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avasatu

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Bodyweight: 166 lb.



11/8/15: Grippers.



Can close: #2 from CCW in right hand, #1.5 (milimeters from #2) in left hand.



Goal: #2.5 in both hands CCW.



Workout (right hand listed first):



20 Deep BW Squats for CNS




All reps reset, and minimal set each rep (wider than CCW), all non-warmup sets end with a hold until just before failure:



Trainer x 10 (2 min rest) (warmup)



Trainer x 5 (3 min rest) (warmup)



#1 x 8,7 (5 min rest)



#1 x 8,6 (3 min rest)



Trainer x 26,26 (5 min rest)



IMTUG Ring/Pinky Fingers:



#3 x 10 (minimal rest) (warmup)



#4 x 14,14 (3 min rest)



#3 x 52,52



IMTUG Index/Middle Fingers:



#3 x 10 (minimal rest) (warmup)



#4 x 27,27 (5 min rest)



#5 x 2,2



Expand Your Hand Bands:



White: Static hold at full expansion with bent knuckles for 30 seconds (warmup)



Green: " " 13 seconds



White: " " 41 seconds




Notes: Messed up on the strong finger sets. Will change the following:



Add a third all out style set with the #1 during normal grip work. Add a second all out style set with the #4 during IMTUG Ring/Pinky.



Add a warmup set of #4 x 10 during IMTUG Index/Middle. Make first all out set @ #5, then second one @ #4.



Felt great. No injury, no impingement, no tightness. Was even a bit easy, as evidenced by my extremely high rep burnouts. Thus the added volume.


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Bodyweight: 166 lb

11/10/15: Press/Block Pinch

Paused (on chest) Strict Press:

bar x 15

90 x 3

110 x 3

130 x 2 (3 minutes)

150 x 5 (5 minutes)

150 x 5 (5 minutes)

150 x 5

PR

1.5" Block Pinch (chalked)

Did a max so I could create a program even though I said I would stop maxing.

17 x 1

22 x 1

27 x 1 (3 minutes)

32 x 1 (5 minutes)

37 x 1 (5 minutes)

42 x 1 (5 minutes) MAX for left hand

47 x 1, failed both hands, left hand not even close. (5 minutes)

47 x 1 MAX right hand. Did not attempt left again.

Clear PR.

Ultra Wide Grip Pulldowns to below chin, pause at full extension:

140 x 8 (warmup)

165 x 7

PR

Facepulls:

100 x 23 (could have done more, but the weight was too light and I was running short on time)

Barbell Forearm Flexor Curls (let bar sink into fingers):

30 x 12 (warmup)

50 x 10 (warmup)

70 x 13

PR

Dumbbell Wrist Extensor Curls (pause at top and bottom, let DB sink down):

17.5 x 18

PR

Notes:

ENORMOUSLY impressed by the pinch max. Adding chalk in and switching to a wood block almost doubled my max! Probably could have gotten 50 lb in my right hand, but I had a mental block there.

Lots of PRs.

Will start a 3 x 5 with block pinch next week at 35 pounds each side, 32.5 with left side if I feel it is necessary.

Facepulls go up 10 pounds, add second all out set.

Felt fantastic. No aggravation of thumb "injury" whatsoever. Will probably do some thumb pad scraping/massage.

Continuing the Vit C/Cissus plan.

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11/12/15: Rolling Thunder/Arms

BW: 166 lb

Rolling Thunder:

72 lb x 5

92 x 3

112 x 2 (3 min)

132 x 5 (5 min)

132 x 5 (5 min)

132 x 5

Single Arm Standing Cable Curls:

17.5 kg x 8

22.5 kg x 6

27.5 kg x 4

32.5 kg x 10 (PR)

Reverse One Arm Tricep Pulldown (for speed):

20 kg x 25

Plate Loaded Preacher Curl Machine:

50 lb x 8

65 x 6

80 x 6

95 x 6

Stopped. Didn't like the feel of it.

Reverse One Arm Tricep Pulldown Negatives (for elbow tendon health):

30 kg x 13 slow

Two Arm Cable Reverse Curl:

42.5 kg x 17 (PR)

Reverse One Arm Tricep Pulldown Negatives (for elbow tendon health):

30 kg x 8 slow

DB Inner Curls (Brachialis):

25 lb x 17

With "The Pronator":

Pronation: 3 lb x 23 no pauses

Supination: 3 lb x 23 no pauses

Radial Deviation: 4 lb x 21 (PR)

Ulnar Deviation: 4 lb x 24

Expand Your Hand Bands Static Holds (bent knuckles):

W x 30 s (warmup)

G x 16 s (PR)

W x 20 s (wtf...finger extensors were so tired)

Notes: Switching Preacher Machine to Heavy Negative Single Arm Cable Cur

ls for tendon health. Doing alot of experimentation with that lately in order to preserve elbow health.

Pronators/Supinators/Ulnar Deviators/Finger Extensors were SUPER tired today during their respective movements. I suspect this is a good thing.

Felt great. Finished off with deep tissue work/scraping/stretching of triceps/forearms/hands/and bicep tendons.

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11/14/15: Bench/Rows

BW: 165 lb

Close Grip Bench, paused on chest:

bar x 20

95 lb x 8

125 x 8

150 x 3

175 x 3

205 x 2 (5 min)

230 x 5 (5 min)

230 x 5 (6.5 min)

230 x 5

PR

HS Low Row (both sides same time, no straps):

200 x 8

260 x 6 PR

HS Iso Incline (dead pause):

160 x 8

210 x 9 PR

Wide Grip T Bar Row (no straps):

90 x 6

125 x 9 PR

Notes:

Felt great. Shoulders adapting well to HS Incline (wasn't sure they would). Will finish with static forearm/tricep stretches.

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Bodyweight: 166 lb.



11/15/15: Grippers.



Can close: #2 from CCW in right hand, #1.5 (milimeters from #2) in left hand.



Goal: #2.5 in both hands CCW.



Workout (right hand numbers listed first):



20 Lunges per side for CNS




All reps reset, and minimal set each rep (wider than CCW), all non-warmup sets end with a hold until just before failure:



Trainer x 10 (2 min rest) (warmup)



Trainer x 5 (3 min rest) (warmup)



#1 x 13,10 (5 min rest) HUGE PR



#1 x 10,8 (5 min rest)



#1 x 9,7 (2 min)



Trainer x 31,31 (5 min rest)



IMTUG Ring/Pinky Fingers:



#3 x 10 (minimal rest) (warmup)



#4 x 19,20 (3 min rest) HUGE PR



Tore skin on ring finger, stopped this exercise. Would have done another allout at #4, then an allout at #3. I did the allout #4 on the non-torn hand and got 18 reps. Fortunately this is my weaker hand so I don't mind not doing the strong one just for one week.



IMTUG Index/Middle Fingers:



#3 x 10 (minimal rest) (warmup)



#4 x 10 (warmup) (5 min rest)



#5 x 2,10 HUGE PR FOR LEFT HAND



#4 x 30,30



Expand Your Hand Bands:



White: Static hold at full expansion with bent knuckles for 30 seconds (warmup)


Green: " " 20 seconds PR


White: " " 41 seconds




Notes: Massive PRS on everything. WIll change the following: omit the third main gripper working set. Not needed. Will keep the Trainer allout set.


Will drop the green band for now. The way I am doing my expand your hand band work requires only the lightest of bands for the time being (no I'm not weak; I can open red+white together for a full rep using the traditional form on both hands). Will add a second allout set using the white band instead.


More serious note: IMTUGs are just plain easier in the left hand, which is my weaker hand. This can be seen in my IMTUG index/middle heaviest set with the #5, and even slightly in the ring/pinky sets. The handle sits deeper. Not sure what to do about this, but I am frankly glad they are structurally easier in my weaker hand.


Felt great. Will finish with deep massage/scraping/stretching of the hands,forearms, and triceps, and the bicep tendon.


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Bodyweight: 166 lb



11/17/15: Press/Block Pinch



Paused (on chest) Strict Press:



bar x 15 x 2


95 lb x 5


115 x 3


135 x 2 (3 min)


155 x 5 (5 min)


155 x 5 (5 min)


155 x 5


PR



1.5" Block Pinch (right hand listed first) :



22.5 lb x 5


27.5 x 1


32.5 x 1


37.5 x 5, 32.5 x 5 (5 min)


37.5 x 5, 32.5 x 5 (5 min)


37.5 x 5, 32.5 x 5



Tore skin between thumb and index on right hand. Salt time!



Ultra Wide Grip Pulldowns to below chin, pause at full extension:



140 lb x 8


165 x 8


PR



Facepulls:



57.5 kg x 21 PR



Barbell Forearm Flexor Curls (let bar sink into fingers):



30 lb x 10 (warmup)


50 x 10 (warmup)


70 x 14



PR



Dumbbell Wrist Extensor Curls (pause at top and bottom, let DB sink down):



17.5 lb x 20


PR




Notes:


Besides the tear, everything went smoothly. Getting a decent collection of torn skin patches on my hands. Sanded block on edges a bit just in case it helps. Joints feel much more accustomed to training than even last week. Finished with static forearm/tricep stretches.


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11/19/15: Rolling Thunder/Arms



BW: 166 lb



Stationary Lunges for CNS





Rolling Thunder:



97.5 lb x 3


117,5 x 2 (3 min)


137.5 x 5 (4 min)


137.5 x 5 (4 min)


137.5 x 5



PR



Single Arm Standing Cable Curls:



20 kg x 8


25 kg x 6


30 kg x 4 (warmups)


35 kg x 5



Reverse One Arm Tricep Pulldown (for speed):



20 kg x 25



Single Arm Standing Cable Curl Negatives:



40 kg x 6



Reverse One Arm Tricep Pulldown Negatives (for elbow tendon health):



30 kg x 10



Two Arm Cable Reverse Curl:



42.5 kg x 18 (PR)



Reverse One Arm Tricep Pulldown Negatives (for elbow tendon health):



30 kg x 6 slow



DB Inner Curls (Brachialis):



25 lb x 18 (PR)



With "The Pronator":



Pronation: 3 lb x 33 no pauses (PR)



Supination: 3 lb x 23 no pauses



Radial Deviation: 4 lb x 20



Ulnar Deviation: 4 lb x 25 (PR)




Expand Your Hand Bands Static Holds (bent knuckles):



W x 30 s (warmup)


W x 31 s


W x 21 s




Notes: Everything felt good. Elbows responding well to heavy negative training. Learned to use my traps during RT today. Immediate boost. Can't wait to continue messing with that. Made finger extensor band work even tougher by changing thumb placement to make the movement pattern more natural. Will finish with deep massage/scraping/static stretching the forearms/hands/triceps/bicep tendons.


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11/21/15: Bench/Rows



BW: 165 lb



Close Grip Bench, paused on chest:



bar x 20


95 lb x 8


130 x 5


155 x 3


180 x 3


205 x 2 (3 min)



235 x 5 (5 min)


235 x 4 (5 min)


235 x 4



:(



HS Low Row (both sides same time, no straps):



200 lb x 8


260 x 8 PR



HS Iso Incline (dead pause):



160 lb x 8


210 x 8



:(



Wide Grip T Bar Row (no straps):



90 lb x 6


125 x 9




Notes:



Felt great. Shoulders perfectly adapted to HS Incline. Mediocre pressing workout. Failed my bench 3x5 and got less than last week on the HS incline. Will bounce back next week, switching to a 3x4 at 240 probably. Need to keep upping the weights to exhaust as many gains as possible before jumping back into 5/3/1 for CG paused bench and paused strict press in 4 weeks. Will finish with static forearm/tricep stretches. I also added a ton of well below parallel glute drive sets of BW squats between sets. Seems to give a good CNS primer and makes my bad back feel much more stable.


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Bodyweight: 165 lb.



11/22/15: Grippers.



Can close: #2 from wider than CCW in right hand, #1.5 (milimeters from #2) in left hand.



Goal: #2.5 in both hands CCW.



Workout (right hand numbers listed first):



30 BW Squats CNS




All reps reset, and minimal set each rep (wider than CCW), all non-warmup sets end with a hold until just before failure:



Trainer x 10 (2 min rest) (warmup)



#1 x 1 with hold (3 min)



#1.5 x 1 with hold (5 min)



#2 x 1 RH, SO CLOSE LH! (5 min)



#2.5 x slightly past parallel RH, not even quite parallel LH (2 min)



#1 x 16, 10 (PR for RH, left hand was shot)



IMTUG Ring/Pinky Fingers:



#3 x 10 (minimal rest) (warmup)



#4 x 10 (2 min rest)



#5 x NM, 1 (3 min) (PR with left hand)



#4 x 22,22 (PR)



IMTUG Index/Middle Fingers:



#3 x 10 (minimal rest) (warmup)



#4 x 10 (warmup) (3 min rest)



#5 x 2,14 (3 min) (PR for LH)



#4 x 19,40 (PR for LH)



Expand Your Hand Bands:



White: Static hold at full expansion with all bent knuckles for 38 s


White: 21 s





Notes: Felt good. A little tight due to sub freezing temps. Will soak hand in super hot both in addition to usual warmups from now on. Maximum gripper output did not improve though my rep work is improving drastically. I will stop maxing for now and try sparingly. I think I'm just too new! Verified today that IMTUG, particularly the strong fingers, is way easier in the left hand, regardless of whether or not your left is your weaker hand. Makes sense biomechanically. Torn skin patches did ok, but my recent thumb patch hurt badly against the grippers despite being calloused over. This is because there is still a small inflammation underneath. Should be good by next week. Still hit some good IMTUG PRs though, all on my left weaker hand. Also beat my #1 rep PR on my right hand.



Will finish with massage/scraping/stretching of all the usual areas. Did a salt bath to ensure proper callous reformation. #2.5 feels "too big" for my hands, and I'm not sure what to do about it.


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Bodyweight: 166 lb



11/24/15: Press/Block Pinch



Paused (on chest) Strict Press:



bar x 15


100 lb x 5


120 x 3


140 x 2 (3 min)


160 x 5 (5 min)


160 x 5 (5 min)


160 x 5


PR



1.5" Block Pinch (right hand listed first) :



25 lb x 5


30 x 1


35 x 1 (3 min)


40 x 5, 35 x 5 (5 min)


40 x 5, 35 x 5 (5 min)


40 x 5, 35 x 5



PR



Tore skin AGAIN between thumb and index on right hand in a different spot. Salt time!



Ultra Wide Grip Pulldowns to below chin, pause at full extension:



140 lb x 8


165 x 9


PR



Facepulls:



60 kg x 23 PR



Barbell Forearm Flexor Curls (let bar sink into fingers):



30 lb x 12 (warmup)


50 x 10 (warmup)


70 x 15



PR



Dumbbell Wrist Extensor Curls (pause at top and bottom, let DB sink down):



20 lb x 13




Notes:


Besides the tear, everything went smoothly. Getting a decent collection of torn skin patches on my hands. PRs keep on rolling. Finished with static forearm/tricep stretches. Will take tomorrow and Thanksgiving off to get some more rest!


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11/27/15: Washer Pinch/Arms



BW: 166 lb



6-10 BW ATG, glute driven squats before and between all warmup sets.





Washer Pinch (finding max):



10 lb x 5


15 x 1 (3 min)


20 x 1 (4 min)


25 x 1 MAX both hands (4 min)


27.5 failed twice each side




Single Arm Standing Cable Curls:



20 kg x 8


25 kg x 6


30 kg x 4 (warmups)


35 kg x 9 PR



Reverse One Arm Tricep Pulldown (for speed):



20 kg x 25



Single Arm Standing Cable Curl Negatives (for elbow tendon health):



40 kg x 7



Reverse One Arm Tricep Pulldown Negatives (for elbow tendon health):



30 kg x 10



Two Arm Cable Reverse Curl:



42.5 kg x 20 (PR)



Reverse One Arm Tricep Pulldown Negatives (for elbow tendon health):



30 kg x 5 slow



DB Inner Curls (Brachialis):



25 lb x 20 (PR)



With "The Pronator":



Pronation: 4 lb x 10 no pauses



Radial Deviation: 4 lb x 21 no pauses (PR)



Ulnar Deviation: 4 lb x 30 no pauses (PR)




Expand Your Hand Bands Static Holds (bent knuckles):



W x 34 s


W x 30 s




Notes: Everything felt good. Lots of notes. Dropping rolling thunder for now, because I don't care about it at all (though I was PRing). I really want to get started with thin key-like pinching, so I replaced RT with a "penny" pinch using a smooth washer 1.5 inch in diameter with a 3/4 inch hole filled entirely by my carabiner so as not to allow cheating. Will start a 3x5 next week with it. Also, I am dropping supination work, inner curls, and my second tricep negative set for good. Reasons: supinators tired simply from bicep work so they don't need special work, brachialis is popped and that's all I wanted from inner curls, and I don't need two negative sets for triceps to get the prehab done, respectively. I will also be adding a 4th warmup set for my first bicep movement, and a warmup set to my first tricep movement. Will finish with the usual scraping/deep massage/stretching. Going to partially deload this particular workout next week to give my elbows a rest. Will probably drop the main curl movement in addition to everything I listed above just for the week.


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11/29/15: Bench/Rows



BW: 165 lb



Close Grip Bench, paused on chest:



bar x 20


95 lb x 8


135 x 6


160 x 3


185 x 2


210 x 2 (3 min)



240 x 4 (5 min)


240 x 4 (5 min)


240 x 3




HS Low Row (both sides same time, no straps):



200 lb x 8


260 x 9 PR



HS Iso Incline (dead pause):



160 lb x 8


210 x 9 PR



Wide Grip T Bar Row (no straps):



70 lb x 6


90 x 8




Notes:



Felt great. Will continue upping the weight on bench until cycle is over. Moving to 3x3 net week at 245. Going to start lightening all my rows substantially and really focusing on contraction of the lats and rear delts. I did this today with T Row, and will start doing it with Lo Row when I can rep 3 plates per side, which should be in 2 weeks. I will compensate by adding fatgripz since I nixed RT from my routine for the time being. To balance out my routine after this action, I am going to attempt to restructure my program so that my gripper day gets a full rest day beforehand. Any suggestions would be welcome.


Edited by avasatu
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Bodyweight: 165 lb.



11/30/15: Grippers.



Workout (right hand numbers listed first):



8-10 BW ATG Glute-driven Squats before/between all warmup sets




All reps reset, and minimal set each rep (wider than CCW), all non-warmup sets end with a short hold.



Guide x 10


Sport x 10


Trainer x 5 (2 min)


Point Five x 3 (2 min)


#1 x 1 (3 min)


#1.5 x 6,3 (5 min)


#1.5 x 3,2 (5 min)


#1.5 x 4,0



IMTUG Ring/Pinky Fingers:



#3 x 10


#4 x 16,18



IMTUG Index/Middle Fingers:



#3 x 10


#4 x 8


#5 x 3,10+ (PR)


#4 x 14,30+



DB "Brick"Holds (finger extensors):


5 lb x 60 sec (W.u.)


7 lb x 35 s


7 lb x 43 s





Notes: Felt good. Did all sets in front of a space heater, which felt amazing. Lots of squats and opens/closes to keep the hands hot and healthy all workout. Going to only do 1 all out set on the IMTUG weak fingers from now on, as they are generally fried after. I messed up the IMTUG strong finger sets. From now on I will do a w.u. with 3 and 4, do an all out with the #5, then drop to an allout with the 4 and 5 on my strong then weak hand, respectively. Still finding it weird that they are easier in my weak hand. Love the new finger extensor exercise. WAY better than expand your hand nonsense. Not many new PRs today mostly because I switched grippers and added the third work set back in, and my finger work changed. Will finish with massage/scraping/stretching of all the usual areas.


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Bodyweight: 165 lb



12/2/15: Press/Block Pinch



Rack where I usually do press was constantly taken up, so I did high rep close grip bench with pauses instead. Squats for CNS between/before warmups.



Paused (on chest) Close Grip Bench:



bar x 20


95 lb x 10


135 x 5


160 x 5


185 x 3 (3 min)


215 x 10 PR



1.5" Block Pinch (right hand listed first) :



22.5 lb x 5


27.5 x 3


32.5 x 1


37.5 x 1


42.5 x 1


47.5 x 1 (3 min)


52.5 x 2,2 (4 min) HUGE PR


50 x 1,1 (4 min) bad set


50 x 4,5 retore thumb crease on RHS, but not as bad.



PRs abound



Ultra Wide Grip Pulldowns to below chin, pause at full extension:



140 lb x 8


165 x 9



Facepulls:



65 kg x 21 PR



Barbell Forearm Flexor Curls (let bar sink into fingers):



30 lb x 12 (warmup)


50 x 10 (warmup)


70 x 16 PR



Dumbbell Wrist Extensor Curls (pause at top and bottom, let DB sink down):



20 lb x 14 PR




Notes:


Besides the tear, everything went smoothly. Lots of notes: slightly widened grip on BP. Switched to PL footing. No more chalk on pinch except if I need to remove moisture, in which case I will chalk then dust the chalk off. Feels more natural without chalk. BB Flexor curls are starting to get very heavy, so I am going to switch to a 3 x 8 next week at probably 75 lbs. Will finish with usual stretches. The reason my block pinch workout wasn't the usual 3x5 is because the warmups were SO much easier today that I felt the need to autoregulate. My thumb got a pretty sizable strength boost over the past week somehow. I think it was the added washer pinch.


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12/05//15: Washer Pinch/Arms



BW: 165 lb



Half-Washer Pinch:



15 lb x 3


17.5 x 1 (2 min)


20 x 5 no chalk (4 min)


20 x 5 (4 min)


20 x 8



DB Prone Curls:



15 lb x 10


25 x 10


35 x 10



Two Arm Cable Reverse Curl:



45 kg x 15



With "The Pronator":



Pronation: 4 lb x 16 no pauses PR



Supination: 4 lb x 12 no pauses



Radial Deviation: 4 lb x 22 no pauses PR



Ulnar Deviation: 5 lb x 23 no pauses



DB Extensor Holds:


5 lb x 45 s


7 lb x 34 s


7 lb x 30 s




Notes: Everything felt good except the ending DB holds. Felt a little weird on the middle knuckles. I think that severe of extensor training only works after something like a gripper day and only once a week. So I will probably continue to do them on Gripper day (maybe only one work set instead of 2) and then switch to light sets of 5 lbs for perhaps 3 sets of 30 seconds or so just to keep the balance during washer/arm day without taxing the knuckle joints too much. Loved the new workout scheme. Short and to the point. Will finish with massage/scraping/stretching of whole arms.


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12/6/15: Bench/Rows



BW going into workout: 165 lb



Close Grip Bench, paused on chest:



bar x 20


95 lb x 10


135 x 5


150 x 3


175 x 3


200 x 2


225 x 1 (3 min)


250 x 1 (3 min)


280 x 1 (4 min)


250 x 3 (5 min)


250 x 2 (5 min)


250 x 2



PR



Fat Gripz HS Low Row (two sided):



140 x 8


180 x 8



HS Iso Incline (dead pause):



160 lb x 8


210 x 10 PR



Fat Gripz Wide Grip T Bar Row:



70 lb x 8


90 x 8




Notes:



Felt great. Lots of notes. Had to bump my deload to next week instead of two weeks from now since weightlifting cousin coming into town during Christmas and I want to train all out with him, so this workout marks my first workout of the last week pre deload week. Went heavier on bench than I was going to since after deload I will be back on 5/3/1 for bench and press. Did a forced max to see where I was at. Was happy with it. Started using Fatgripz this week for rows. I don't like how they rotate during the set, particularly on the T Row. Liked the feel though. Did light weight just to see what I could do.



New routine post deload:



same bench/row day as above


penny pinch/prone curls/reverse curls/pronator stuff. Will eliminate heavy sets of DB finger holds to not train the extensors so severely.


Day off


press/block pinch/pull downs/rear delts/forearms


day off


grippers. Same idea as above for DB finger extensor holds.


day off


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Thanks, jvance.



Bodyweight during workout: 164 lb.



12/07/15: Grippers.



Workout (right hand numbers listed first):



CNS Squats between/before warmups




All reps reset, and minimal set each rep (wider than CCW worksets, most times TNS during warmups), all warmup sets end with a short hold.



Guide x 10


Sport x 10


Trainer x 5 (2 min)


Point Five x 3 (2 min)


#1 x 1 (3 min)


#1.5 x 6,5 (5 min)


#1.5 x 4,3 (5 min)


#1.5 x 3,2



PR for the left hand, and PR for right hand work capacity



IMTUG Ring/Pinky Fingers:



#3 x 10


#4 x 22,30+



PR



IMTUG Index/Middle Fingers:



#3 x 10


#4 x 8 (2 min)


#5 x 6,15 PR (5 min)


#4 x 20, #5 x 11



IM Hub (unaltered):



15 lb x 5


20 x 3


25 x 1 (3 min)


30 x 1 (4 min)


35 x 1 (5 min)


40 x 1 MAX both hands



Skipped extensor work. They need a break, I can tell.





Notes: Felt good. Extensors tired. Skipped work for them. Right hand gripper power didn't go up, but work capacity did. I think it was the Fatgripz from yesterday. Next week everything will be deloaded except grip stuff and grippers will have a day of rest beforehand as per my new routine, so all in all I am happy. IMTUGs went great. Will start doing #5 worksets for the weak fingers on the left hand since I hit 30 reps. I will probably kill off the second workset for strong fingers. Totally superfluous IMO.



Randomly did a Hub workout because I felt like it. Was stoked to go from a 22.5 pound max to a 40 pound max with no training, and that was AFTER grippers. Gotta find a way to at least semi regularly fit this into my routine, because I had alot of fun. Will do a TON of scraping/massage/stretching since I plan on doing soft tissue stuff only once a week (post grippers) and doing stretching only on the other days.



I also hose clamped a 2.5 to 20 mm. Not sure what I will do with it, but the topic in the main board made me think I should have something like that on hand. Probably should be the GHP 5 tbh.


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Choked up my #2, GHP 5, and #2.5 to 20mm tonight and decided to warm up to a few casual singles in the freezing cold outside even though I just did gripper last night. Here are the results for the right hand, skipping warmups:

#2 x 1

GHP 5 x 1

#2.5 x 1

I closed the #2 and barely failed the GHP 5 with the left hand. Like within a millimeter or so.

Anyways I was EXTREMELY happy with this. I literally closed the hardest part of a 2.5 for goodness sake. I need to work this in to my routine. I think my 6.7 inch hands have really held me back from using the peak of my power, and since I doubt I will be certing anytime soon, this may be the way to go.

Any thoughts on this line of reasoning?

Edited by avasatu
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Bodyweight: 164 lb



12/9/15: Press/Block Pinch



Came down with some kind of bug last night causing alot of nausea and no other symptoms. Still worked out today. It didn't go well, but it didn't go badly either.



Paused (on chest) Close Grip Bench:



bar x 20


95 lb x 10


135 x 6


165 x 3


195 x 2 (3 min)


220 x 9



Not a PR, but not a weakening either.



1.5" Block Pinch (right hand listed first) :


This went pretty badly. I think my CNS is tired from the random added hub pinch earlier in the week, the stupid choked singles I did yesterday that I shouldn't have, the bug and the lack of sleep and lack of appetite associated with said bug.


Got up to 50 lbs for 2 on my left (weak) side and somehow only 1 on my right side. Wanted at least 2 sets if not 3 sets of 5 each side. Definitely bad. Fingers were shaking a little during reps so I stopped.



Everything else cancelled. Will stretch and move past this. Sadly for now I think it is wise to only train hub or block each week, and since the block seems to be more helpful for overall strength, I will do that for the time being. Unless of course all this is truly caused by my bug and then I will resume as normal.


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12/11//15: Washer Pinch/Arms



BW: 165 lb



No washer pinch today. Prepping for my upcoming deload/routine switch and giving my thumb a ton of time to recover.


Instead, I am doing Standing Alternating DB Curls with strict form. Before I got into grip, I was inspired by the arm wrestler lolmmmol on Youtube, who has the best standing curls I have seen to date. I find I get better at these types of curls by training them sparingly.



Standing Alternating DB Curls (strict form):



15 lb x 10


25 x 8


35 x 6


45 x 3


55 x 6 PR



DB Prone Curls:



25 x 10


35 x 11 PR



Two Arm Cable Reverse Curl:



45 kg x 20 PR



With "The Pronator":



Pronation: 4 lb x 23 PR



Supination: 3 5 second holds to balance wrist joint from pronation



Radial Deviation: 4 lb x 25 PR



Ulnar Deviation: 5 lb x 26 PR



Thumb Supported Bent Knuckle Expand Your Hand Bands (avoiding failure, just getting a little burn):



W x 35


W x 25




Notes: Everything felt great. Tons of PRs. Some of them big. Will probably do some stretching and digging around in the arms. Wanna try some tricep maneuvers I learned.


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12/12/15: Bench/Rows



BW going into workout: 165 lb



First day of deload week. Supposed to start tomorrow, but needed to bump it back a day to fit in with cousin's visitation schedule. It's deload, after all. To compensate, I will skip my second deload workout tomorrow completely and skip the grip stuff I had planned today. Hands are feeling a bit tired, so 3 full days of nothing should do the trick. Will resume deload on Tuesday. Will not deload grip starting then, as I'd rather autoregulate my hands than subject them to mandatory deload.



Close Grip Bench, paused on chest:



Got up to 165 lb x 10 for 2 sets, focusing on every single cue I have ever learned about bench, and with 5 count pauses. No power used either. Just control.



HS Low Row (both hands at once):



Worked up to a set of 130 lb, again focusing on the squeeze and all cues I know.



HS Iso Incline (dead pause):



125 lb x 10 for 2 sets. Again with all the cues.



Wide Grip T Bar Row:



55 lb x 10 for 2 sets. Very slow, deliberate, cued reps.




Notes: Tired in a good way. Not used to working out with such little power and so much mental and physical precision. That's why I love deload. Will take 2 full days off from lifting, doing TONS of active recovery, stretching, prehab/rehab, and tissue work, then continue with my second to last deload workout, but with a heavy block pinch with my new 2" steel sorinex block. See ya then!


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Workout Bodyweight: 164 lb



12/15/15: Press/Block Pinch



Deload workout #2 (technically 3) of 4. Did not deload wrist/hand work.



Strict Press:



Worked up to two triples at 125 lb. Focused on cues and form, used only control and very little power. Went slow.



2" Sorinex Block Pinch (right hand listed first) :


Switching block material from wood to steel and adding a half inch of thickness. That and all other things considered, this went extremely well.



35 lb. x 5


40 x 1


45 x 1 (3 min)


50 x 1 MAX both sides (4 min)


40 x 5 w/ holds til very near failure (4 min)


37.5 x 5 (4 min)


37.5 x 7



I can safely say this was a PR. Wood blocks are definitely easier, and so are 1.5" blocks, so for me to almost tie my max there is great.



Ultra Wide Grip Pulldowns (below chin, pause at full extension):



120 lb x 10 x 2



Facepulls:



70 kg x 20



PR



BB Wrist Curls:



40 lb x 10


60 lb x 8


80 lb x 7



DB Extensor Wrist Curls:



20 lb x 16



PR



Notes: Felt fantastic. Only deloaded Press and Pulldowns. Weight stack at this gym is much harder than most, thus the light pulldowns (even for deload). Switched from BB finger curls to wrist curls this week to keep my fingers more fresh for grippers. Liked them alot. Jedd's interview posted today made me realize I am not doing myself any recovery favors (nor favors for my back) by going strapless on my rows and pulldowns, so I will be using them on my heaviest sets from now on.



Not sure how I will recover. I will probably only do tissue work once weekly as per Lucas' suggestion, probably post gripper day. I think I will start doing more active recovery stuff, and taking some of the depth out of my stretching so I can still do it 4x weekly.


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Bodyweight during workout: 165 lb.



12/18/15: Grippers.



Workout (right hand numbers listed first):



CNS Squats between/before warmups




All reps reset, and minimal set each rep (wider than CCW worksets, most times TNS during warmups), all warmup sets end with a short hold.



Guide x 10


Sport x 10


Trainer x 5 (2 min)


Point Five x 3 (2 min)


#1 x 1 (2 min)


#1.5 x 1 (2 min)



20 mm choke:



#2 x 1 (4 min)


GHP5 x 1, NM



#2.5 x NM, GHP5 x 1 (4 min) Left Hand PR


#2.5 x NM, GHP5 x NM (4 min)


GHP5 x 1,1 (4 min)


#2 x 3,1 (4 min)


#2 x 4,1 (4 min)


GHP5 x 2, #1.5 x NM (no choke) (4 min)


GHP5 x 2, #2 x NM (4 min)


GHP5 x 2, #1 x 6 (no choke)



Notes: More sets, higher intensity. Felt good. Very upset with the #2.5, because I had completely the wrong technique until my 3rd work set, and by then it was too late to retry the #2.5 in my mind. Oh well, next week. Did lots of opens/closes and expand bands between work sets, as well as wrist rolls. Gotta hone in the choked gripper placement so I don't botch my heavy sets from now on.



Star Wars was dope.

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12/19/15: Bench/Rows



BW going into workout: 165 lb



First day back in 5/3/1. I know I don't post any leg stuff on here, but that's because it's just a ton of flexibility, mobility, stability BW with squats/lunges/hyper variations to just build a stable back with good endurance. I'm not comfortable doing traditional weights for legs yet, and won't be for awhile I suspect. If I did anything, it would be hip squats with an IM belt. Just know they aren't being neglected by any means.



This time around, I will be doing full count pauses, and leaving 1-2 reps in the rank on my heaviest working sets and first-set-last set, as well as capping reps at 10. For Joker sets, I will leave at least one full rep in the tank. That's why I love this program...no need to go to failure, or to even be failure's next door neighbor. I'm following one of Wendler's newer assistance templates: one warmup set of 8-10 reps, then one all out set (as per my usual).



Training Maxes: 250 bench, 170 strict press



Close Grip Bench, full count paused on chest:



bar x 20


95 lb. x 10


140 x 8



165 x 5


190 x 5 (3 min)


215 x 7 (5 min)



240 x 2 (2 min)


165 x 10




HS Low Row (both hands at once):



180 lb x 10 (no straps)


270 x 9 (straps)



HS Iso Incline (dead pause):



180 lb x 6


230 x 6



Wide Grip T Bar Row:



90 lb x 6 (no straps)


115 x 10 (straps)




Notes: Slightly more taxing than a usual workout, but that's to be expected post deload with a different routine and order. Felt good. Started using straps on my heaviest rows to work my back harder and give my hands more time to recover during the week. Will start doing HS Low Row one side at a time because otherwise straps are annoying on that machine. No PRs listed because all the weights or methods were new in some way (i.e. straps).



Finished with stress ball/expand your hand bands/wrist rolls/opens/closes for active recovery (going to be doing alot more of this kind of thing after Lucas Raymond's post), then forearm/tricep/shoulder static stretches.


Edited by avasatu
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