Chalky's Journal

Took a week off before this next cycle for different reasons.   Needed a little break and I have a summer job putting in 50 hours a week, which leaves little time to do my thing.  I'll be back at it soon, just gotta make it all work out.

I've been workin 8 to 7 mostly every day, gym hours are 8 to 8 lol.  Had a day off today so finally caught up with some ****.  I squatted and benched earlier this week, bare mins on both.

Cycle 3 Wave 1 Deads

Deads
warmup
345x5
365x5
425x5, meh, gym was out of chalk and my hands were sweaty

For the Hell of it set
515x1 PR, little struggle

assistance

BB step ups
135x10 each leg
225x5 each leg

DB row
70x10
90x10x2

WOW nice deadlift, that's a huge pull. I am starting 5/3/1 next week (: I like how it's set up alot tbh and I wanted to switch things up anyways.

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

Holy wow dude. 600 pound pull coming up soon, no joke. I am so jealous. 515 is something else.

Perrynaytor


Holy wow dude. 600 pound pull coming up soon, no joke. I am so jealous. 515 is something else.

This.
Chalky where's your sticking point on the deadlift?

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

Thanks guys.  When I miss a pull it is usually right at the knees.  I'm fast as hell off the floor, lockouts are my weak point.  Although I've pulled 605 from the rack at knee level, go figure.

You been doing many rack pulls lately? That's weird pull 605 from the rack but it's your weak point..

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

No I don't do many rack pulls.  They don't seem to important to me other than the stress they provide.  I can pull more because you can set up for the best possible position to pull from when it is in the rack but when you are mid lift from a normal dead lift your positioning is usually different and not easily corrected with that much weight in your hands.

Last two workout sessions went something like this, strength is down a bit but I've shed a lot of fat/probably a bit of muscle too with this job:

Cycle 3 Wave 1 Press (3x5)

Highlight- 155x8 Shoulder press, same as before

Cycle 3 Wave 2 Bench (3x3)

Highlight- 255x5 Flat bench, felt a bit weaker than normal but still got the reps

Cycle 3 Wave 2 Deads

Deads
warmup
350x3
405x3
450x4, held the last rep for 30 seconds

assistance

Deficits- 6 inch
315x8x3

BB step ups- 12 inch
135x10 each leg
185x5 each leg
225x5 each leg
245x5 each leg
265x5 each leg

Pull ups
30 in 4 sets

Hammer curls
35x10x3

Notes- Strength dropped a bit on deads as expected but still felt strong.  Good day.

Cycle 3 Wave 2 Press (3x3)
"I used to be good at math"

Was supposed to work up to 160x3 today (shooting for 7 or so) but I got mixed up and put too many plates on...

Shoulder Press
95x3
135x3
180x3 PR, I thought this was 160 and got pissed off, till I realized I ****ed up.
160x7 PR, still got my goal reps after.  Finally some improvement

assistance

Front BB raises
45x10x3

Pullups
50 in some sets

good to see you are a Chicago fan, you went up some points in my book lol, lifts look good, keep it up!

Current Stack:
FOOD!!!
Opti-Men Multi
Universal Storm 
ON 100% Whey
Muscle Milk
Jacked Pre-Workout
Flax Oil

Cycle 3 Wave 3 Bench (5,3,1)

Bench
135x10
225x5
245x3
270x4

assistance

CGBP
185x10x3

BB row
135x10
185x5x3

Cycle 3 Wave 3 Deads (5,3,1)

Got to the gym an hour before it closed so I couldn't do much.  Upper back was a little sore from the rows yesterday and it affected my deads a bit.

Deads
135x10
225x5
315x5
405x5
425x3
475x2, wanted 3, next time

Rack pulls from Knee
495x5
585x3
605x2
625x1 video felt easy enough and did it strapless, my grip is coming along since I ditched those bastards

Concentration curls
40x5x3

Hammer curls
40x10x3

This was the last wave for deads in this cycle.  I'm gonna change it up next cycle and work off a deficit or with chains, or both.  I need a stronger lockout.

Cycle 3 Wave 3 Press (5,3,1)

Shoulder press
95x8
135x3
165x6 Slight PR, but one none the less

assistance

BBB press set
135x7
115x9

Side raises
25x7x3

Tricep extensions, one arm
25x10x2

My knee is still kinda ****ed up but its getting better, I only squatted for one wave this cycle so I could give it rest.  This upcoming cycle I'm going to do BB step ups as my main lift and SLDL's for assistance instead of my squat wave.  I noticed in increase in my vertical since I've been doing the step ups and they put less strain on my knees for now.  Hopefully by next cycle I'll be ready to squat again because it is killing me to not be able to.  All for the best.

Cycle 4 Wave 1 Legs (3x5)

Short day today, getting used to new cycle

BB step ups
95x10
135x5
210x5
240x5, didn't push it

assistance

SLDL
135x10
225x10
275x10
340x10x2, easy

Like I said, short day, but it wore me out!

Cycle 4 Wave 1 Bench

Flat bench
warmup
135x10
225x5
245x7, felt decent

assistance

Tri extensions, one arm
40x10x3

BB row
185x10x3

Cycle 4 Wave 1 Press (3x5)

Shoulder Press
115x5
135x5
155x9 PR, finally beat 7 reps with this weight lol.  Really focused on getting my feet underneath me and using some leg drive.  It helped.

assistance

Power cleans
still pretty new to these, just getting an idea of where I'm at.  I should take some vids cuz I'm sure my form sucks.

135x5
185x3
205x1
210x0, just couldn't flip it

Pull ups
BWx10x3


So far with work and some better eating habits I have dropped a bit of weight, I look a lot leaner, strength hasn't taken too big of a hit.  I wish I could weight myself but there are no working scales in my house or gym, maybe it is better that way?

Cycle 4 Wave 2 Legs

BB step ups
135x10
225x5
250x12 PR

assistance

SLDL
345x10x2 PR

BB calf raises
225x15x3


Good day today, went all out on the step ups, knee feeling better.  SLDL's felt too easy.

I clean pretty sucky too.

What were you stepping up on to anyway?

12" platform, not too high but trying to take it easy on my knee

Cycle 4 Wave 2 Bench

Flat bench
135x10
230x3
265x5, felt strong

assistance

BBB sets Bench
185x10 NG
185x10 WG
185x10 CG

Pullups
35 in 4 sets

Cycle 4 Wave 2 Press (3x3)

Great day of liftin today

Shoulder Press
115x5
135x3
160x9, big PR  Video


assistance

BBB shoulder press
115x10x4

Pullups
30 in 3 sets

Tricep extension one arm
35x10x3

Nice presses, just a thought although I can't really comment to someone presses 160 for reps, why don't you touch your shoulders/chest each rep? I think of the press as just a verticle bench press, so if you touch your chest on bench why not on press? Good lifts though.

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

connelly


Nice presses, just a thought although I can't really comment to someone presses 160 for reps, why don't you touch your shoulders/chest each rep? I think of the press as just a verticle bench press, so if you touch your chest on bench why not on press? Good lifts though.

That's a good way of thinking of it. The same force, just in the vertical plane. The bench press is performed horizontally and they share similar antagonists.

I believe he mentioned his reasons in his overhead press video.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

Yea I talked about it before but going all the way to the chest is not only unnecessary but it puts way too much stress on the shoulders, possibly leading to injury in the RC which would be an absolute nightmare.  My ROM is huge as it is with my long arms and it is still longer than my bench press stroke when I go to the chin.  My elbows dip below parallel even. 

Another reason is that a powerlifting press is to the chin (yes they have OH presses in some comps), and I train like a powerlifter for strength, not for size. 

Chalky Palms


Yea I talked about it before but going all the way to the chest is not only unnecessary but it puts way too much stress on the shoulders, possibly leading to injury in the RC which would be an absolute nightmare.  My ROM is huge as it is with my long arms and it is still longer than my bench press stroke when I go to the chin.  My elbows dip below parallel even. 

Another reason is that a powerlifting press is to the chin (yes they have OH presses in some comps), and I train like a powerlifter for strength, not for size. 

Must have not had the sound on, yeah it's not a problem I figured it had to do with the RC. I have scene a couple pressing comps, my cousin has actually done one he did like 225-235 or something and only weighted like 160 something.

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

Cycle 4 Wave 3 Legs (5,3,1)

BB Step ups
135x10
240x3
265x10 PR

assistance
SLDL
350x10x2 PR

BB calf raises
235x15x3

Well this was the last wave for step ups and I feel like I got a good benefit from them.  I'll be squatting again next cycle with my knee now as healed as it is going to be.  

Worn out from work, was gonna take the day off like I should have but its hard to skip a Wave 3 bench day.  

Cycle 4 Wave 3 Bench (5,3,1)

Flat Bench
135x10
210x5
240x3
275x4, I know I would have been able to grind out 5 but I lowered unevenly and smacked one of the pins which sent some nasty vibrations down the bar and made it too hard to press up.  Kinda pissed but it is my fault, oh well.

275x3, did another set to try and get 5 but I was too worn out

assistance

Pull ups
35 in 3 sets

CGBP
195x10x2

Damn thats a strong ass lift. Are you adding 5 lb. to your bench/press and 10 to squat/deadlift? You should be able to continue 5/3/1 for a while if your getting 5 reps in the 3rd wave. Atleast for bench.

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

yes that is how you do it, 5 to bench/press and 10 to squat/dead.  Thanks and I plan on being on the 5/3/1 for a good long time