Back to the Beginning--A New Journal - Page 2

**maverick** · 10-Mar-06, 08:41 AM

Nice rows man.

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Speedfreak · 10-Mar-06, 10:27 AM

What is your grip spacing like on your narrow grip benchpress? Hands touching, 1" apart, 6" apart, 12" apart?

**rangers97** · 10-Mar-06, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverick

Nice rows man.

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Thanks! MY short term goal has always been a 225 overhand row for sets of 6, so I should hit that within a couple of weeks, so I am pretty excited bout that

**rangers97** · 10-Mar-06, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedfreak

What is your grip spacing like on your narrow grip benchpress? Hands touching, 1" apart, 6" apart, 12" apart?

I would say it winds up being thumbs about 12"-15" apart. Can't go any closer even if I would like to since it tears up my wrists if I go any closer...

**rangers97** · 10-Mar-06, 05:19 PM

March 10 -- Chest/Abs

15 Degree Decline Bench Press
275 x 5
275 x 5
275 x 5

35 Degree Incline Bench Press
230 x 4
230 x 5

Dips
BW+90 x 6
BW+90 x 6

And there it is...7 total sets for chest...short and sweet, let's see if it brings good results

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Decline crunches with weight behind head
BW+25 x 8
BW+25 x 8
BW+25 x 8

**rangers97** · 13-Mar-06, 05:22 PM

March 13 -- Lower Back/biceps

Deadlifts-double overhand grip
315 x 5
315 x 4
I watched Firehawks 315 x 10 deadlift video today for inspiration and after doing these I marvel at that accomplishment as these took every last bit of will power to get up

EZ Bar Curls
130 x 6
130 x 5
Welch was getting up there in the curling department, I couldn't let him get past me! lol

EZ Bar Preacher Curls
110 x 6
110 x 5

Hammer Curls
55 x 6

Got increases on everything, I am really enjoying going back to my max-ot style workouts...they are shorter, plus I get to lift heavy all the time, and I am finding I am not worn out after the workout, which is really important, since I had been getting wiped after my longer workouts lately...

**.V.** · 13-Mar-06, 06:09 PM

Nice work there rangers. 130 curls? Damn my arms ache just reading that.

PS, did I mention that I'm doing those 102's with a BB in each hand - you are too right???

Wouldn't someone actually doing that be a sight to see?

Damn those short, hard, heavy as you can go workouts are fun aren't they.

**rangers97** · 13-Mar-06, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a_welch503

Nice work there rangers. 130 curls? Damn my arms ache just reading that.

PS, did I mention that I'm doing those 102's with a BB in each hand - you are too right???

Wouldn't someone actually doing that be a sight to see?

Damn those short, hard, heavy as you can go workouts are fun aren't they.

What's so great about my 130 curls? You did 125 on your last workout did you not? 5 lousy pounds, no difference in my book...

And yes, these workouts are a lot more fun than the hour and a half marathons I was doing. only negative is that you gotta work out every day and it's hard to miss a day when you have other obligations...

**rangers97** · 14-Mar-06, 05:41 PM

March 14 -- Shoulders/Triceps

Behind the neck seated barbell press
155 x 5
155 x 5
155 x 5
Don't know what compelled me to do these behind the neck, but I wanted to give it a shot...felt strange...probably won't do it again, lol. I think I am now focusing more on my front delt imbalance and I thought doing them behind the neck might lessen the blow to the front delt...

Upright Rows
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 4

Bent over DB laterals
40 x 6
40 x 6
40 x 6

Close Grip Bench Press
250 x 6
250 x 6
250 x 5

Wasn't too into this workout as my 24 Season's 1-4 DVDs came in the mail today and I just am dying to watch them!!

**rangers97** · 15-Mar-06, 05:30 PM

March 15 -- Legs

OK $hitty ass leg workout today, my lower back is shot from the deadlifts on Monday and as I sit here typing after my 2 sets of squats, I am close to being "in pain". Not good at all. So I stopped at 2 sets of squats. Will try the lunges, if there is any discomfort I will abort that as well, and go on to the leg curls.

From now on, I need to decided whether I want squats or deadlifts in my routine. Obviously, both don't work for ME. Right now I've gotta go with squats, since they are lagging.

Squats
275 x 6
275 x 5
Managed to still go up a rep each set, but missed the 3rd due to back pain. No more deadlifts on mondays for me for a while! Sucks, but oh well

Barbell Lunges
140 x 6
140 x 6
got through these ok I guess, back is really killing me now...good news is that it feels like it is the back muscles that are hurting, not anything else, I think they are just overworked and tired. Gonna skip deadlifts on monday, we'll see if I can do my bent rows tomorrow, if not I will go to T-Bar rows.

Hamstring Curls
110 x 6
110 x 6
110 x 6
boy do I miss those ham curl machines from the gym, my bench is awful. makes 110 feel like 210 at the gym....

overall, very disappointed by this workout, hopefully next week with the exclusion of deadlifts, I will have a kick ass leg workout to redeem the one from today,,,

tim_mcf · 15-Mar-06, 07:13 PM

Didn't you used to go heavy on deads / light on squats one week & the other way around the next week? If not, that's something to try...

**rangers97** · 15-Mar-06, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim_mcf

Didn't you used to go heavy on deads / light on squats one week & the other way around the next week? If not, that's something to try...

Very observant! Yes I did do that when I was using Firehawk's powerlifting routine. Now, I am using a Max-OT type split and after reading some of the other journals of fellow members who were doing squats and deads max-ot style in the same week (Welch and Todd specifically), I figured I could make it work for me too.

Unfortunately, either I am just not built to do them both heavy in the same week, or my split is bad right now, which is possible since I am only giving one day in between deads and squats. I like the way the split is set up, so I am hesistant to change. Also since I work out at home now, I don't have access to a leg press or hack squat machine, where I could do something like deadlifts + leg press and still get a great leg workout, plus the deadlift benefits.

The other thing I could try is to drop the conventional deads and do squats and SLDLs on leg day. Right now I dropped the SLDLs to accomodate the CDLs, but I might be better served by using the SLDL on the same day as squats and giving myself 7 days to recover low back.

I really want to focus on squatting right now, so I think I will just drop the deads for now.

Thanks for stopping by

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**rangers97** · 15-Mar-06, 10:13 PM

RE: Behind the neck presses--

definitely will NEVER do these again. Shoulders feel fine, but I have horrible DOMS in my middle and lower traps I guess and my neck was bothering me the entire day. I just could not get comfortable all day at work, and there was nothing I could do to stop it short of laying down, which obviously doesn't really work at work, lol.

I can see why people might want to do these as they definitely hit muscles not hit by other movements, but in my case, this day after pain is totally not worth any benefits of stimulating deep trap muscles, lol...I can stick to shrugs for that

**.V.** · 15-Mar-06, 10:18 PM

Where do your days off come into your split. Don't forget with the kind of training you are doing now - you MUST take two days off a week. Why not schedule it so that they come between your DL and Squat days? You only have one day between them - that's pretty harsh on the body. I LOVE IT when I have a full day of no lifting at all before my leg day. This time my full day off happened before back day, tomorrow is chest/abs, then leg day - it's gonna suck too...when legs come after a day or two off - it doesn't suck nearly as bad.

And about the behind the neck presses - yeah, keep them in front so if you get in a bind you can toss the bar. Those things get heavy and can really catch you by suprise sometimes.

Oh, and in case you didn't notice the 120's in each hand thing a few days ago...that was a joke. Why are your 130's impressive? Because I can't do them.

**rangers97** · 15-Mar-06, 10:25 PM

When I do the 5 day max-ot thing, I usually take the weekends off. It is easier for me to get into a routine during the week as far as my meals go, and when I get home from work to train. The weekdays are usually 95% constant, unless I have something to do, but that might happen only one day every couple of weeks maybe. My weekends are all screwed up between sleeping late, eating differently, staying out late and possibly drinking on friday and saturday nights, family obligations, etc. so it's better for me to just not have to lift on a weekend.

As far as the split goes, I don't have a problem doing legs the day after another body part at all, I am just pretty sure my lower back just can't handle them both in the same week. I am thinking that I will just substitute SLDL for the CDLs and do them both on leg day and take the full 7 days to rest. I have to remember this isn't a pure "strength" routine, so it won't be too bad to leave out deadlifts. One or the other I always say, and right now I am choosing squats. I want to work up to 315 squats for reps, and I think I can get there, just gotta take care of the back

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