put on whatever he wanted. I honestly had not idea, it could have been 440 for all I knew. I just got on the bench and hit it. Turned out to be the 470. I was psyched.

Looked back at my notes and saw I hit 460 about a month ago. The difference was I missed it on the first try and had to come back to get it that then. First time was a charm this week and then came the pr. Yeah buddy!

[vdizenzo]

Saturday 6/16/12 - Squats

Warmup
Crunches 3x15
Seated band gm's 3x10
SSB squats 220/270/325x5, 165 5x10
Dbl conc curls 25 3x10

I'm doing nothing but deload numbers for squats until my meet. My hip is still a little tender. However, I did notice improvements when I kept my back tighter, looked down as opposed to up, got my feet out wider, and sat down a little more instead of trying to sit back so far.

[vdizenzo]

Sunday

Foam roll upper and lower
Treadmill, 20 minutes interval

[vdizenzo]

Monday - 6/18/12

Extended warmup, including band work, stretching, and foam rolling
DE bench 315 + 4 chains 8x3 alt 3 grips
Floor press 410 3x5
Band assisted pullups 3x10

Iced shoulders 20 minutes x2

I was not looking forward to this session. Waving my speed work has become increasingly difficult. So much so that I have dropped training back down to 3 days a week. I had some great conversations in a pl thread here on WBB about my speed work and I also texted back and forth during the day with Brian Holloway, one of our brilliant training partners. We came up with extending the rest interval between sets so I could get the most out of this session. I really crushed the weight, but it beat me up bad.

Well boohoo for me, I still had my supplemental lift of close grip floor presses. Last time around I did 405 for 3x5 and I recall the last rep was a bit of a grinder. These are particularly nerve racking for me because I train alone and also because of my rack setup. I have to lift outside of the rack so there is no room for error. That said, of course I had to beat what I did last time around. So I threw 410 on the bar. The first two sets were both grinders. I wondered if the third set was really a good idea. I couldn't walk away so I just got myself mentally ready. I actually think I could have gotten 10 reps. It almost felt easy, but I was smart and racked it at 5. Pr's are pr's. No need to get greedy.

Finished up with pullups because I did away with my back and bicep day. I felt like dog crap afterwards. I iced two times and hit the rack early. Good times.

[vdizenzo]

Wednesday - 6-20-12

Treadmill, 20 minutes interval
foam roll upper and lower

Took Tuesday off completely. I have been taking one day off every week. I actually have to do less work being within a month from my meet. It's weird, now that I am a little lighter and in better condition I get bored. I want to be doing work.

[vdizenzo]

Thursday
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Treadmill, 20 minutes LISS
Foam roll upper and lower

[vdizenzo]

I had many errands to run yesterday and was all over the map. During my jaunt I can't believe how many fast food places I passed that I used to frequent. I also stopped into a grocery store to pick up carb control wraps. My how I have fallen. I used to bang out a couple of candy bars and bags of peanut m&m's at the chekcout counter. Now, nothing.

The shame of it all is that I'm not even lean. I'm just less fat. I think the allure of those days was the convenience of it all. It's not like that food tastes all that much better than a lot of the food I prepare at home. Quality food tastes really good, but it takes time to prepare.

All this said I am not nearly as tempted as I used to be. That and I am feeling as strong as ever. The only thing that ever wants me to go back is when people say "Wow, you got smaller!" My wife quickly implores them to say "Leaner." Yes, I am doing better, but I could be nudged back into the life pretty easily. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.

[Travis Bell]

Sure looks like the leanness has helped your training.

I normally lose some weight in the summer as well. I do a lot of conditioning workouts with my football players and work outside so it happens.

I might lose 10-15lbs but I don't notice much difference in my physique but I do notice I can train at a much better pace

[vdizenzo]

Sure looks like the leanness has helped your training.

I normally lose some weight in the summer as well. I do a lot of conditioning workouts with my football players and work outside so it happens.

I might lose 10-15lbs but I don't notice much difference in my physique but I do notice I can train at a much better pace

I'm curious to see how it translates in the shirt. I'd like to train around 270 and this way I have some wiggle room for meets. Another 12 lbs should make a good difference in my physique. For whatever reason I have been caring a little more about that lately.

[vdizenzo]

Friday ME Bench - Not my best performance
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Warmup upper and lower including foam rolling
Floor press 495 3x1, 525x1
Dead bench 405/455/495x1
Swiss bar tri ext 145 3x15
Dbl hang cleans 25 2x15

Man I was not feeling it this session. In retrospect I think I know what I did wrong. During my warmup sets I really did not squeeze the bar and push it hard. I figured I'd save myself for a pr, last time around I hit 550. The problem was once the weight got heavier it was sending a shocking sensation through both arms.

As a result of my performance or lack there of during warmups, I figured I'd just go 90% for 3 singles. Each rep felt better than the last. So I decided to take a fourth with 525, that went great as well. I wanted to go again, but the crew told me to shut it down.

After floor presses it was on to Josh Bryant's Death Benches. Death Benches sounds more awful than Dead Benches and these are terrible. However, this week's was my best performance. The 495 went better than the 455.

Lesson learned, treat the light weight like it's heavy. That is such an old rule. I guess sometimes I have to be reminded of things the hard way.

[vdizenzo]

Saturday-squat
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Warmup
SS McGill situps 3x15 w/ssb seated gm's 3x15
SSB squat 220/270/325x5 165 5x5
Band curls 5x20

Still deloading leg stuff. I'll be changing this day around after my meet for when I get back in the shirt. I'd like to get a couple of months of hard work in on my core. Right now I have to stay the course.

[vdizenzo]

DE bench or was it ME
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No warm up
DE bench 3 grips Worked up to 315 3x3, 315+4 chains 3x3, 315+4 chains and dbld mini bands 3x3
Band pullaparts x100
Band pushdowns x100

I did manual labor all day. Something my body is not used to. I'm getting my bathroom remodeled and I helped out with the demo work. It sucked. I'm grateful for my college ecuation. I'm equally grateful for the hard working blue collar out there who keep this world running.

Anyway, I figured I was warm from all my work. I was in no mood to train. This was to be my heaviest week of DE work. The 315 w/chains and bands was heavy. However, it was no higher than an RPE of 7. I'm just not used to pushing that heavy on Mondays.

With the exception of a couple sets of 540 bench on Friday, my heavy work is all done. I look forward to a bunch of fluff after that. I'll stick mostly with bodyweight, blast strap, and cable work. Through my trial and error I believe I know how to best peak for a raw bench meet now. Time will tell.

[vdizenzo]

An update for anyone who gives a
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I'm sitting around on my big butt doing nothing. Getting some work done at the house and I'm torn between being around for whatever reason and getting out before I lose my friggin mind.

My body feels good because I have been eating really well and sleeping a good 7+ hours a night. As a result I have not been foam rolling or getting on the treadmill. I figure it's not necessary if I don't feel like I need it.

I have been paring my work down to be very sport specific which of course for me is benching. I almost feel guilty doing so little, but I did a lot to get to this point. I'm taking 540 for a couple of singles tomorrow. That should feel good.

[vdizenzo]

Friday ME Bench - 6/29/12
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Warmup
Bench barx20, 95x5, 135/185/225x3, 275/315/365x1, put on wrist wraps 405x1, added belt 455/495x1, added press calls 540 3x1
Dead bench 455,500x1
Tate presses 70 2x12, 1x15
Face pulls 50 2x15, 1x20

First off I want to thank Rhodes and Drew for joining me. Rhodes has his meet tomorrow and Drew is starting vacation. I really wanted to train on the bench I will be competing on in a few weeks. It was a drive for all of us, so I'm really grateful for their time. We trained at Iron Horse Gym in New Hartford, CT and I was impressed. Super clean place with great equipment. It's definitely a nice option when our regular place is not available.

On to the important stuff. I am planning on opening 540 so I wanted to warm up like I will at the meet. Damn, it felt like the bar wanted to jump out of my hands. I can't ever remember mid 5's feeling so light. Each rep actually got better as I went. I did my dead bench afterwards along with my assistance, all of which felt good.

All of my heavy a$$ training has paid off. I feel supremely confident. I actually went to the movies to go celebrate. I went to see Ted. It was really funny. I even had popcorn and reeses pieces and that was the extent of this week's cheat meal.

Now I just have to dial in the next two weeks.

[Tim K]

Smart and heavy work Vinny. Very nice!

[vdizenzo]

Smart and heavy work Vinny. Very nice!

Thx, doing my best to hold it together.

[vdizenzo]

Sunday Squat

SS SSB gm's w/crunches 3x15
SSB squats 155/205/245/295/335x5
Dbl hammer concentraion curls 20 5x15

Staying the course. Just training light until the meet. It was difficult considering I had gone to see the Joes v Pros DL contest at Poundstone's Performance Center the day before. Great event by the way. They did 405 for reps w/straps. So of course all I wanted to do the next day was see how many reps I could get with 405. Rhodes and Brian will be happy to know I did not undo myself.

[vdizenzo]

Monday - DE Bench

Band and dynamic warmup
DE bench 3 grips 275 6x3
Fat bar D rows 100 3x15
Fat bar pushdowns 50 3x15

Holy sheep crap, training early in the am is awful. I was going away for a few days with Jess and my folks, but I had to get my DE bench in. So, I decided to get up early before we left. I ended up in the basement training at 5:30. Now I'm getting up there in age and my body hardly wants to move let alone lift at that time.

I am less than two weeks out so I did not push the DE work like I have been. Just enough weight to feel it. Did a little assistance and we were off for a short vaca.

[Travis Bell]

haha 5:30 would suck. That's early for training no matter how old you are.

Really looking forward to seeing how your meet turns out man.

[joey54]

I did 5 am for awhile. Not bad once you get used to it, but no way would I want to do that right now. Enjoy the time away.

[vdizenzo]

Thx guys. Just killing time now. I know I am close because I am bored silly. I already wrote my next shirted training cycle. Looking forward to it.

Meanwhile I get to manhandle 495 tonight. I don't ever remember feeling this strong and confident.

[mastermonster]

Looks like you've had a great plan and stuck to it well. Good looking stuff! Good luck at the meet Vin!

[vdizenzo]

Looks like you've had a great plan and stuck to it well. Good looking stuff! Good luck at the meet Vin!

Thx, yeah the plan has been solid and so have the small adjustments I have made along the way. Good times.