M10 W2 Deadlift Day

Summer 2009 Training
Mesocycle 10 - Week 2
Deadlift Day

Beginning Thoughts:

Got my platform built. Finally. Tested it out today.

Workout:

Banded Deadlifts w/ Red Bands:
95 lb x 2 reps x 1 set
115 lbs x 2 reps x 1 set
135 lbs x 2 reps x 5 sets
Good work on this. Last time I attempted these 135 had been my max. I am glad I broke that. This was one of my "mini-goals" of today's workout.

Deadlifts:
385 lbs x 2 reps
405 lbs x 1 rep
The 405 was a real grinder. I would be upset but I am not. For two reasons. One, I warmed up pretty badly for this because I don't know how to transition from Banded Deadlifts @ 135 to Deadlifts without wasting time. This whole workout in all took 2.5 hours almost - time isn't the problem...I just need to know what to do so I turn up to the gym before it shuts.

Pistol Squats:
4 + 3 + 3 = 10 reps
I didn't take a vid last Pistol Squat Day, so here y'all go. Clip of Set 1 is provided. Unfortunately, form got better over all sets and I never took vids of any of the other sets. I am gonna take some vids in a couple of days when I have my Pistol Squat Day coming up.

Suitcase Deadlifts:
135 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets

Plate Pinches:
25 lbs x 40 seconds
25 lbs x 30 seconds
25 lbs x 20 seconds

Dragonfly Leg Raises:
BW x 10 reps x 2 sets

Videos:

Deadlifts, Pistol Squats & Suitcase Deadlifts:

Overall Impression:

I hope everyone's having a good week. I can't believe it's only Tuesday...

On another note: I have been thinking about this and I have concluded that it is OK not to nail a new PR week in and week out. I know this is nothing new but I tend to overlook other aspects of my training. This whole last week I was a ticking time bomb because of one bad deadlift session - not that today's was spectacular, because it wasn't. BUT, I did hit my mini-goals so that cheers me up for sure. I am learning to look at the larger picture. What's the larger picture?
1.) I am getting so much better at Pistol Squats and I am rocking them like never before.
2.) My stomach has come in and my upper abs are visible. Now all I have are HUGE love handles to the side. Before I used to have a keg. Now I am closer to Biscuits.
3.) My OH Squat is progressing well.
4.) My Conditioning Work is also going well.
5.) I am stronger on pull-ups.
6.) My upper body is getting built.
7.) Deadlift is hovering close to 405-425.

Now, looking at this, my Deadlift isn't that bad. After all...what race am I in? My only concern at the beginning of this vacation was me losing strength on the Deadlift. BUT, I haven't. I have at worst just maintained. In terms of quality, my Deficit Deadlifts were killer and I got 425 up to my knees even. So having a slowly progressing Deadlift is OK.

I guess that was just something I wanted to make note of. This is strictly only for GUS, ofcourse....

Thanks for reading, y'all!!

M10 W1 Conditioning Day

Summer 2009 Training
Mesocycle 10 - Week 1
Conditioning Day

Beginning Thoughts:

I went in to workout with my training partner Kanishk. Kanishk is returning to the gym after a year of living in the kitchen.

Workout:

Overhead Squats:
25 lbs x 3 reps
45 lbs x 3 reps
75 lbs x 3 reps
95 lbs x 3 reps
115 lbs x 2 reps
135 lbs x 2 reps
155 lbs x 1 rep
175 lbs x 1 rep
A new high on that set with 175. Pretty happy about nailing that.

Conditioning Circuit done 4 times:
Spiderman Walks = BW x 10 reps
Dumbbell Windmills = 14 kgs x 7 reps
Supine Glute Ham Raises = BW x 10 reps
Front Planks = BW x 30 seconds
This was good fun. I got the fourth circuit on video...

Videos:

OH Squats, Conditioning Circuit & Kanishk's Deadlift:

Overall Impression:

I saw Terminator 4 tonight. Awesome movie. I dunno why people didn't like it though....I do think Christian Bale can't act for ****..I liked the role of Marcus much more.

Have a good weekend, y'all!!!

M10 W1 Pistol Squat Day

Summer 2009 Training
Mesocycle 10 - Week 1
Pistol Squat Day

Beginning Thoughts:

Finally made my own dip belt....tested it out today. The Dip Belt must be weighing in at 5 lbs at the very least.

Workout:

Pistol Squats:
2 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 15 reps
Good stuff.

Pull-ups:
BW x 5 reps x 1 set
BW + 10 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets
BW + 20 lbs x 2 reps x 10 sets @ 7 minute time limit
BW + 30 lbs x 1 rep x 5 sets @ 3 minute time limit
BW + 45 lbs x fail
BW x 6 reps x 1 set
BW x 4 reps x 1 set
Total Reps = 50
Decent stuff. The Dip Belt takes time to get used to...And I didn't rest enough. I should've taken 5-6 minutes where I took only 2 or at the most 3.

Unilateral Lat Pulldowns:
35 kgs x 6 reps
40 kgs x 5 reps
45 kgs x 3 reps
50 kgs x 2 reps
This is hard.

Overhead Plate Side Bends:
25 lbs x 8 reps
10 lbs x 15 reps
25 lbs x 10 reps

Cable Wood Chops:
15 kgs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Videos:

Trust me to forget my camera on a crucial day like today....How dumb!

Overall Impression:

I hope everyone's having a good week. I apologize if I've been grumpy in the last few days.....Bad Deadlift days piss me off to no end and kinda ruin my whole week such that I cannot see the bright side of anything (like for example how I absolutely nailed those Pistols today) but I am working on this and trying to be more positive in life.

In other news, MJ is dead. I read this on Lyle's forum and think it's ****ing hilarious to no end: "MJ is the first human in history to be born a black man and die a white woman." Maybe it's too soon but I think thats a hilarious comment.

M10 W1 Upper Body Day

Summer 2009 Training
Mesocycle 10 - Week 1
Upper Body Day

Beginning Thoughts:

No thoughts after yesterday's disastrous workout.

Workout:

Incline Bench Press:
185 lbs x 3 reps
195 lbs x 3 reps
205 lbs x 3 reps
215 lbs x FAIL
205 lbs x 2 reps
225 lbs x 1 rep
205 lbs x 2 reps
LOL @ failing at 215 and then nailing 225....I think this was better than my Deadlift workout. Pretty pathetic.

Chest Supported Rows:
90 lbs x 8 reps x 1 set
135 lbs x 6 reps x 2 sets
160 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets
180 lbs x 3 reps x 1 set
135 lbs x 8 reps x 1 set

Banded Push-ups:
Red Band x 10 reps x 2 sets
Red Band x 5 reps x 1 set
I just could not go over 5 reps on set #2.

Banded Shrugs:
Red Band x 15 reps x 3 sets
These were super-setted with Banded Push-ups.

Banded Kelso Shrugs:
Red Band x 12 reps x 3 sets

Banded Hammer Curls:
White Band x 10 reps x 3 sets

Pulley Push-downs:
30 kgs x 8 reps x 3 sets

Videos:

Nothing special about today.

Overall Impression:

Decent session. Should've done some ab work. Next time.

M10 W1 Deadlift Day

Summer 2009 Training
Mesocycle 10 - Week 1
Deadlift Day

Beginning Thoughts:

Had a ****ty day at work....The stock market tanked in the morning and then picked up 2 hours before trading ended. This translates into chaos with the traders and nothing to do for us interns...sat on my hands all day. I was so hoping I'd actually be assigned work and stuff.

Workout:

Deadlift Singles @ 90%:
385 lbs
405 lbs
405 lbs
415 lbs x FAIL
405 lbs x FAIL
385 lbs
385 lbs
This workout sucked! My deadlifts have become a pain in the ass to progress on in the last 5-6 weeks. Pisses me off to no end. I have done 425 just a month and a half ago after doing so much band work! And ****ing 415 was a pain...I was so pissed off that I simple didn't record the last single with 385...kinda gave up hope and didn't care if I got it or not. Deadlifts are beginning to annoy me....they might as well be swapped with that ****ing bench press.

Pistol Squats:
1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5 reps
What a surprise...I suck at Deadlifts but I did these smoothly? Wtf is wrong with my legs. On the Deadlifts as soon as I hit the knee my form crumbles.

Suitcase Deadlifts:
115 lbs x 6 reps x 3 sets
155 lbs x 6 reps
I'm gonna include this exercise from now on.

Plate Pinches:
25 lbs x 40 seconds
25 lbs x 30 seconds
25 lbs x 50 seconds
Wow I progressed on Plate Pinches...How awesome! The highlight of my workout..

Dragonfly Leg Raises:
BW x 10 reps x 2 sets

Videos:

Deadlift fiasco:

Overall Impression:

Miserable day at the gym. Deadlift sucks. I hate it.

M9 W4 Conditioning Day

Summer 2009 Training
Mesocycle 9 - Week 4
Conditioning Day

Beginning Thoughts:

I decided to make some changes to my training just for today. The goal was to set a time limit of 20 minutes and squeeze in as many front squats and pull-ups as I could in that time limit. The weight on the front squats was set at 185 lbs. This was done yesterday. I am so sore today I cannot even sit on a chair without my legs absolutely collapsing.

Workout:

Overhead Squats:
25 lbs x 5 reps
45 lbs x 4 reps
75 lbs x 5 reps
95 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets

Timed Set @ 20 minutes:
Front Squats @ 185 lbs = 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 35 reps
Pull-ups @ Body Weight = 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 35 reps
The longest and most grueling 20 minutes of my life!

Videos:

Nothing.

Overall Impression:

Time to rest and plan my next mesocycle...

Have a good weekend and thanks for reading!

M9 W4 Pistol Squat Day

Summer 2009 Training
Mesocycle 9 - Week 4
Pistol Squat Day

Beginning Thoughts:

My diet has been absolutely terrible these last 5 days...I don't think I've eaten this much junk food in my life. It's been McDonalds, Pizza hut - you name it from morning to midnight. There's no time like the present so it's time to get back to eating right.

Workout:

Pistol Squats:
Left Leg: 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 10 Reps
Right Leg: 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 10 Reps
No heel elevation today. I wasn't gonna be able to record any of these because of the rush but I decided to be a big bully and get my video in nonetheless.

Pull-ups:
BW x 10 reps x 2 sets
BW + 39.6 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 52.8 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 39.6 lbs x 3 reps
BW + 35.2 lbs x 3 reps
Total Reps = 30
I was feeling kinda meh about pull-ups today. I'm gonna do that ladder thingy I love next week.

Ab Roller:
BW x 8 reps x 3 sets

Decline Dumbbell Punches:
22 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets

Videos:

Pistol Squats:

Overall Impression:

Time for the weekend!

Have a good weekend and thanks a bunch for reading!!

M9 W4 Upper Body Day

Summer 2009 Training
Mesocycle 9 - Week 4
Upper Body Day

Beginning Thoughts:

This is yesterday's workout...I changed it completely. I have been having this craving sensation of wanting to bench. I wish I had remembered why exactly I hate this exercise.

Workout:

Bench Press:
115 lbs x 5 reps
115 lbs x 5 reps
165 lbs x 5 reps
205 lbs x 3 reps
205 lbs x 2 reps
My bench numbers oscillate all over the place lol!!!

Close Grip Bench Press:
165 lbs x 4 reps x 4 sets

Bench Press:
185 lbs x 2 reps
195 lbs x 2 reps
205 lbs x 2 reps
215 lbs x 2 reps
225 lbs x 2 reps
I hate this exercise.

Pull-ups:
BW x 5 reps x 2 sets
I have been doing WAYYY too many pull-ups over the last week...I wanted to take a break from these and do something else instead.

Chest Supported Rows:
45 lbs x 5 reps
90 lbs x 5 reps
115 lbs x 5 reps
135 lbs x 5 reps
160 lbs x 3 reps
180 lbs x 3 reps
135 lbs x 6 reps

Swiss Ball Jackknife Pikes:
BW x 8 reps x 3 sets

Videos:

Nothing special about today.

Overall Impression:

I hope everyone's having a good week. I am looking forward to the weekend

M9 W4 Deadlift Day

Summer 2009 Training
Mesocycle 9 - Week 4
Deadlift Day

Beginning Thoughts:

Since I have missed the last 2 weeks of regular training, I figured this was as good a time as any to jump to week 4. If I had stuck to plan I would've spent today doing Pistol Squats and Pull-ups and as you guys can tell from the last six workouts, I've had an overdose of those two exercises. So I made today into Deadlift Day

Workout:

Deficit Deadlifts:
355 lbs x 2 reps
365 lbs x 2 reps
375 lbs x 2 reps
405 lbs x 2 reps
425 lbs x fail @ knees
425 lbs x fail @ mid-shin
385 lbs x 2 reps
As luck would have it, 5 lights in the gym near me were out. SO i had to do this in the dark. I did take clips of everything, but I apologize if y'all cannot make out what is going on. Look for my bright white socks. They should be like guiding beacons for y'all!

Supine Glute Ham Raises:
BW x 10 reps x 3 sets
These were especially hard today....

Overhead Plate Side-bends:
25 lbs x 10 reps x 3 sets

Straight Arm Pulldowns:
49.5 lbs x 13 reps x 3 sets

Front Planks with One Arm and One Foot Elevated:
BW x 40 seconds x 3 sets

Plate Pinches:
25 lbs x 40 seconds x 2 sets
I think more important than the Deficit Deadlift with 405, this was the highlight of today's workout...I am so happy I could do this. It was hard as hell and I did not use my fingers to cheat.

Videos:

Deficit Deadlifts:

Overall Impression:

I start my internship at a stock broker's firm tomorrow...I feel lazy and I just wanna relax and read books....Arg. Gotto get my head in the game and do this internship for the next 6-7 weeks.

I hope everyone is having a good week. Thanks for reading!

6 Workouts from Cruise

I spent last week busy in a remote place without any actual gym facilities. So I had to improvise. Here are my 6 workouts directly from my actual log...

07/06/2009 Sunday
Pistol Squats: 9 reps per leg
I did this with zero heel elevation. This was damn hard but I am glad I managed to get quality reps in. Next time the goal is to record this.
Pull-ups: BW x 5 reps, BW + 20 lbs x 2 reps x 10 sets, BW + 30 lbs x 2 reps x 2 sets, BW + 10 lbs x 4 reps x 2 sets, BW x 5 reps, BW x 10 reps, BW x 3 reps x 2 sets wide grip
Total Reps = 50
Dumbbells were a pain in the ass to grasp with my feet!
Cable Wood Chops: 27.5 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets
Unilateral Hanging Leg Raises: BW x 10 reps x 2 sets

08/06/2009 Monday Morning
Pistol Squats: 8 reps per leg
I dunno if I am hitting depth with my left leg. I am going down but my ass is not touching my calves. With time that should improve hopefully.
Pull-ups: BW x 7 reps x 3 sets, BW x 4 reps, BW x 5 reps
Total Reps = 30
I took this real easy.
Unilateral Lat Pulldowns: 55 lbs x 8 reps x 3 sets
Cable Wood Chops: 27.5 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets
Swiss Ball Jackknife Pike: BW x 8 reps x 2 sets
Boxing Practice: Jabbing with fists, Kicks, Hitting with Forearms and swinging legs

08/06/2009 Monday Night
Pistol Squats: 7 reps per leg
My left leg is ****ing hurting like a bitch right around the knee. I may have overdone the pistols during these two days. I?m gonna take a break from Pistols for next 2-3 days or atleast do them at a minimum. Good news is that my form is so much better than before. Just that makes this satisfactory.
Pull-ups: BW x 5 reps x 5 sets
Total Reps = 25
I am so damn happy. Over the last 2 days I have managed to do 100 pull-ups. My biceps are sore too. Such high frequency training isn?t good for me; for one I am not used to it and in addition to that I don?t need to do such high frequency work for my goal. But, its outcome has been that I am better than ever at Pistol Squats and I am getting better at pull-ups.
Swiss Ball Jackknife Pike: BW x 8 reps x 3 sets
Boxing Practice: Did some kicks with both legs but my left leg was giving me trouble ****ing painful.

09/06/2009 Tuesday
Pistol Squats: 3 reps per leg
I am gonna take a break from these for the next 2-3 days at most. My knees are hurting a lot from so much walking around (we walked for a good 7 hours today).
Unilateral RDLs: 30 lbs x 10 reps x 3 sets
Pull-ups: BW x 5 reps x 3 sets
Total Reps = 15
This is becoming a bit monotonous. Gonna do some other back variations tomorrow.
Dumbbell Windmills: 30 lbs x 10 reps x 4 sets
Damn tiring. I think the unsteadiness of the boat also added to this. I was very cautious because of my shoulders.
Supine Glute Ham Raises: BW x 10 reps x 2 sets

12/06/2009 Friday
Pistol Squats: 10 reps per leg
Goddamn this is hard as hell!!! My right leg sucks and so does my left.
Pull-ups: BW x 5 reps x 2 sets, BW + 20 lbs x 2 reps x 5 sets, BW + 30 lbs x 2 reps x 5 sets, BW x 3 reps, BW x 7 reps
Total Reps = 40
This was awesome. But the dumbbells are ****ing hard to hold onto!
Unilateral Dumbbell Shoulder Press Standing: 35 lbs x 8 reps, 50 lbs x 6 reps x 3 sets, 55 lbs x 6 reps, 60 lbs x 3 reps, 65 lbs x 3 reps, 60 lbs x 3 reps
Finally some pressing work?
Swiss Ball Jackknive Pike: BW x 6 reps x 4 sets
I think this is the best form I have ever had on these.
Dragonfly Leg Raises: BW x 8 reps x 2 sets

13/06/2009 Saturday
Pistol Squats: 3 reps per leg
These were too ****ing hard. My left knee is aching. **** this? Perhaps I need to cut back on these?.I?ll see how things go on Tuesday when I get back to my normal routine. Perhaps I have overdone it a bit by doing so much unilateral leg work. We?ll see?.perhaps all I need is a bit of rest which is ironic because this was supposed to be a vacation!
Unilateral Standing Shoulder Press: 35 lbs x 8 reps, 50 lbs x 3 reps, 55 lbs x 3 reps, 60 lbs x 3 reps, 65 lbs x 2 reps, 70 lbs x 2 reps
This was great. 70 lbs is a new for me and this was my goal for today: work up to 70 lbs.
Pull-ups: BW + 20 lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets, BW + 30 lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets, BW x 7 reps
Total Reps = 25
I am happy with these. My goal is to try to do something of the 3x3 nature while increasing the weight every ?group? of 3x3?s.
Unilateral Lat Pulldowns: 55 lbs x 5 reps, 70 lbs x 5 reps
Swiss Ball Jackknive Pike: BW x 8 reps x 3 sets
Swiss Ball Glute Ham Raises: BW x 10 reps x 3 sets
Cable Wood Chops: 30 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets
Unilateral Leg Raises: BW x 8 reps x 2 sets

--x---

I am heading back home in a couple of hours....I'll be back in the gym on Tuesday with my regular training.

My diet over the last 2 weeks has gone from Bad to Worse...all I ahve been eating is 500 grams of cooked meat and a LOT of desert stuff like cakes, pastries, etc...Nasty stuff with every single meal. So I am going to spend the next month or so at the very very least trying to clean up my diet!

I hope everyone has been having a good week. I'll be online regularly from Tuesday!

Cheers and thanks for reading as always

M9 W3 Pistol Squat Day

Summer 2009 Training
Mesocycle 9 - Week 3
Pistol Squat Day

Beginning Thoughts:

I'm a bit late with this update. 2 things of note...no wait 3. I'm tied up with some stuff so I won't be working out regularly till the 15th of June. To be honest, I am not even in the country: I am touring Span with my family and my next workoutwill be once I return to Bombay. I skipped Upper Body Day this week. This is a late update - my workout was 3 days on Monday.

Workout:

Pistol Squats:
Left Leg: 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 15 Reps
Right Leg: 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 15 Reps
Last week I swapped the 5 kgs plate below my heel to a much much thinner 2.5 kgs plate. Last week workout was shit because I was so dependent on the thick plate. This week, workout was awesome because I learnt to cope with that. I am less dependent on that heel elevation. Very soon I expect and I aim to be completely independent of it!

Pull-ups:
Ladder Up
BW + 8.8 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 13.2 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 17.6 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 22.0 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 26.4 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 30.8 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 35.2 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 39.6 lbs x 2 reps
Ladder Peak
BW + 44.0 lbs x 2 reps
Ladder Down
BW + 39.6 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 35.2 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 30.8 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 26.4 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 22.0 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 17.6 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 13.2 lbs x 2 reps
BW + 8.8 lbs x 2 reps
Same Ladder Standing
BW x 8 reps
BW x 10 reps
Total Reps = 50
Damn this was hard!

Swiss Ball Jackknife Pike:
BW x 6 reps x 3 sets

Jhanda Sit-ups:
BW x 12 reps x 3 sets

Videos:

Pistol Squats:

Overall Impression:

I hope everyone is having a good week. Thanks for reading, y'all!!!