Getting Bigger & Stronger

[cyclops]

I'm currently doing a Westside-inspired program where I do RE upper, ME lower, ME upper, and DE lower. I don't focus solely on the big 3 the way Westside PLers do. I'll be rotating upper body lifts between horizontal, incline, and overhead pressing, and lower body lifts between back squats, deadlifts, front squats, and rack pulls. I'll be doing various grip work each time I work out.

I work as a waiter so I have plenty of off time, and I have a power rack on my back porch so I can lift anytime I'm home. I'm eating to gain weight and am aiming for 220-230 lbs fairly lean. I'm now 203 at 5'10''. Short term goals are 315 bench, 200 military press, 400 squat, and 450 deadlift. I'll set grip goals once I get back into the flow of training it (just started back).

My squat is weak because I injured my back earlier this year and had to take a few months off from squatting. Once I was able to start back, I had to take it really slowly for a while. I'm just recently getting near my previous poundages (current 5RM is 275, was 305 before the injury).

Anyway, enough talk. Today's workout was:

RE incline press

20 x bar

20 x bar

10 x 95

10 x 115

16 x 135

12 x 135

8 x 135

Pin Presses

10 x 135

10 x 205

10 x 225

10 x 225

8 x 225

Pull-ups

10 x bodyweight

9 x BW

8 x BW

8 x BW

Lateral Raises

15 x 20 (plus DB handle, not sure how much it weighs)

12 x 20

12 x 20

Preacher Curl

10 x 40 (plus EZ Curl bar, not sure how much it weighs)

10 x 50 (ditto...)

10 x 60

10 x 60

8 x 60

DB External Rotations

12 x 5 (plus DB handle)

12 x 5

12 x 5

12 x 5

--------------------------------------

A few hours later, while my wife was lifting:

30 lb hex block snatch

1/1 (R/L)

1/1

1/1

30 lb hex block clean

1/1

1/1

1/1

1/1

2/2

30 lb hex block pass hand to hand (hold 2s before passing)

5/5

5/5

2" Pinch block - 38.5 lbs for time (block weighs 8.5, plus 30 lbs of plates)

5s/3s

5s/3s

4s/10s

6s/5s

And I was spent.

Suggestions and comments are more than welcome. See you at 230.

[cyclops]

Pics of my home gym are in my gallery:

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?act=mod...m&album=582

ME Squat later today.

[cyclops]

Ended up running short on time today (last minute plans), so just worked up to a near-max triple on the back squat and called it a day.

10 x bar

10 x bar

5 x 95

3 x 135

1 x 225

1 x 255

1 x 275

3 x 300

I'm limited to 300 lbs for now, but I'll be getting more plates this week sometime. My hands are really sore from yesterday (mainly my thumbs), so I'll do grip work tomorrow instead.

[unseenbeat]

Solid looking stuff, the pursuit of strength, size, and speed is a long road, I'm just now learning that myself.

[climber511]

Solid looking stuff, the pursuit of strength, size, and speed is a long road, I'm just now learning that myself.

"Seems long" Jeremiah Johnson and climber511

[cyclops]

Thanks guys.

I'm still hurting from Monday's grip workout. I think I'll back off the volume a bit next time I have a pinch workout. I may do some support and crush later today.

Today's workout:

3RM Bench

20 x bar

20 x bar

5 x 95

5 x 115

3 x 135

1 x 165

1 x 185

1 x 205

1 x 225

3 x 240 (PR)

DB Military Press

20 x 20

20 x 20

20 x 20

DB Row

15 x 60

15 x 60

15 x 60

15 x 60

Upright Row

15 x bar

15 x 65

12 x 65

15 x 65

BB Curl

5 x 65, 10 x bar

15 x bar

15 x bar

Don't know why curls were so weak. I'll chalk it up to all the rowing beforehand.

[cyclops]

Skipped DE lower last week because of work. Today was RE upper.

Incline Press

20 x bar

20 x bar

8 x 95

8 x 115

18 x 135

15 x 135

10 x 135

Pin Press

10 x 135

10 x 185

10 x 225

10 x 225

8 x 225

Pull-ups

10 x BW

10 x BW

8 x BW

8 x BW

Lateral Raises

15 x 20

15 x 20

15 x 20

Preacher Curl

12 x 60

10 x 60

12 x 60 (will use 65-70 next week)

DB External Rotations

12 x 10

12 x 10

12 x 10

I'm picking my mom up from the airport (her first time seeing me and my wife since we moved here) in a few minutes so grip work will happen tomorrow.

[cyclops]

I'm still around.

I've been going through a tough family situation recently so I haven't been on the board, but I have been lifting. My mom was in town all of last week, so we (my wife and I) were with her, and then after that we had a crisis that I don't really want to go into. Not me and my wife, but my parents.

Anyway, the conjugate program I was doing was leaving me burned out already, so I'm going to hold off on that until I understand the system a little better (and have the experience to be able to handle it). I'm going back to an old-school full-body type of program that I'm more used to.

Today was:

Deadlift

5 x 135

5 x 205

5 x 255

5 x 300

5 x 300

5 x 300

Incline Press

5 x bar

5 x 95

5 x 115

5 x 135

5 x 155

5 x 175

DB Row

15 x 65

15 x 65

Lean-away Lateral Raises

8 x 20

8 x 20

8 x 20

Wanted to do some calf work but I'm meeting my wife in a few to see Casino Royale after she gets off work.

[cyclops]

Today:

Squat

5 x bar

5 x 95

5 x 135

5 x 185

5 x 225

5 x 265

Press

5 x 95

5 x 115

5 x 135

5 x 150

5 x 150

BB Curl

5 x bar

5 x 75

5 x 95

5 x 95

5 x 95

5 x 95

5 x 95

I changed my grip width on the press today so I wasn't quite as strong as before, but I could feel my delts working much more than before so I think it will be good once I get used to it. Grip work later this evening or tomorrow after work.