Back to the Beginning--A New Journal

[rangers97]

The powerlifting journal is done. It was a fun ride, I managed to get up to a 335 pound bench press and a 395 pound deadlift. I don't want to do that anymore, I don't like doing endless sets of endless reps, but I wanted to do something other than ridiculously heavy one rep max attempts. I thought about shock training, tried a few workouts, hey, it's not for me. I tried a couple of volume, high rep workouts, with 10, 12, even 15 rep sets...wasn't for me. So I thought back to some of the workouts that gave me my best results, and it always came back to heavy, 4-6 rep sets ala Max-OT. Now I don't like following their guidelines, so I just do it my own way. I need to get back to doing those 6-9 sets per bodypart and just blasting my muscles in each set, and then be done. My workouts were approaching 1 and a half hours at a pop, and that was too long. The shock training workouts just burned me out without the results. I was just physically spent from them, and I felt I had nothing muscular wise to show for it. I would much rather hit 2 or 3 4-6 rep sets, not be physically exhausted, and get on with it. so that's what I'm going to do.

The Split

Monday--Low back/traps/biceps
Tuesday--Shoulders/Triceps
Wednesday--Quads/Hams/Calves
Thursday--Upper back
Friday--Chest/Abs

The Why

Inevitably someone will tell me 5 days in a row is a bad idea. Well, my thinking is that, since the volume on each individual day won't be so bad, my system as a whole won't be shot and I will be able to do this. Plus, it allows me to keep a better nutrition schedule, since I had a different plan on workout days vs non workout days anyway, so this makes it easier, the 5 days during the week will be one plan, and the weekends always get screwed up natrually anyway, so I won't have to juggle a workout around a different scheme on the weekends, so I like that too.
I think I will also be a lot more motivated each day since the workouts should be quite short, so it should be easier to be super motivated each day.

And there you have it.

[rangers97]

March 6--low back/biceps/traps

Deadlifts
275 x 6
300 x 6
Just easing myself back into the world of deadlifts for reps. These were I guess you would call them "touch and go"? I set the weight on the floor after each rep just to reposition grip and such, but no longer than a second or 2 between reps.

EZ-Bar Curls
120 x 6
125 x 5
Solid, especially after the bombardment my arms have taken the past couple of weeks from my shock training experiments. Not so much pump as with the shock training, but satisfying nonetheless.

EZ-Bar Preacher Curls
110 x 5
110 x 5
These are really tough. I haven't done a preacher curl in at least 6 years, they were fun though, I forgot the feeling, lol. I am alternating grips with these....the standing curls will be with the wider grip on the EZ Bar, and these will be on the close grip curves of the EZ Bar

DB Hammer Curls
50 x 6
Usually use more on these, but after the other 2 movements, my arms were shot. Used very slow and deliberate movements on these, since I wanted to make my one set count :

BB Shrugs
275 x 6
275 x 6
Low back was shot from the deadlifts, so I couldn't go for more on these.

well, a lot different workout than what I had been doing...short and to the point.

[sunmedicFL]

Sounds like a well thought out if unconventional plan.

Is this intended to have a more "bodybuilding" result?

[rangers97]

Originally Posted by sunmedicFL

Sounds like a well thought out if unconventional plan.

Is this intended to have a more "bodybuilding" result?

Well, I think the goal is a bodybuilding result, with a substantial level of strength to go along with it. I just have a liking for the 4-6 rep range I guess, and when I look back at my training over the past few years, I think I made my best progress on a max-ot, 4-6 rep set routine.

[maverick]

Good luck with the new workout. I went 5 days a week Max-OT style for about 5 months. Don't worry about it. It looks like the split you have should give you enough time to rest your muscles. As usual, stay aware of any signs of overtraining and you'll be OK. If it makes you feel better, I think Todd also goes 5 days a week with Max-OT.

Originally Posted by rangers97

The shock training workouts just burned me out without the results. I was just physically spent from them, and I felt I had nothing muscular wise to show for it.

Uhhh... You didn't really give it a shot though did you? Doing a few workouts for 2 weeks (not even that much according to your journal) isn't any kind of measure of a workouts effectiveness. You can say you didn't like it, it was too hard, too draining, too long, too much, but I don't think you can fairly make any kind of assesment about its effectiveness after such a short period of time.

[rangers97]

Originally Posted by maverick

Good luck with the new workout. I went 5 days a week Max-OT style for about 5 months. Don't worry about it. It looks like the split you have should give you enough time to rest your muscles. As usual, stay aware of any signs of overtraining and you'll be OK. If it makes you feel better, I think Todd also goes 5 days a week with Max-OT.



Uhhh... You didn't really give it a shot though did you? Doing a few workouts for 2 weeks (not even that much according to your journal) isn't any kind of measure of a workouts effectiveness. You can say you didn't like it, it was too hard, too draining, too long, too much, but I don't think you can fairly make any kind of assesment about its effectiveness after such a short period of time.

I tried it for a couple of weeks, I didn't list everything in the journal, I was being lazy for a while there, , but I am not "putting down" the shock workouts, I am just stating how I felt after doing them. You know you are the living proof that you CAN get good results from it, I just concluded that they weren't for me....Deep inside I guess I am too much of a "numbers" guy, the numbers are important to me, and with the numbers will come the size and the looks (hopefully )

[rangers97]

March 7--Shoulders/Triceps

Seated Overhead Barbell Press
185 x 6
185 x 5
185 x 4

Upright Rows
130 x 6
130 x 5
130 x 6

Barbell Power Cleans
135 x 6
135 x 6
Form probably sucked, but I made them my own, lol

Close Grip Bench Press
250 x 5
250 x 5

Overhead Tricep Extension (with tricep bar)
75 x 6
75 x 6
taking it VERY slowly with my elbows...right elbow hurts a bit right now, left is fine...if the pain lasts longer than 2 days, that will be my notice to not do these anymore...if it feels better tomorrow, I might plow ahead--cautiously...

[.V.]

It looks like a good plan to me. Five days a week is great...I prefer one body part each day - that way it has a whole week to recover. But, as long as each muscle group has that week off between repeats, it should work well.

Looking forward to watching your gains. The cool thing about the max ot style workout is if you get bored, you can simply change lifts, mix up the order, whatever...keep the volume down there in the "get strong and grow" range and it's fresh and interesting all the time (a good thing for you since you like changes). My favorite thing about it is hitting the gym with a fresh goal each time. Either to repeat the last workout with better quality, get one more rep each set, or to increase the weight.

Have fun, and best wishes for great results.

BTW, what the heck is a tricep bar?

[rangers97]

http://store1.yimg.com/I/bigfit_1884_14259477
This is a tricep bar. I use it for overhead tricep extensions, although, my elbow is on fire right now, so I think this might have been the first and last day of doing these for now. I might go with 3 sets of close grips and maybe add a thrid set of dips on chest day, that should hit my triceps plenty....it ain't worth screwing up all my pressing movements for a lousy extension...

[.V.]

What about skullcrushers with a slightly wider grip? How are those on your elbows?

[rangers97]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

What about skullcrushers with a slightly wider grip? How are those on your elbows?

Same difference...I guess it's just one of those things... I am screwed, I just can't do them anymore. Pressdowns aggrivate my elbows as well. It's quite hysterical how I can dip my bodyweight +115 pounds, bench press 335 pounds and close grip over 250 pounds, yet when I pick up a 30 pound db and do an overhead extension, my elbow feels like it is going to break...:confused: :confused: :confused:

It's sad too because a few years ago I used to do overhead extensions with the 60 pound dbs with ONE hand for a good set of 8 reps...amazing what wear and tear can do to one's body....

[.V.]

Gotta do what you can then.

[rangers97]

March 8--Quads/Hams

Squats to parallel
275 x 5
275 x 4
275 x 4
ok, overestimated the weight on these a little bit....practically passed out getting that 4th rep on the last set....ahhhhh squats

Barbell Lunges
135 x 6
135 x 6
the definition of painful and awkward all rolled into one--much more difficult than db lunges...first set was a mess, but the second set was actually really good...good form and it felt a lot better than the first set. Quads are pretty much toast at this point....

Hamstring Curls
100 x 8
110 x 5
110 x 4
These were on a crappy home leg curl bench, you know the cheesy leg attachments that come with home benches. Didn't know what to expect so the weights are probably off a bit. I want to stay away from SLDLs for a while to spare my lower back for the deadlifts and squats and since my form on SLDLs always puts more stress on my low back than my hamstrings, it might be a good idea for now...

[rangers97]

March 9 -- Upper Back

Barbell Rows
215 x 6
215 x 6
220 x 6
these were done overhand grip and bent close to 90 degrees at the waist.

Lat Pulldowns
165 x 5
165 x 5
165 x 5
I hate these on my home machine. They are uncomfortable and awkward. I need to find a way to make a pullup station somewhere ASAP

LOw cable rows
110 x 8
120 x 6
120 x 6
once again--awkward and tough as hell. My machine is so unsmooth it is disgusting. I think I hurt my low back just trying to pull this into position...boy I miss the gym sometimes....

[.V.]

Unsmooth machine huh? Gotta watch those things. I'm having a long talk with the manufacturer of the Gold's gym XR-5 tomorrow - it's likely going to be an expensive conversation too -- for them.

For a pullup station, look at yard sales (garage sales for you northerners), flea markets, salvage stores, and other places like that for one of those old cheap weight sets with the 8lb steel bar (new bought steel is too expensive and will bend if it is the wrong grade). Find you a corner that is high enough where you will have enough room to work - and be far enough away from the walls for pullups. Get a couple of brackets from the hardware store with long, heavy screws - rated to hold enough weight. Use a stud finder to find the studs inside the wall and mount the bar in the brackets to the studs. There you have it, a pullup station.

Mine is low enough that my arms aren't even fully extended when I grip it with my feet on the floor. When I do pullups, I hold my legs out in front of me so I can extend my arms fully and get the full pullup.