Full Workout Logs: Starting 3/22/09: Alternate High/ Low Reps: Weeks 1-4 of 11

Full Workout Log

Starting 3/22/09

Alternate High/ Low Reps:
Weeks 1-4 of 11

These workout logs are continued from: Full Workout Logs: Starting 2/19/09: Alternate Weeks: Weeks 6-10 of 10.

Next contest: RAWU Northeast Regional & Pennsylvania State Championships, June 13-14, 2009 in Greencastle, PA. For further details, see Revised Contest Plans for 2009. If anyone is interested in this contest, details are on RAWU’s Web site.

Weight Class: 114s or 123s.
Age Class: Masters II (45-49).

Warm-ups are in brackets. All weights are in pounds. Format: pounds/reps.
Workout times includes set-up, warm-up, lifting, cardio, stretching, and clean-up.

Terminology for workout logs:
Completely Raw = no gear, not even a belt.
Unequipped = belt, wrist wraps, knee sleeves.

Week One

Squats

Week 1 of 11

Sunday – 3/22/09

Completely Raw Squats: [45/15, 95/8, 135/5, 175/8] 200/8, 225/8

Chain Squats (chains set-up weighs about 90 pounds):

[95/6, 115/6] 135/6, 155/6

Crunches: [25/12] 35/15, 40/15

Step ups: 3:00

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:28

I changed my plans some. Rather than an “Alternate Weeks” routine of doing only assistance work one week then the actual powerlifts the next, I am going to use an “Alternate High/ Low Reps” routine. I’ve used this routine before with good success.

For this plan, on odd-numbered weeks, I do the powerlifts raw for higher (5-8) reps, then even-numbered weeks, I do the powerlifts with gear for low (1-4) reps. But this time, my “geared” week will be done unequipped, so the difference will not be as great as when I used full gear. But it should still be effective.

I will do two work sets each week, except the first two weeks. This week, I am only working up to one somewhat hard set of eight reps, then next week I will work up to one somewhat hard set of four reps. This plan will give me a chance to deload and to gauge how my hamstring is doing before getting back into harder training the rest of the routine.

I will follow up the powerlift with one major assistance exercise each week, also for two work sets, except again, the first two weeks, when I am only working up to one somewhat hard set of six reps. The assistance exercise for squats and benches the first week is a “top end” exercise; the second week, it is a “bottom end” exercise. For DLs, I’ll be doing something a little different.

All that said, this workout went well. My hamstring only bothered me a little on the top sets of both squat exercises. But I was rather tired after the squat work, mainly because I am not used to doing sets of eight. But I’ll get used to it!

Strangely, my hamstring bothered me somewhat more on the step-ups, hence why I cut them short. So after last week talking about how I had increased to over six minutes on my cardio, I once again am going to have to cut back and gradually workout back up. This time, I think I will stop at six minutes, but then work on increasing the intensity rather than the time.

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Benches

Week 1 of 11

Monday – 3/23/09

Completely Raw Benches: [45/15, 95/8, 115/8] 125/8, 135/8

Reverse Band Benches (#3, light bands): [135/8, 155/8] 175/8, 185/8

Curl Bar Rows: [55/8, 65/8] 75/8, 85/8

Heavy Bag: 3:00

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:14

A good workout. My various pain areas felt fine.

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Deadlifts

Week 1 of 11

Wednesday – 3/25/09

Completely Raw Deadlifts: [45/15, 135/8, 185/8, 225/8] 265/8, 285/8

Platform Deadlifts (on 3” high platform): [135/8, 185/6] 225/6, 245/6

One-Leg Dip Bar Leg Raises (reps to each side): 15, 15

Jump Rope: 1:30

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:14

Ditto my comments from the previous workout.

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Bench Assistance

Week 1 of 11

Thursday – 3/26/09

DB Decline Bench: [20s/15, 30s/6, 40s/6, 50s/6] 55s/6, 60s/6

BB Presses: [45/8, 55/6, 65/6] 75/6, 80/6

Pull-ups: bwt/6, bwt/6

DB Curls: [10s/10] 15s/10, 20s/10

DB Flyes: [10s/10] 12s/15, 12s/15

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:22

Week Two

Squats

Week 2 of 11

Sunday – 3/29/09

Unequipped Squats

Gear: Crain: power belt, squat shoes; APT: Convict knee sleeves:

[45/15, 115/8, 165/4, add gear: 215/4, 255/4] 275/4, 295/2

Pause Squats: [95/8, 135/6] 155/6, 175/6

Bicycle Abs (reps to each side): 15, 15

Step ups: 3:30

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:31

This was the first time since before my hamstring injury last October that I wore any kind of gear, and the first time I used APT’s Convict knee sleeves.

The Convict knee sleeves provided plenty of support, and my knees felt fine. But they were very difficult to get on and off. They didn’t seem to add anything to the lift, so I don’t think they will be worth the effort. I will go back to using APT heavy knee sleeves that I wore for my last contest. They also provide plenty of support, but they are much easier to get on and off.

In any case, I had only planned on doing sets of four, working up to one somewhat heavy set. But instead, I decided to go a little lighter on that set than I had planned, and then to do a somewhat heavy double. I will then gradually increase from here.

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Benches

Week 2 of 11

Monday – 3/30/09

Unequipped Benches

Gear: APT: bench belt, 24” Black Mamba wrist wraps:

[45/15, 95/8, 115/5, add gear: 135/3] 150/4, 160/2

Feet on Bench Benches: [95/8, 115/6] 135/6

DB Rows (elbows out): [30/8, 40/8] 50/8

Heavy Bag: 3:30

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:12

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Deadlifts

Week 2 of 11

Wednesday – 4/1/09

Unequipped Deadlifts (sumo)

Gear: Crain: power belt; APT: heavy knee sleeves; Nike wrestling shoes:

[45/15, 135/8, 185/4, add gear: 235/4, 285/4] 335/4, 355/2

Good Mornings: [45/8, 75/8] 95/8, 105/8

Shrugs [135/8] 185/8, 195/8

Leg Raises: 20, 15

Jump Rope: 1:45

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:23

After my hamstring problem the last time I went heavy on DLs, I had no idea what to do for this workout. But DLs went okay.

After injuring my hamstring last October on GMs, I wasn’t sure if I would do them again or not. But I do believe they really help both my squat and DL. Also, I’ve been doing leg curls since then but still had a problem with my other hamstring two weeks ago. So I am thinking GMs will be a good way to strengthen my hamstrings in a manner that has more carryover to DLs. I will just be sure to watch my form very carefully. Also, when I injured my hamstring, I was doing GMs as my first exercise of the day. Here I am doing them after DLs, so my hamstrings will be more warmed up.

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Bench Assistance

Week 2 of 11

Thursday – 4/2/09

DB Incline Bench: [10s/15, 20s/8, 30s/8] 35s/8, 40s/8

BB Decline Bench: [95/8, 115/6 135/6] 1456

Chin-ups: bwt./ 8, bwt./8

Reverse BB Curls: 45/10, 45/10

DB Flyes: [10s/10] 14/10,14/10

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:07

This workout ends my deload period. After a two day rest, Sunday I will start back into harder workouts.

Week Three

Squats

Week 3 of 11

Sunday – 4/5/09

Completely Raw Squats: [45/15, 115/8, 165/5, 210/3] 235/8, 255/6

Chain Squats (chains set-up weighs about 90 pounds):

[95/5, 140/3] 165/6, 185/4

Crunches: [30/10] 45/11, 45/10

Step ups: 4:00

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:24

I made a small change in my form that might make a big difference. I was angling my feet outward about 45 degrees. With that angle, I could feel a stretch in my groin area and the stress more in my hips. For this workout, I angled my feet more forward, about 25 degrees. That eliminated the stretch in the groin and put more stress on the quads. I was able to drop below parallel more easily and felt stronger in the hole. I’ll see what happens next week when I use this new foot angle for my heavy squats.

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Benches

Week 3 of 11

Monday – 4/6/09

Completely Raw Benches: [45/15, 95/8, 110/5, 125/3] 140/8, 150/6

Reverse Band Benches (#3, light bands): [145/5, 175/3] 195/6, 205/4

Curl Bar Rows: [55/8, 75/4] 90/8, 100/6

Heavy Bag: 4:00

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:18

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Deadlifts

Week 3 of 11

Wednesday – 4/8/09

Completely Raw Deadlifts: [45/15, 135/8, 200/5, 265/3] 295/8, 315/6

Platform Deadlifts (conv. stance, on 2.25” high platform): [135/8, 185/5, 230/3] 255/6, 275/4

One-Leg Dip Bar Leg Raises (with 3# ankle weights; reps to each side): 12, 12

Jump Rope: 2:00

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:13

I was tired for this workout after having two doctor’s appointments in the morning. But I still managed to work out okay.

Last time I did PDLs, I used my competitive, sumo stance, but I changed to a conventional stance here to give the low back and hamstrings more work than they get with sumos. I also switched to a slightly lower platform (three ¾” thick planks rather than four).

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Bench Assistance

Week 3 of 11

Thursday – 4/9/09

DB Decline Bench: [20s/15, 35s/8, 45s/5, 55s/3] 62s/6, 67s/4

BB Presses: [45/8, 60/5, 75/3] 85/6, 90/4

Pull-ups: bwt/8, bwt/8

DB Curls: [15s/10] 22s/10, 25s/8

DB Flyes: [10s/10] 14s/12, 14s/12

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:16

I was very tired by the end of this workout. But it just happened to work out that my planned monthly day off will be on Easter Sunday, so I won’t work out again until Monday. By then, I am sure I will feel fine.

Week Four

Squats

Week 4 of 11

Monday – 4/13/09

Unequipped Squats

Gear: Crain: power belt, squat shoes; APT: heavy knee sleeves:

[45/15, 125/8, 175/5, add gear: 215/3, 255/1] 285/4, 305/2

Pause Squats: [135/5, 165/3] 185/6, 200/4

Bicycle Abs (reps to each side): 20, 20

Step ups: 4:30

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:23

A good workout. The APT heavy knee sleeves worked great. They are very easy to pull up and down but provided plenty of support. My knees felt fine after this workout, so that will be my knee support of choice for lifting unequipped. If anyone is interested in these knee sleeves, they are available at APT.

My new feet angle felt good, but I need to watch my form. With my toes pointed more forward I tend to not sit back as much and thus to lean forward more. But once I get that figured out, I think it will work out well.

The pause squats are killers. My legs were really beat afterwards.

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Benches

Week 4 of 11

Wednesday – 4/15/09

Unequipped Benches

Gear: APT: bench belt, 24” Black Mamba wrist wraps:

[45/15, 95/8, 115/5, 130/3, add gear: 145/1] 160/4, 170/2

Feet on Bench Benches: [95/8, 115/5, 130/3] 145/6, 155/4

DB Rows (elbows out): [35/8, 45/4] 52/8, 57/5

Heavy Bag: 4:30

Stretching: ~10 minutes

Workout time: 1:16

This was the first time I worked hard on the Feet on Bench Benches, and I must say, they are tough. I am doing them after my regular benches for this routine, but I might do them instead of regular benches in the future. But I find it interesting that I am using about the same weight with my feet up as with them down. I’m not quite sure what that means.

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Deadlifts

Week 4 of 11

Thursday – 4/16/09

Unequipped Deadlifts (sumo)

Gear: Crain: power belt; APT: heavy knee sleeves; Nike wrestling shoes:

[45/15, 135/8, 195/5, add gear: 255/3, 315/1] 345/4, 365/2

Good Mornings: [45/8, 70/5, 95/3] 115/6, 125/4

Shrugs [135/8, 185/4] 205/8, 220/5

Leg Raises: 20, 20

Jump Rope: 2:15

Stretching: ~10 minutes