big val's journal

[big valsalva]

OK, here it goes.

I've been lifting for coming up on seven years now. I've tried everything from the ridiculuous to the sublime. I've had my best results with a long run of full body HIT, and also some 5x5 (both madcow and Stronglifts style). The 5x5 seems to have become my bread and butter. Folks at the gym know that when I walk in I'll be in the squat rack for a while. The younger guys think I'm an old school freak because I wear hi-top Chucks and squat deep and deadlift.

But I digress.

The 5x5 lifts began stalling last spring. They weren't doing much for me physique wise anyway. Don't get me wrong, I love the "Big 3." They will always have a place in my routine, but I need to change things up...for now.

On another site I used to visit, people were doing a variation of a bodypart HIT. Kind of like doggcrap lite. Looked interesting. Looked challenging. Thought I'd give it a whirl.

It lays out like this:

Workout I
Chest/Bi's
Workout II
Delts/Tri's
Workout III
Legs
Workout IV
Back

The workouts are run in two sequences, so in "Week 1" you do your 'A' series of exercises, and in "Week 2" you do your 'B' series of exercises. Very similar to doggcrap. I should mention, that I put "Week 1" and "Week 2" in quotation marks, because I always try to allow one day between workouts (sometimes two, if needed, for recovery, busy schedule, etc.). So I guess I don't have a classic weekly split. I am more loose in my construction. I have "This Workout," then "Next Workout," rotating through "Series A." and "Series B." I can't get too anal about this. It takes away all the fun.

All exercises (except deadlifts) are done to failure. Rest/paused, then failed again until I reach 10 reps, or I just can't budge the weight anymore IN GOOD FORM. If I reach 10 either straight or rest/paused reps on my one working set, I bump the weight next time.

I've been on this thing since mid June. Put on five and a half pounds. About three pounds LBM, and <1% BF. No cardio. Crap diet. Crappier sleep.

Sunday, 8/30/09
217 lbs. 16.4%BF (3 site calipers)

I will list only my working set.
Chest/Bi's

Smith Incline BP (165x7/2) - I actually got one more rep on my last pause, but I had to lift my butt off the bench to get it, so I won't count it.

Cybex Chest Press (150x8/1) - my one knock on the Cybex machine is that you have to start in the stretched position. No way around it. As such, that first rep can be the most difficult, especially after a rest/pause.

Incline DB Fly (35x5/3/2) - pretty tough, but I'll increase weight next time and take it slowly from there.

doggcrap extreme pec stretch 20# for about 30 sec.

Straight Bar Curl (65x5/1/1)

Cybex Machine Curl (65x5/2)

Hammer Grip DB Curl (25x4/2/1)

doggcrap extreme bicep stretch for about 60 sec.

[big valsalva]

Monday, 8/31/09

I thought that if I try logging some cardio, I might actually do some cardio.

Here's my cardio for the day.

Mowing lawn - 70 minutes.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by big valsalva

OK, here it goes.

I've been lifting for coming up on seven years now. I've tried everything from the ridiculuous to the sublime. I've had my best results with a long run of full body HIT, and also some 5x5 (both madcow and Stronglifts style). The 5x5 seems to have become my bread and butter. Folks at the gym know that when I walk in I'll be in the squat rack for a while. The younger guys think I'm an old school freak because I wear hi-top Chucks and squat deep and deadlift.

But I digress.

Welcome aboard! I'm the same old school freak. Squat rack workouts and Chucks. I give you credit with doing the 5x5. That's not an easy workout.

Originally Posted by big valsalva

On another site I used to visit, people were doing a variation of a bodypart HIT. Kind of like doggcrap lite. Looked interesting. Looked challenging. Thought I'd give it a whirl.

It lays out like this:

Workout I
Chest/Bi's
Workout II
Delts/Tri's
Workout III
Legs
Workout IV
Back

The workouts are run in two sequences, so in "Week 1" you do your 'A' series of exercises, and in "Week 2" you do your 'B' series of exercises. Very similar to doggcrap. I should mention, that I put "Week 1" and "Week 2" in quotation marks, because I always try to allow one day between workouts (sometimes two, if needed, for recovery, busy schedule, etc.). So I guess I don't have a classic weekly split. I am more loose in my construction. I have "This Workout," then "Next Workout," rotating through "Series A." and "Series B." I can't get too anal about this. It takes away all the fun.

It looks like a solid approach. I lifted with a program that borrowed the rest-pause aspects from DC.

Originally Posted by big valsalva

I've been on this thing since mid June. Put on five and a half pounds. About three pounds LBM, and <1% BF. No cardio. Crap diet. Crappier sleep.

That's a nice, solid gain. And the crappy sleep part...I sure wish I could get 8 solid myself. I know how it goes.

Good luck with the gains.

[TitanWIP]

Looking forward to seeing how well this routine works.

[nighttrain]

good luck with the log

[rippednmichigan]

Def looking forward to your success.

[bwys61]

good luck. excited to see your results

[swoleramon]

Good luck Biggie V!

[Smirkules]

Hit it hard!

[jwood]

Get after it hard big V!