Firehawk's Journal to Fitness - Fat Loss Phase 2 - Page 2

**Firehawk** · 06-Jan-05, 05:34 PM

That theory does seem to make sense. The pushups are really an endurance workout, of course given you can do more than 6-8 reps lol.

I can only do 5, but after an intense chest/tri workout. 6 months ago I couldn't even do 1 pushup after a workout, and a year ago I couldnt do 1 pushup FRESH lol.

I think the pushups will help to increase endurance, but not a 1 rep max. The other low rep heavy weight sets are for gaining strength. You gots to push your muscles

. Ain't gonna gain a bunch of strength benching 100 lbs 50 times if your bench max is 315!

**Firehawk** · 07-Jan-05, 03:23 PM

Back/Bi's

Conventional Deadlifts on 35's stacked 2 high

135 x 6
185 x 4

225 x 4
235 x 4
245 x 4
245 x 4
245 x 4
Will start at 245 for 5x4 next week.

Rack Pulls

245 x 4
315 x 4
315 x 4
315 x 4
These aren't true rack pulls, they are much harder. I actually started much lower than my knee. I am using car jack stands right now to hold the weight there. I need to get a power rack badly. Will order one this week i think. I am getting worried about losing my lower back strength since i backed off the deadlifts i was doing. I need that rack to keep the top part ofmy deadlift up there while my legs catch up.

BB Bent Over Rows

135 x 6
175 x 4

200 x 4
200 x 4
200 x 4
200 x 4
200 x 4
I backed off by 10 lbs from last time. I will go to 205 next time. My form was good.

Reverse Grip Close Grip Chinups

140 x 4
150 x 4
150 x 4
150 x 4
150 x 4
Go to 155 next time.

DB Alternating Curls

49.5 x 4
49.5 x 4
49.5 x 4

Whew. Good workout. I need that power rack. I'm gonna drop about 4 hundy on one I think, but it's well worth it. Ill also have to get a bench to slide under it most likely

.

luke.w · 07-Jan-05, 03:43 PM

[quote=Firehawk]Back/Bi's

These aren't true rack pulls, they are much harder. I actually started much lower than my knee. I am using car jack stands right now to hold the weight there. I need to get a power rack badly. Will order one this week i think. I am getting worried about losing my lower back strength since i backed off the deadlifts i was doing. I need that rack to keep the top part ofmy deadlift up there while my legs catch up.

those are good, and I wouldn't worry about losing back strength, I've always found that if I drop back in weight and work back up, my back gets STRONGER.
A word of advise, if you go HEAVIER on the partial pulls, cut back on the volume, that exercise can kill your back, it shouldn't be used for volume anyway. A good way to train them is to do a single and hold it for time, that hits the core nice, and if your not using straps that will strengthen your grip.

**Firehawk** · 07-Jan-05, 04:17 PM

what do you mean do a single and hold it for time? Hold it at what part of the movement?

I did cut back on the volume, only doing 3 working sets. I did them right after 5 working sets of conventional deadlifts, and doing 10 total deadlift sets would have been a nightmare. 8 is bad enough lol.

PS, I just ordered my power rack

YAY. 400 bucks man. But i think well worth it.

Yeah periodically i drop back down in the bent over rows and it seems to work well strengthening my upper back. I can't wait to get shredded and see the V shape in my back. I know it's there, i can see the muscle EVER SO SLIGHTLY lol.

**Firehawk** · 07-Jan-05, 04:29 PM

When you say hold it do you mean do a static hold with the weight for a time and then repeat?

luke.w · 07-Jan-05, 04:32 PM

[quote=Firehawk]what do you mean do a single and hold it for time? Hold it at what part of the movement?

Lift the weight to lockout, and hold the weight (bar) while standing at attention (not to failure) just a few seconds, work your way up to 10sec. holds.

4reps is high for rackpulls, but you didn't go too heavy, I was just warning you if you go heavier it's better to do singles and doubles.

**Firehawk** · 07-Jan-05, 04:39 PM

Yeah I didn't go that heavy THIS time lol

. I should be able to do at least 365-375 for 4 reps. We'll see how it all works out. If I feel it's too much I'll back off the reps.

Thanks for the tips bro.

**Firehawk** · 08-Jan-05, 06:06 PM

I'm so ecstatic guys. I just max benched 250! I just decided to go try it and I got it LIKE AIR! Then i tried for 255 and got it half way then got stuck. I think if i woulda just went to 255 I woulda got it.

I warmed up this way:

135 x 6
165 x 3
195 x 2
225 x 1

Max Attempt:
250 x 1 PR!
255 x 1 miss!

225 x 2 (I did this just to see if I could do it lol. I have struggled so hard just to get to 225 for a max, now I can do it two, maybe 3 times. I got 2 like air and didn't try for 3, or I probably woulda got 3.

I got 250 easily, no hesitation anywhere. I was pretty stunned, but I was all jacked up and psyched about going for it. When i tried for 255 I didnt quite feel that way. It mighta all been mental.

Anyway though, I am so excited. I'm 25 lbs away from 275, and then the next goal is 315. I can't wait to get there! I expect 275 by mid to late spring, and would love to get 315 by christmas.

There's nothing quite like adding another set of 45's to the bar.

gcs118 · 08-Jan-05, 08:53 PM

Hell yeah!! Way to go!!

: There goes the 245 plateau!

**Firehawk** · 09-Jan-05, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcs118

Hell yeah!! Way to go!!

: There goes the 245 plateau!

Who said I was at a plateau?

In 2 weeks I'm thinkin about trying for 260! I woulda got 255 if I woulda just tried that instead of 250.

**Firehawk** · 10-Jan-05, 06:06 PM

Shoulders/Traps

DB Shoulder Press

57 x 6 warmup/acclimation

69.5's x 4
69.5's x 4
69.5's x 4
69.5's x 4
69.5's x 4
Got them pretty easily. I just increased this week, so I will stay one more week and see how well I get the sets next week. If I get them easily, Ill go up to 72's.

BB Upright Rows

115 x 4
115 x 4
115 x 4
115 x 4
115 x 4
Dropped down from 125. These were pretty easy. Ill go to 120 next week.

Reverse Flyes

57's x 10
57's x 10
Pretty tough to complete but I got them all, and with good form. Gonna drop the reps back down in a week or two though.

Side Laterals

32's x 6
32's x 6
Easy, 37's next.

Front Raises

52's x 4
52's x 4
Tough still. One more week here.

BB Shrugs

315 x 6 acclimation/warmup

355 x 4
355 x 4
355 x 4
Got these fairly easily, going to 365 next week.

I was so tired this morning. I got to bed at 1am, got up at 5, fell back asleep till about 6:30 when i finally dragged my carcus out of bed for work. It's my first day back from my 3 weeks of vacation. I hate work bigtime. I'm ready to quit lol.

Well I ordered a power rack two days ago, this one here:
http://www.newyorkbarbells.tv/8510.html without the attachments. It was 399.99 when i bought it, then later that day i looked at it again and it went up to 429, so I musta JUST got my order in in the nick of time. I'll be happy with it. Can't wait to start beinga ble to work parts of my big 3 lifts. Should be fun.

**Firehawk** · 12-Jan-05, 07:19 PM

After work we played wallyball for 2 hours. I was soo tired from playing I could barely drive home. That's TERRIBLE. The last time we played, back in november, after 2 hours I was the only one who wasn't tired a bit. I was in my groove with training though. I haven't done but one session of cardio since mid december, and the conditioning goes away in a heartbeat if you don't stay on top of it.

It was supposed to be leg day but I am going to move that to tomorrow, and then Chest/Tri's on Friday.\

Got on the scale for the first time in 3 weeks of cheating, and was in tears nearly lol. I have probably gained about 8 lbs of fat over a 3 week period. What a bunch of BS man i swear. It's so ridiculous how it can come back so fast on me. Oh well though. I was substantially heavier than the 8 lbs becuase I retained a TON of water, but that's dropping out of me now that I'm back on my diet. Have put in 3 perfect diet days thus far and plan to keep it going. Sunday is cheat day. I gotta get back down to where i was...MY GOD! I figure 1 month and I should be back to where i was, HOPEFULLY! lol

**Firehawk** · 12-Jan-05, 11:10 PM

I got my power rack all assembled. It's a thing of beauty. 400 bucks WELL spent. It makes my gym very versatile now. I can do almost anything I want with the equipment I got now. That power rack has opened up the doors to powerlifting really, and will now allow me to work parts of my bench press, deadlift, and squat all while being safe about it.

I still want just a standalone flat/incline/decline bench to slide in and out of the power rack, or just to do skullcrushers on (the bench station I have now is a pain to do skullcrushers on, I get along with it, but the uprights get in the way etc...)

I cant wait to use ti tomorrow for squats...

gcs118 · 12-Jan-05, 11:39 PM

Have you always been working out at home? Or just looking to save money in the long run?

**Firehawk** · 13-Jan-05, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcs118

Have you always been working out at home? Or just looking to save money in the long run?

I have a full gym in my basement just about.

Bench station with leg extension/curl at the end, uprights turn into a squat station.
Power Rack 1000 lb capacity, with dip attachments and pullup bars
Dip station with leg raise ability, and pullup station on it (bought this awhile ago, useless to me now that I got the power rack)
Lat station
About 700 lbs of Olympic free weight plates
3 seven foot olympic straight bars (one for power rack, one for bench station, one for deadlifts (ground movements)
A pair of adjustable olympic dumbbells

That's pretty much all I need to do just about anything. I like being able to work out in my underwear, or just go right to my basement and work out, with all the equipment available. I don't have to fight traffic, or get dressed. I can play any music I want, or work out at any time. The equipment is the second best investment of my life, other than my house.

The downfalls really are that I don't ahve a training partner, but other than that I don't see any other downfalls lol.