BRaWNyS Log: Pain Master in Action

[BRaWNy]

This is gonna be my log.
From time to time I will post here my training (as long as my free time allows).

I follow a plan where I emphasize on strength, power and mass (mostly myofibrilliar and not sarcoplasmic).
It's mostly Powerbuilding based.

For strength (and mass) I use main exercises, either doing ramping with low reps (+back-off sets optional), or extended ramping with varied (low) reps, or straight sets (emphasizing at work capacity).
Low reps for me are 1 to 5.

In some additional exercises (for extra mass emphasis), I also use extended set methods, like Clusters, Rest-Pause, Myo Rep sets, Bulldozer sets etc.
Sometimes I add sets like this to main exercises.

For Power I use variations of olympic drills* along with other as power exercises or Dynamic Effort (here the reps are no higher than 3 and the % of max is where most speed and power output can applied).
*Because I don't have an olympic bar and I train at home and have no platform, neither can I drop the weights and with a standard bar it can be a problem to joints etc, I am cautious about going very high in weights at these.

Several of my lifts are Deadstop style, and I do alternated antagonist sets (antagonist exercise pairings mostly in the same plane) in the upper body.

My split is based on an upper/lower style, with the addition of Full Body workouts (cause in these days I add the power exercises).
Usually, when it's an upper day, the power exercises are lower body based and vise versa.
Sometimes I follow a plan where all the training days are Full body style like this as I mentioned above and split the power exercises in different planes.
I call it FREAK-uency (mix of the words Freak and frequency), based on the variations of it I do recommend in a Greek Private Forum I own, where we are about 10 members-friends.

There are 4 training days and I train 4 days/week or 3 days/week, so it is either the full split in 1 week or goes A, B, C for week1, then D, A, B for week 2, then C, D, A for week 3 etc, or mixed/varied (either 4 or 3 days/week by feel).

I use autoregulation (the way CT recommends), with the addition of the RPE concept (Reactive Training Systems style by Mike Tuchscherer, if you're familiar).
I use varied RPEs sometimes in blocks.

My current split:

Day 1 (Upper)
A1.Deadstop Floor Press - extended ramping (x4, x3, x2, x1 the main sets)
A2.Deadstop Pendlay Row - extended ramping (x4, x3, x2, x1 the main sets)
B1.OHP - straight sets x3-6
B2.Pull Up - straight sets x3-6
C.Tricep Extension - extended set method
D.Curl - extended set method

Day 2 (Lower and Posterior chain)
A.Deadstop Front Squat (parallel height) - extended ramping
B.Back Squat hip Drive (just below parallel) - straight sets
C.Snatch High Pull - extended ramping
D.Snatch Power Shrug - straight sets x3-6
E1.GHR or Glute Bridge - extended set method
E2.Ab exercise - extended set method

Day 3 (Full Body A)
A.Box Squat - DE, power sets x1-3
B.Hang Power Snatch - power sets x1-3
C1.Deadstop Floor Press - ramp x3 + back-of sets x1-5
C2.Deadstop Pull Up - ramp x3 + back-of sets x1-5
D1.Close or mediumgrip Dip - straight sets x3-6
D2.Curl or Lateral Raise - straight sets x3-6

Day 4 (Full Body B)
A.Snatch Jerk or BTN Push Press - power sets x1-3
B.Hang Power Snatch or Clean - power sets
C.Deadstop Front Squat - ramp x2 + back-of sets x1-5
D.Deadstop RDL (below knees) - ramp x2 + back-of sets x1-5
E1.GM Bent - straight sets x3-6
E2.Ab exercise - straight sets x3-6

My all time records in some basic lifts (in pounds) are shown at my signature (for the log I'll use kgs), but at this time at some exercises, my actual PRs and lifting stats are a bit lower, because lately I lost weight and had hard times (lately living separated with wife and kids, unfortunately going ahead for divorce like other people here cause of the crisis in Greece, not having real job, just working part-time for a few money, so not eating very weel also etc).

...as I said, as long as my time allows, I try to keep my log updated and share my training and more info with you in the next posts....

[big_swede]

Interesting program! Subbed!

[BendtheBar]

Excellent Brawny. Really looking forward to this.

[BRaWNy]

Some info to understand my log

..taken from RTS
RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion. Basically, it’s how hard something feels to you at the time. It is a subjective measure of your strength at a given time.

RPEs scale I use
@10.0- Maximal. No reps left in the tank.
@9.5- Maximal. Maybe half or a full very grinded rep left in the tank.
@9.0- Last rep is tough, but still 1 rep left in the tank.
@8.5- Between @8 and @9, 2 reps left in the tank.
@8.0- Weight is too heavy to maintain fast bar speed, but is not a struggle. 3 reps left.
@7.5- Between @7 and @8, 4 reps left.
@7.0- Weight moves quickly when maximal force is applied to the weight. “Max Speed weight for the power sets, DE”, 5-6 reps left.
@6.5- Between @6 and @7, 6-7 reps left
@6.0- Lighter speed work. Moves quickly with moderate force. 7-8 reps left in the tank.

Lower than @6 it's not important to me to note/mark, but the sets there still count for me, maybe they are as a part of the ramp, warm-up, activation, but I do them with the intention to produce force, not just to do the moving, so everything counts, but not everything has to be noted, if you know what I mean (I hope my English is good).
Actually I don't see the earlier sets as warm-ups, but more as work sets too.
The warm-up is going to happen anyway when you ramp or start light and progress to heavier sets, you don't have to think about it and do the sets just to be done.
As CT says, you have to get "work" from every set and think like it's the last one, it helps you along with the ramp, to activate your CNS, so the progressive heavier sets will have better performance.


When you see for example x 3/3/3/3 or x 5/2/2/2 etc, it's an "extended" set, it represents the reps on the mini-sets separated by a "/".
In addition next to reps, when you see @7/@8/@8 etc, these are the RPEs for each mini-set, also separated with a "/".
At the "normal" sets, you just see the reps and next to them the RPE for this set.

The pause between mini-sets is somewhere between 15 to 30 secs, adjusted by feel after how each mini-set felt.

Same way I do also at the rest between "normal" sets, I go by feel I don't count secs/mins, but it is somewhere between 1 min to 2.5 mins.
I'm a bit "Quickie" in training.

The weights are in kilograms.

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My latest workouts

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 # 20:05 - 20:50

Upper Body Day

A1-Deadstop Floor Press
70 x 3
80 x 3
90 x 3
100 x 5
110 x 4 - @ 7
120 x 3 - @ 7.5
130 x 2 - @ 8.5
140 x 1 - @ 9

alternated with

A2-Deadstop Pendlay Row
50 x 3
60 x 3
70 x 3 - @ 6.5
70 x 5 - @ 7
75 x 4 - @ 7
80 x 3 - @ 7.5
90 x 2 - @ 8
100 x 1 - @ 9

B1-Dumbbell Press (standing)
25/25 x 3 - @ 8
25/25 x 3 - @ 8
25/25 x 3 - @ 8.5
25/25 means 2 dumbbells of 25.

alternated with

B2-Neutralgrip Pull Up
BW87 x 3
BW87 x 3
BW87 x 3 - @ 6

C-Dumbbell Incline Extension
20/20 x 5/2/2/2 - @ 8 / @ 7.5 / @ 8 / @ 8.5

D-Dumbbell Incline Direct Curl
20/20 x 4/1/1 - @ 8.5 / @ 8.5 / @ 9
Direct means standard grip, no supination

NOTES
Bodyweight at training: 87.0 kg


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 # 20:15 - 21:05

Lower/PC Body Day

A-Deadstop Front Squat (parallel)
50 x 2
70 x 2
80 x 2
90 x 4 - @ 7
100 x 3 - @ 8
110 x 2 - @ 8.5
120 x 1 - @ 9.5

B-Back Squat (below parallel)
130 x 3 - @ 7
130 x 3 - @ 7.5
130 x 3 - @ 7.5
130 x 3 - @ 7 (was activated, better than the former set)

C-Snatch High Pull
50 x 3
70 x 3
80 x 3 - @ 6
90 x 4 - @ 7.5
97 x 3 - @ 8
105 x 2 - @ 8.5
112 x 1 - @ 8.5

D-Deadstop Snatch Power Shrug
150 x 3 - @ 6
150 x 3 - @ 6
150 x 3 - @ 6.5
150 x 3 - @ 6

E-Deadstop Glute Bridge (with barbell)
110 x 6/2/2/2 - @ 7 / @ 7 / @ 7.5 / @ 8


NOTES
Bodyweight at training: 86.1 kg

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Stand By.....

[big_swede]

Good looking training man, strong work!

[BendtheBar]

Really enjoying reading this Brawny. Great detail. Especially enjoying the RPE notations.

[bruteforce]

Great logging, and great work. Will be checking in often!

[BRaWNy]

Thanks !

[BRaWNy]

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 # 13:55 - 14:50

Full Body Day A

A-Box Squat 30 cm (11.8 inch)
60 x 2
70 x 2
80 x 2
90 x 2 - @ 6
100 x 2 - @ 7
100 x 2 - @ 7.5

B-Hang Power Snatch
20 x 3
30 x 3
40 x 3
50 x 3 - @ 7

C1-Deadstop Floor Press
70 x 3
90 x 3
100 x 3
110 x 3 - @ 6
120 x 3 - @ 7.5
130 x 3 - @ 8.5
123 x 3 - @ 8.5 (back-off set*)

alternated with

C2-Deadstop Widegrip Pull Up (2 secs.hold)
BW87 x 3
BW87 x 3
92 x 3
97 x 3 - @ 6
102 x 3 - @ 7
107 x 3 - @ 8.5
102 x 3 - @ 8 (back-off set*)
for example:107 stands for total weight (Bodyweight 87 + extra 20=107)

D1-Closegrip Dip
107 x 6 - @ 7
107 x 6 - @ 7.5
107 x 6 - @ 7.5
for example:107 stands for total weight (Bodyweight 87 + extra 20=107)

alternated with

D2-Dumbbell Direct Curl (standing)
17/17 x 4 - @ 7
17/17 x 4 - @ 7.5
17/17 x 4 - @ 7.5


NOTES
Bodyweight at training: 87.1 kg

* For the back off set(s), I do as many as needed with the same weight, until I reach about the same RPE as the max ramp weight
I choose by feel a percent drop, if I want higher fatigue I choose a higher drop (it takes more back-off sets with a higher drop to reach about the same RPE like the max ramp weight, so at the end more volume, more fatigue).
If I want lower fatigue I choose a lower percent drop.
Usually the drops are from 5% to 15%.

It helps autoregulate volume etc, to fit the needs of your daily condition and capabilities.

Today for example I felt a bit tired and the weights a bit "hard" on me (had also slight DOMS), so I decided to do a low % drop, about 5%.
As usually (for me), it took only one back-off set to catch about the same RPE of the max set with this drop.

Another reason for example for lower drop is when the next workout with the same exercises/muscle groups is pretty soon (higher frequency), so you want or need a bit lesser fatigue to handle the frequency, if you know what I mean.
-------------------------------
Usually I go as high as @8 to @9 in my training etc.
I always want to leave a rep(s) in the tank, I don't train to failure.
I only do rarely and with the exeption for a PR attempt or for 1RM, and sometimes in the last mini-set of an extended set, or when it's unexpected (sometimes you hit a @10 where you expected lesser RPE).

Greetings from Greece !

At the picture a place from Zakynthos Island

[BendtheBar]

Greetings from Greece !

Amazing image.

Floor press, dips and pull ups are all amazingly strong.