Home gym chronicles, Part II; mind over fatter

[Soldier]

Lower body strength today. It was an interesting day. When I was doing my doubles I was trying to break at the knees. It felt weak, but I wasn't sure if it was just because I've been messing with my training lately. It wasn't until I got up to heavy weights that I realized that something was way off.

Breaking at the knees does NOT work for me. My strength is in my lower back. That's why my deadlift is so strong. As soon as I started breaking at the butt again I felt just as strong as ever.

Squat-
45x5
135x3
225x2
275x2
315x2
345x1
295x1 (This was where I gave up on breaking at the knees.)
275x5
275x5
275x5
275x5
275x5

Front squats with chains-
135+30x3
135+50x5
135+50x7

Calf press-
205x10x10

Once I started breaking at the hips again I felt awesome. I could have popped off at least 5 more sets of 5 with 275. I'm not a fan of front squats, but I have to find a way to strengthen my quads. They are weak in comparison to my posterior chain, and I don't want to have any weaknesses.

[BendtheBar]

Breaking at the knees does NOT work for me.

It's an odd variation to master, that's for sure.

Keep smashing.

[EliteDreams]

Do what you gotta! Good work.

[SecondsOut]

that dumbbell workout a couple days ago was awesome! this is the first time i've heard of anyone using chains with dumbbells.
i've tried breaking at the knees with back squat, and i just can't do it. the movement isn't efficient at all for me, and i don't see much value in it compared to other things i can be doing. the only time breaking at the knees feels better is front squat. i hardly break hips at all compared to back squat, and i'm starting to get comfortable with the form.
solid work on that 5x5x275!

[Soldier]

Originally Posted by SecondsOut

that dumbbell workout a couple days ago was awesome! this is the first time i've heard of anyone using chains with dumbbells.

Instead of using chains WITH dumbells, I was actually using chains AS my dumbells. They've actually shown a lot of stuff like that over at eliteFTS. They do chain flies, chain triceps extensions, all kinds of stuff. I'm not as original as I wish I was, lol.

I'll try to get video Saturday when I do the rows again.

[Soldier]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

It's an odd variation to master, that's for sure.

Keep smashing.

I did it when I did the incline squats, and it worked great. I just couldn't handle much weight. I'm still going to break at the knees and try to use as much quad as possible when I do my Sunday leg volume day.

Originally Posted by EliteDreams

Do what you gotta! Good work.

Thanks man, and thanks for stopping by!

[Soldier]

Upper body/bench strength today. More slingshot work, and all the other good stuff.

Paused bench with slingshot-
1st goal; work up to a max single
45x5
135x5
225x5
275x1
295x1
315x1
325x1
2nd goal; 5x5*
295x3
295x3
295x3
295x4

Paused bench, raw-
225x5 (Decided I wanted to try a set without the slingshot)

Opposing, close grip pullups-
BWx2
BWx3
BWx4
BWx5
BWx5
BWx5
BWx4

Weighted situps-
45+1 chain x10x10

Supersetted with curls-
60x10x10

*I REALLY wanted to do some sets with 295, to see how it felt. I didn't feel confortable doing sets of 5 with 295 yet, so I shortened the sets a bit. I'll try to get 285 for 5x5 next week and stick with my plan (I've never been too good at sticking to a plan).

I'm learning, slowly, how to bench with a pause. It's VERY different. I'm focussing on all the things I've read for the past dozen some odd years; pull the bar towards you, thrust with the hips to get off the chest, squeeze the bar like your life depends on it, grip the bar like your punching someone. Also, it's working very well to take the bar much lower and try to touch the top of my belly. That seems to signifigantly shorten the ROM.

It's coming together. I'll figure it all out eventually, and soon enough I'll be pausing what I can do touch and go now.

Pullups felt good tonight. I think my biceps are responding well to my two 10x10 sessions per week, as I can feel a marked difference in my close grip pulling.

I'm finally reaching the kind of weight that really makes my abs scream, which is great. This curls+weighted situps superset is an awesome upper body finisher, and actually gets m heart rate quite elevated, mostly because it takes so long to do that I rush things. I hardly ever rest for more than 20-40 seconds between sets.

Tomorrow off, then leg volume Thursday. I'm going to diet a little over the next couple weeks, as I've gained a few pounds in the last few days and don't want to let myself go.

[BendtheBar]

I'm learning, slowly, how to bench with a pause. It's VERY different.

Good habit to get into. When I don't I get sloppy and loose.

Big numbers.

[Soldier]

Another tough leg volume day today. Fried my legs, and as you'll read below I figured out an awesome way to hit my posterior chain with 10x10 programming. I've been cutting my calories for a couple days now, and I hit a wall about 5 sets in to squats today, so I ran in the house, tossed back a caffiene pill and made a quick jelly sandwhich to get some carbs. It worked. If I want to keep doing these volume workouts on any kind of calorie deficit I'm going to have to make caffiene a regular part of my preworkout routine.

High bar incline squats-
45x5
95x5
135x10
145x10
145x10
145x10
145x10
145x10
145x10 (Hit a wall here, decided to lower the weight and focus on slow tempo and using my legs)
135x10
135x10
135x10

Extremely wide stance good mornings-
135x10x10

Calf press-
225x10x10

I love good mornings with a wide stance. In order to keep the bar from rolling over my head I have to arch hard throughout the movement. Add that to the fact that a wide stance allows me to sit waaay back and this exercise absolutely nails my glutes and hamstrings while leaving my lower back alone, for the most part. I also felt it in my hips thanks to the wide stance. This is the movement I've been looking for to compliment my close stance, high bar squats. Two extremes to hit my whole lower body and stimulate lots of growth.

Squats were hard today. I've been a little stressed out lately. Combine that with a lower caloric intake and you've got a recipe for getting tired quick. I'll have to find a balance, as it's important to me to cut some fat. If I do compete, I'd like to do it in the 198 class, which means I need to maintain myself right around 200. That means I need to lose almost 30lb. No big deal, but I have to do it just right to keep my strength.

No training tomorrow, then hill sprints Saturday morning followed by upper body volume Saturday afternoon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go eat my post-leg session cheat meal. Pizza time.

[Soldier]

...and now, pictures of the lovely ladies from my favorite little guilty pleasure movie, Stick it.

Why? Because I'm bored.