Arram's Training Log

[Arram]

Videos pushed back to this weekend

Workout B
Squat - 200 - 3x5
Standing overhead press - 95 - 2x5 1x3
Deadlift - 155- 3x5
Chinups (palm towards) 5/4/4
Abs (machine) - 135 x 20 145/15 155x12 - 30 sec

Thinking of adding another day to the routine. will be consulting with lifting nerd

[LiftingNerd]

Wow you really had to put me on the spot there huh. I guess I'll take the blame if your training starts to avalanche into a complete failure. Do you need an extra day? That would be a negative. Your chin ups and pull ups are improving, perhaps not as fast as you would like but still improving. On off days (or whenever the hell you want really) do one or two pull ups here and there, total around 10. You shouldn't be tired from other lifting and such for these so make sure they are quality. Same applies to push ups. You can do the endurance rowing after workouts instead of going for speed, no problem with that. DO NOT ADD EXTRA TRICEP WORK. There will be a spy down there this summer to make sure you are not. Every movement you do involves your triceps extra work will be too much and everything else will begin to suffer. More does not equal better.

[Arram]

Okay, this is to update the plan.

Work out A
Squat 3x5
Bench Press 3x5
Bent over Row 3x5
Row (Erg) Machine @ highest setting: Row for 10 minutes


Work out B
Squat 3x5
Standing Overhead Press 3x5
Deadlift 3x5
Pullup/Chinup 3xF
Abs
Row (Erg) Machine @ highest setting: Row at 2 minute pace


Still increment weight 5-10 lbs every workout.

For Erg, Row for 10 minutes at comfortable pace. Record distance in 10 minutes. Aim to improve time per lap by 3-7 seconds (/500 m). When down to 2:10 pace, increase time another 5 minutes and repeat.

For Erg #2, Row at 2 minute pace. Start at 500 m and add 50-100m every work out. Anything over 2:05 average time per 500m will be considered a failure.

[Arram]

4/16/2009
Workout A

Squat - 205 - 3x5
Bench Press -150 - 3 140 lbs 5/5
Bent over Row - 110 - 4/3/4
Row- 2:02 pace, 500m

Chin ups: 3/2/4

First workout back from being a lazy good for nothing. As noted, several problems arose. Did remember the extra chin ups though.

[Arram]

4/18/2009
All Lifts

Performed all lifts so that I could video tape them to check form and share with liftingnerd. Follow up post commenting on areas to focus on will follow.

Squat - 210 - 3x5
Standing Overhead Press - 95 -3x5
Deadlift - 160 - 3x5
Bent over Row - 110 -2x5 1x4
Bench Press - 140- 3x5

Will do Workout B after this.

[LiftingNerd]

Squats - Get your feet out wider. Your knees go too far forward, sit back more. Keep your chest up and drive with your hips. Now you are raising your ass but the bar isn't going anywhere initially. Remember to keep you back tight and rigid. You are also accelerating at the bottom of some reps to bounce out of the hole, don't. Steady pace all the way down, explode up.

Bench - Widen your feet and bring them towards your head a bit. Keep them flat and drive off of them, keeping your ass on the bench. Remember to squeeze your shoulder blades together to get a solid base on the bench to press from.

OHP - Widen your stance. Make sure to touch your chest each rep, looked like you shorted a few. You are leaning back too much. Once the bar gets past your forehead you need to get under the bar to keep a straight bar path. The bar needs to stay as close to your face as possible.

DL - Let the bar rest on the ground for a second between each rep. Your knees are straightening before your back breaks at all. As your knees straighten out your back should also be straightening up. Go slower, more deliberate. Squeeze the bar off the floor then pop your hips forward. Take one big breath into your belly before each rep and hold it the whole time.

BOR - For the love god man get you ass back and your back straight. Bend you knees a little bit more if you have to (but don't drive with your legs). Widen you grip slightly and envision pulling through your elbows to get your back into the movement more (since that is the point).

[Arram]

4/20/09
Work out B
Squat -215 - 5/4/2
Standing Overhead Press - 100 - 5/3/2
Deadlift - 150 - 3x5
Chinup 5/42
Abs - 135x20 145x15 155x12
Row 550m - 1:55/500 avg


Knocking 15 lbs off of squat and 10 lbs off all other lifts. Will use this opportunity to work on form. Will post links to videos later today/tomorrow. Will film videos again on saturday to see if improvements are being made.

[Arram]

4/23/09
Workout A

Squat - 200 -3x5 Wider Stance helps me not move my weight forward. Paid attention to how far forward my knees went and making sure my back stayed straight and rigid.

Bench - 135 - 3x5 Wider stance again. Not entirely sure how to drive off feet to push through chest but will continue to work on it. Made sure to pinch should blades.

Bent over Row - 95 - 3x5 Could feel the difference by imagining pulling through the elbows. working hard to get the ass back and back straight

Pullups - 3/3/3/2

Row- 10 minutes at 2:25/500m pace

[LiftingNerd]

When you set up on the bench keep your back tight, use your abs to press your ass into the bench, and drive into the ground with your feet (keeping them flat). To see that it is effective just lay down and do a set with no thought of any of this (how 90% of people bench press), just moving the weight with your arms. At first you probably won't be able to stay tight and use your feet for more than 2 or 3 reps (because it's hard not going to lie). I can barely stay tight for an entire set of 5. On a side note another reason no one benches this way is because they do higher rep sets (like we used to) which make it impossible even if you start out correctly.

[Arram]

Thanks man. That helps. I'll work on doing that. Going to just go work out now and work on form next week too and post updated vids next sunday.

[Arram]

4/25/09
Work out B
Squat -205- 3x5
Standing Overhead Press - 90- 5/5/3 - Struggling a bit on this. Makes me suspect that I was putting chest into it before. definitely feel the difference by leaning forward more and letting the bar brush my nose.
Deadlift - 140- 3x5 - Having trouble not staggering my lift. i lift my back slightly during the beginning of hte motion but definitely do the bulk of the straightening of my back during the last bit of the motion
Chinup 5/5/3
Abs - 140x20 150x15 160x7
Row 600m- 1:54/500 avg

[LiftingNerd]

Once upon a time there was this guy I used to know who loved a challenge. He would go balls to the wall regardless of the weight on the bar, time of the hold, or distance of the sprint. Now that was one fun as hell guy to train with. If you happen to see that guy around you tell him to give me a call.

[Arram]

Found my balls.
5/31/09
Workout B
Squat - 155 3x5
Standing Press - 75 - 3x5
Deadlift - 135 3x5
Pull-ups 4/3/2

6/1/09
Row machine- highest setting, 1 minute rest.
Set 1: 1:59.8
Set 2: 1:58.9 19s/m
Set 3: 2:07.9 19s/m
Set 4: 2:06.9 19s/m
Set 5: 2:04.2 24s/m

I expect to be sore tomorrow. More details tomorrow.

[Arram]

6/3/09
Workout A
Squat - 160 3x5
Bench - 115 3x5
BoRows - 75 3x5
Pullups 2/3/2
Abs- Captains chair (straight leg) - 10/10/6

Skipped a day to get on a weekly rotation. Lifting on monday, wednesday, friday, sunday. Rowing on tues, thurs, saturday.

[LiftingNerd]

Well done.