General strength and grip training

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (3.4.2019.):

Trap bar deadlift: 150 kg x 1; 170 kg x 1; 190 kg x 1; 210 kg x 1 all time PR; 215 kg x 0; 190 kg x 2

Barbell lunge: 45 kg x 8 x 5 PR
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Grippers: hold: #2.5 x 42 count R PR; x 33 L PR; silver bullet: 19 sec R; 15 sec L; reps: #2 x 4 R; x 4 forced L; #1.5 x 10 R; x 6 L

Leg raises: 9 kg x 12 x 3; bw x 15 x 2

Well, my holds are getting strong, I might file my #1.5 at this time, since fresh I can rep it for 15-20 reps. Back strength is coming up nicely too.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (5.4.2019.):

Wider grip bench press: 90 kg x 2; 110 kg x 1; 120 kg x 1; 125 kg x 1 PR; 100 kg x 10 volume PR

DB bench press: 27.5 kg x 15 x 5 volume PR
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Seated row: 60 kg x 15 x 5 volume PR

Decline DB rolling triceps extension: 22.5 kg x 10 x 3 
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DB lateral raises: 11.5 kg x 15 x 3

I'm feeling very, very strong. Weight is up too, I'm at about 92 kg now.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (7.4.2019.):

DE squat: 90 kg x 2 x 9 - 30 second rest

Power clean: 80 kg x 1 x 6

Fat Gripz deadlift: sumo: 100 kg x 2; 110 kg x 1 x 5; conventional: 80 kg x 3; 100 kg x 1 x 4

Ab chair: 11 plates x 4 + 6 forced; 9p x 8; 7p x 10; 5p x 10 strict; 3p x 15 strict

I forgot my bands at home, so I had to train with straight weight, I might do the next two workouts like that, but I'm gonna think about it.

 

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (8.4.2019.):

DE bench press (mini bands): 65 kg x 3 x 9 - 30 second rest

3 board bench press: 120 kg x 3 x 3 volume PR

BTN standing push press: 72.5 kg x 5 x 3 PR; 52.5 kg x 10 x 2 
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Pull ups: neutral x 15 x 2; chin up x 15

2h pinch 50 mm: 40 kg x 3; 52.5 kg x 3; 62.5 kg x 5; 72.5 kg x 0; 70 kg x 0; 62.5 kg x 7; 62.5 kg x 4

I'm gonna train my pinch seriously from now on. I want to get into 80+ kg territory.

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Aleksandar Milosevic

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (10.4.2019.):

DO conventional deadlift: 130 kg x 1; 150 kg x 1; 170 kg x 1; 190 kg x 1 all time PR; 200 kg x 0 left the floor, 0 grip issues
                                               sumo: 130 kg x 3 x 2; 3 finger DO: 130 kg x 3

Barbell lunge: 47.5 kg x 8 x 5 PR

Rolling thunder: 52.5 kg x 1; 57.5 kg x 1; 60 kg x 1; 62.5 kg x 1; 63.75 kg x 0

V bar: 60 kg x 1; 70 kg x 1; 82.5 kg x 1; 92.5 kg x 0 got air

Very big PR for me, my grip feels solid, 200 would be possible if I didn't spend my mental energy on 190, which went up easier than 170 kg. 200 is going down next month. 

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (12.4.2019.):

Floor press: 90 kg x 3; 110 kg x 1; 120 kg x 1; moved: 90 kg x 1; 110 kg x 1; 125 kg x 1 PR; 

Wide grip FP: 90 kg x 8 x 3
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Bent over row: 90 kg x 8 x 3

2h pinch: 57.5 kg x 10 seconds; 57.5 kg x 5 x 5 

I'm feeling sick and I have fever. 5 kg improvement on my floor press nevertheless, and it could have been more if I had access to the cage from the beginning, I was waiting for a guy squatting 70 kg to finish for half an hour. I respect everyone's training, but we have about 4 other racks that he could have used, and only a single cage, but it is what it is. I'm gonna focus on getting my pinch strength up, at least to 80 kg.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (14.4.2019.):

Fat Gripz deadlift: 110 kg x 1 x 2

Fat Gripz loading pin pull: 132.5 kg x 3 x 5 PR; 144 kg x 1 x 3 PR

Leg raises: 12 x 3

I'm sick, so this workout was pretty light. The loading pin pulls are performed with a straight bar with FG on it. It's hard on the fingers, but doesn't train the thumb.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (16.4.2019.):

DE bench press (mini bands): 72.5 kg x 3 x 9 - 30-35 second rest

Paused bench press (mini bands): 90 kg x 3; x 2; x 3

1h DB standing press: 27.5 kg x 5 x 3
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Pull downs: stack x 6 x 3; medium x 20

1h pinch: 2 x 15 kg plates x around 60 attempts

Feeling great, but I'm still sick.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (18.4.2019.):

Anderson squat (5th): 132.5 kg x 1 PR; 6th 132.5 kg x 1

Barbell lunge: 50 kg x 8 x 5 PR
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Wrist wrench: 30 kg x 5 x 5; reverse: 85 kg x 1 PR

Ab chair: slow reps 6p x 10 x 4; explosive 6p x 10

I'm so glad I'm done with lunges, they are so hard. Anderson squat was heavy as hell.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (20.4.2019.):

Spoto press: 90 kg x 3; 110 kg x 1; 120 kg x 1; 127.5 kg x 0; 127.5 kg x 1 PR

JM press: 80 kg x 5 x 5 volume PR
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Rope row: stack x 20 x 5

2h pinch: 60 kg x 5 x 5 volume PR; 70 kg x 1 x 2 PR
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DB lateral raises: 10 kg x 15 x 5

Spoto press was a huge battle, but I won. I'm very satisfied with my pinch strength, 80 kg is getting smoked in a month or two.

 

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (21.4.2019.):

DE squat: low bar: 97.5 kg x 2 x 5; high bar: 97.5 kg x 2 x 4 - 35 second rest

Clean: 85 kg x 1 x 5

Snatch: 50 kg x 3; 55 kg x 1 x 3: 70 kg x 1

Ab wheel: 55 all time PR
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Reverse hyperextension: 110 kg x 10 x 5 PR
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Leg raises: 15 x 3

Well, I made a mistake, this workout was supposed to be done tomorrow. 

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (23.4.2019.):

DE bench press (mini bands): 77.5 kg x 3 x 9 - 30 second rest

Bench press (mini bands): 90 kg x 3 x 3 PR

1h DB standing press: 27.5 kg x 6 x 3
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Wide grip pulldown: moderate x 15 x 3

Rolling thunder: 62.5 kg x 3 R; x 3.5 L all time PR; 

V-bar: 87.5 kg x 1

Regular rotating handle: 87.5 kg x 1; 92.5 kg x 1; 97.5 kg x 1; 102.5 kg x 1 R PR; x 0 L

Trying some lifts on the regular handle just put into perspective how hard the Dinnie ring lifts are. I'm very satisfied with my RT progress, without even training it directly. I'd say I'm around 67.5 kg now. 

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (25.4.2019.):

Good morning: 90 kg x 3; 110 kg x 1; 125 kg x 1; 135 kg x 3; 145 kg x 3; 160 kg x 3 all time PR; 90 kg x 5 very deep

Wide stance box squat: 110 kg x 3 x 5

2h pinch: 62.5 kg x 5 x 5 PR

Very, very hard workout. The good morning was more of a squat/gm hybrid, but still hard as hell, especially beltless. My grip is advancing extremely fast I pray that my good health and lack of injuries lasts for a long time.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (27.4.2019.):

Reverse band bench press (mini bands): 100 kg x 1; 130 kg x 1; 140 kg x 1; 150 kg x 0; 147.5 kg x 1 PR; 130 kg x 2

JM press: 82.5 kg x 5 x 5 PR
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Rope row: stack + 5 kg x 20 x 5

DB lateral raises: 11.5 kg x 15 x 3
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DB biceps curls: 20 x 3

I'm still very sore and tired from the good mornings, and today's training wasn't any easier. I'm feeling very spent and tired.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (29.4.2019.):

DE squat: 105 kg x 2 x 9 - 30-40 second breaks

Clean: 90 kg x 1 x 5

Snatch: 50 kg x 2; 60 kg x 1 x 3

Fat gripz deadlift (thicker bar): sumo: 90 kg x 1; 110 kg x 1; 115 kg x 1 PR; 105 kg x 3 PR; 105 kg x 2; conventional: 105 kg x 2

Reverse hyperextension: 110 kg x 12 x 5

Full ROM leg raises: 12 x 5

Very hard session, but I'm feeling very, very strong everywhere.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (30.4.2019.):

Bench press: 50 kg x 10 x 7; 70 kg x 5 x 2
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Cable 1h row: stack x 10 x 4

Rope triceps extension: 12 x 4
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Rope biceps curl: 12 x 4
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DB military press: 6.5 kg x 15 x 4

Easy session today, I gotta recover, since today I've felt like I'm gonna die. 

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (2.5.2019.):

Trap bar deadlift (low handles): 120 kg x 1; 160 kg x 1; 190 kg x 1; 215 kg x 0 off the floor; high handles: 215 kg x 0; 190 kg x 4 all time PR

Wide stance box squat: 110 kg x 3 x 5

2h pinch: 63.75 kg x 5 x 5 PR; rubberized plates: 2 x 15 kg around the body twice; 15 kg x + 20 kg x 1; 2 x 20 kg all time PR both hands
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Ab chair: 13 plates x 2.5 all time PR; 11p x 5; 9p x 8; 7p x 10; 5p x 12

At home, before this workout, I was feeling very spent and unenthusiastic about training, and that spells disaster for my deadlift training. And I made a mistake, since in my log I didn't specify if pulled on the low or high handles, and I think it was done on the high ones. I failed on the low handles, but got the weight off the floor, at least I set a rep record later. My pinch strength is coming up, very, very fast - today I did something I wanted to do for a long time, I pinched two 20 kg plates with one hand, and made it with both hands. I know that it's way easier than doing the bare metal ones, but still - I'm happy. 

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (4.5.2019.):

Wider grip bench press: 90 kg x 1; 110 kg x 1; 120 kg x 1; 130 kg x 1 PR; 135 kg x 0 x 2; 100 kg x 11 volume PR

JM press: 85 kg x 5 x 5 PR
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Rope row: stack + 10 kg x 20 x 5

Rolling thunder: 62.5 kg x 1; 65 kg x 1 x 2 all time PR; 70 kg x 0; 67.5 kg off the floor

DB lateral raise: 12.5 kg x 15 x 3
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Supinated DB biceps curl: 12.5 kg x 10 x 3

Feeling very strong, I'm close to my yearly goal on the RT, which is 70 kg. It's a month away, two if everything goes wrong.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (6.5.2019.):

DE squat (reverse mini bands): 105 kg x 2 x 9 - 30-40 second rest

DE sumo deadlift (mini bands): 100 kg x 1 x 7

2h pinch: 65 kg x 5 x 5 PR

Reverse hyperextension: 110 kg x 15 x 5 PR
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Full ROM leg raises: 15 x 5 PR

I'm having some ischiadicus/sciatic nerve issues, my right leg is numb all the way, my left up to my knee, but the workout made it better. I'm becoming a lobster...

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (7.5.2019.):

Wide grip bench press: 80 kg x 6 x 6 

Seated BTN press: 80 kg x 2.5 PR; 70 kg x 5 x 2; 60 kg x 8 x 2
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Lat pulldown: 65 kg x 12 x 5

Rope triceps extension: 8 plates x 15 x 5
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Rope biceps curl: 8p x 15 x 2

Did this in an hour, triceps extensions were done strict, and it was very hard to do. Wide grip is gonna be performed in 6x6 scheme for the next two weeks climbing 5-7.5 kg per workout. 

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (9.5.2019.):

Conventional DO deadlift: 120 kg x 2; 160 kg x 1; 180 kg x 1; 200 kg x 0 x 2

Sumo FG deadlift: 120 kg x 0; 107.5 kg x 3 x 2 PR; 107.5 kg x 2

Back squat: 115 kg x 3 x 5

45° hyperextension/ghr hybrid: 10 kg x 12 x 5
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Ab chair: 7p x 15; x 12 x 4 volume PR

I was very, very disappointed with my deadlift fail, to the point of wanting to go home because of it. My hands were cold as ice for the first 30 minutes of the workout, and I couldn't warm them up, just ice cold. I used to have those kind of problems before, but when the heating is on, I just put my hands on a radiator, but they aren't working now. Second thing, I'm forced to use a bar with a bigger diameter, since it's the only bar in the gym with decent knurling. Second attempt I managed to warm my hands up, and grip wasn't an issue, I just didn't have the strength to lift the weight. 

After the initial disappointment I looked at the things rationally, 10 kg jump is pretty big, I went from 180 to 190 in a month, it's foolish to expect 190 - 200 with worse assistance. The mistakes that I've made are:

1. free squatting instead of using bands on my DE cycle
2. using power cleans as an assistance exercise in that same DE cycle
3. not enough volume on my assistance work, a single assistance exercise is not remotely enough, there has to be two each workout
4. not having extra workouts to work on my weaknesses and as a form of active recovery

In the next month, there will be no mistakes like these, and I expect a good result. I'm also not going to use the bar that I've used today, since besides the knurling, it's garbage. If I fail again, with everything done right, I'm just gonna stop bothering with serious strength training, and just put my 100% focus on grip training, and train my general strength as a 2nd priority. 

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Extra workout (10.5.2019.):

Band resisted walking: 5:00 forward 5:00 backward

Mini band good morning: 50 reps
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Mini band standing abs: 50 reps
 

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (11.5.2019.):

Floor press: 90 kg x 3; 110 kg x 1; 120 kg x 1; 127.5 kg x 1; 130 kg x 1

JM press: 87.5 kg x 5 x 5 PR
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Cable row: stack + 15 kg x 20 x 5 volume PR

DB 1h lateral raise: 15 kg x 15 x 3
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2h pinch: 67.5 kg x 5 x 5 PR

Rolling thunder: 62.5 kg x 1 x 2

Very satisfied with my upper body progress, since everything is done right assistance wise, I gotta have the same focus for my lower body workouts and not be afraid of overtraining. 5 kg PR in a month. Pinch is giving me issues, since the aluminum block is extremely slick, and it's a battle every set to get a good grip, I'll solve that by using an anti-rust product or something similar to give it a bit rougher surface.

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Extra workout (12.5.2019.):

Flat DB flyes: 12.5 kg x 20 x 4
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DB hammer curls: 12.5 kg x 15 x 3
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Mini band triceps extension: 20 x 3

[Aleksandar Milosevic]

Today's training (13.5.2019.):

Banded walking: forward and backward 2:00 each

DE squat (reverse mini bands): 112.5 kg x 2 x 9 - 30-40 second rest

DE conventional deadlift (mini bands): 110 kg x 1 x 7 - short rest

Band belt squat: from 1st to 5th pin 15 reps each - 75 total

Reverse hyperextension: 110 kg x 20 PR; x 15 x 4
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Full ROM leg raises: 16 x 5 volume PR

I've found a way to do belt squats, it's not perfect, but it will do.