JMBS's Journal - Contest Competition with Confidence

Mon 10/19/09  9:45 AM
Bill Starr 5x5  Week 5 Day 1
 
Warmup:  3 min. Crosstrainer
 
Squat:
5x95
5x120
5x140
5x165 
5x190 good!  despite low right back soreness that came on as I was reading in a slightly twisted position :(    
 
Bench:
5x85
5x110
5x130
5x150
5x175 (4+1) spot w/little help on reps 4 and 5.  Bench stall approaching?  Hope not!   
 
Row:
5x90
5x110
5x135
5x155
5x175  okay! 
 
Assistance: 
Pullups (prone grip, 4sets x 5reps, hop+6sec hold + 5sec negative): wide grip bw x 5r x 2sets, medium grip bw x 5r x 2sets (good!) 
Weighted hypers (2 sets):  20 lb x25, 20 lb x25 nice burn. glutes/hams tight  
Weighted decline crunches (2 sets):  20 lb x 50 reps x 2 sets.  very nice burn!  
Workout time:  65 min.
 
Stretch:  in whirlpool.
 
Comments:  Very nice workout!

Wed 10/21/09  12:10 PM 
Bill Starr 5x5  Week 5 Day 2 
 
Warmup:  3 min. Crosstrainer
 
Squat:
5x95
5x120 
5x140
5x140 good!   
 
SOH Press:
5x75
5x90
5x110
5x125 (3+2)  okay!  Press stall soon?  Hope not!  
 
Deadlift:
5x155 oops!  supposed to have been 165 lb.  oh well! 
5x195 good 
5x230 okay! 
5x260 w/straps. good! whoa!  awesome!!!  
 
Assistance: 

Pullups :  wide grip bw x 5 x 4sets.  hop, hold, and neg as slow and long as possible!  really felt great lat activation especailly when knees bent and legs thrust back so trunk could lean forward to allow pull to be down and back and not just down.  wasn't wearing gloves and tore open a callous.  :(  I am wearing gloves from now on for pullups, and I don't care what anyone thinks! 
Weighted decline crunches (2 sets):  20 lb x 50 reps x 2 sets.  very nice burn! 
Crisscrosses (bicycles for obliques):  bw x 50r x 2 sets.  Very very nice!
Captain's chair leg raises (w/bent knees):  bw x 20.  okay. 

Stretch:  In whirlpool.   
 
Workout time:  65 min.  
 
Comments:  Good!  :) 

I see those pullups are coming up.

I'm assuming MVP's five seconds of pain has brought positive benefit to your lat strength?

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

MVP


I see those pullups are coming up.

I'm assuming MVP's five seconds of pain has brought positive benefit to your lat strength?

MVP,
    Always awesome to hear from you!!!  While the pullups are still pathetically weak compared to most of the guys on DBB, I am indeed noticing progress!  I'm at the point where all of my work is wide out on the bend of the bar.  I'm not getting the elevation I'd like (basically first few reps my eyes are a couple inches above the bar, my chin isn't).  But I can hold for quite a long time now, and make the negatives very slow.  And just yesterday I really dialed in the right feeling I think with contracting the lats:  I bend my knees and extend my hips so that I can lean the trunk back a little (don't know whether this is cheating like in pulldowns).  I try to pinch my shoulderblades together and the whole back from armpits to traps to middle back tighten up.
   Your "five seconds of pain" is mainly in the grip for me.  I'm going to use gloves for a while on the pullups:  I tore open a callous (sp?) and am upset about that.  I guess I'll be shopping for a matching purse!  ;)
 
   Good workin' out!  :)

I'm going to use gloves for a while on the pullups:  I tore open a callous (sp?) and am upset about that.  I guess I'll be shopping for a matching purse!  ;)

Oh lord

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

Nm0ney34

I'm going to use gloves for a while on the pullups:  I tore open a callous (sp?) and am upset about that.  I guess I'll be shopping for a matching purse!  ;)

Oh lord

Holy crap, Quad God, those hamhocks in your new avi are indeed godly!  And you're not purple anymore.  The pullup bar has that really wicked knurling on it that just rips to shreds.  And I'm doing the isometric hold and slow negatives, all the while having my skin raked off.  I don't see the downside to wearing the gloves if I don't wear them for anything else.  They should still toughen up, no?  I really need to get some chalk!  Good workin' out!

Where was the callous?  I know knurling can be a pain, but a ripped callous should be entirely avoidable on pullups.

snatchula


Where was the callous?  I know knurling can be a pain, but a ripped callous should be entirely avoidable on pullups.

Okay, if you slightly bend your fingers, you see how there's that pad between palm and fingers.  The callous was on that part of my hand below my right ring finger.  Any help greatly appreaciated!!  :)

So on the palm side (obviously) at the top of your metacarpals?  Most usual place to get callouses, right?  Just like with deads and rows, etc, you shouldn't be gripping the bar so that it pinches that bit of skin.  Grab it at the lowest part on your fingers (proximal phalanges), rather than trying to get your palm into it.  It'll feel like the grip is weaker, but I don't think actually it is, and you shouldn't have any more trouble with ripped callouses.

Lets keep in mind when that grip gets stronger so does those deadlifts, when the deadlifts get stronger so do squats, when the squats get stronger so does the core, then what happens when the core gets stronger? Everything else does. Funny how a little grip strength can bring so much positive potential carryover into your other lifts.

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

snatchula


So on the palm side (obviously) at the top of your metacarpals?  Most usual place to get callouses, right?  Just like with deads and rows, etc, you shouldn't be gripping the bar so that it pinches that bit of skin.  Grab it at the lowest part on your fingers (proximal phalanges), rather than trying to get your palm into it.  It'll feel like the grip is weaker, but I don't think actually it is, and you shouldn't have any more trouble with ripped callouses.

This is exactly what I was going to tell you, I am guilty of doing all my heavy deadlifts in my palm, but over the years its just what feels most comfortable, sadly I cant get away from it. It will feel weaker, and a bit strange at first but it will do you much better then using gloves.

you can use this technique with your pull ups not just deads, try it out since your callouses are bothering you.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

Thanks guys!  Would chalk help me w/pullups?

Also on the subject of pullups:  I can't even do one body weight rep with a wide grip out past the bend of the bar.  My eyes may get a couple inches above the bar but not my chin.  So I'm not getting full ROM.  Even when I hop up I collapse down to the eyes level w/the bar.  Question is shouldn't be sure I'm doing full ROM to work all of the fibers.  Should I just hop high and come down as slowly as possible even if the top of the rep is a quick drop down to eye/bar level?  Or should I do wide pulldowns or assisted pullups with full ROM until the strength improves.  For the life of me, I wish I knew why I am so very weak at pullups and why progress is so so slow.  It's aggravating! 

no dont waste chalk on pull ups, baby jesus will make fun of you.

as for wide grip, it really hits the lats hard. My guess is its your lats that are really lagging when it comes to that.

I thought you had been doing wide grip. IMO unless your doing chins, pull ups should always be wide. I would recommend you do a lot of negatives, just start as high as you can eye level is fine, you can work your way up.

probably 2-3 sets of 5-8 negatives every day, or at the very least after every workout. I think once you start doing widegrip all the time, you will notice a big change in your strength and lats physically.

When your doing rows, if you do them. Keep the grip fairly wide as well. this will also help with your lat development.

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

Nm0ney34


no dont waste chalk on pull ups, baby jesus will make fun of you.

as for wide grip, it really hits the lats hard. My guess is its your lats that are really lagging when it comes to that.

I thought you had been doing wide grip. IMO unless your doing chins, pull ups should always be wide. I would recommend you do a lot of negatives, just start as high as you can eye level is fine, you can work your way up.

probably 2-3 sets of 5-8 negatives every day, or at the very least after every workout. I think once you start doing widegrip all the time, you will notice a big change in your strength and lats physically.

When your doing rows, if you do them. Keep the grip fairly wide as well. this will also help with your lat development.

Thanks N$!  Pullups do seem the type of exercise I could do very frequently, just with adequate rest between sets.  I'll stick with wide grip pullups only from now on.  I'll do at home too although bar is crappy and I can only go so wide.  For BO rows, my grip is a little wider than hip/shoulder width.  I can widen that out.  Any benefit to reverse grip?  Thx!

reverse grip involves more biceps, kind of like a horizontal half chin up. As opposed to a normal row which is sort of like a horizontal half pull up. :P

6'3"  @213

Squat 1x20x275

press:200, Deadlift:475, Bench:300, P.clean:235, Squat:385

"The only failure that is final is to stop trying to improve"

Fri 10/23/09  9:00 AM 
Bill Starr 5x5  Week 5 Day 3  
 
Warmup:  3 min. Concept 2 Rower
 
Squat:
5x95
5x120
5x140
5x165
3x195 okay!
8x140    
 
Bench:
5x85
5x110
5x130
5x150
3x180 w/spot (2 good + 1 bad, RP then 1 good) 
8x130 good!      
 
Row:
5x85
5x110
5x135
5x155
3x180 ehh.  okay, I guess. 
8x135 good 
 
Assistance: 
Weighted dips (3 sets, 5-8 reps):  20# x8, x5, x5 okay! 
Pullups (20 reps total):  (sets to failure, medium grip) bw x 5, 5, 5, 5 = 20 (3 set WG, 1 set MG) okay. 
Tricep extensions (3 sets, 8 reps):  95x8x3sets (tough but good! very impressive pump!!)
EZ Barbell curls (3 sets, 8 reps):  95x8x3sets okay! 
 
Stretch:  In whirlpool! 
 
Workout time:  1 hr. 30 min.    (too long!)
 
Comments:  Good workout!  Met a couple of nice guys who also lift:  Fred and Artie.  :)
Artie and I were talking when Fred came back in.  Fred says to Artie, "Why are YOU giving him advice?  He looks better than you!"  ;)

Mon 10/26/09  9:00 AM
Bill Starr 5x5  Week 6 Day 1
 
Warmup:  3 min. Rower
 
Squat:
5x95
5x120
5x145
5x170 
5x195 okay!     
 
Bench:
5x90
5x110
5x135
5x155 okay 
5x180 (3+1+1+1) okay!  wish I would have had a spotter.   
 
Row:
5x90 wide grip all sets 
5x115
5x135
5x155
5x180  wide grip was heavy!  weak? 
 
Assistance: 
Pullups (wide grip, hop, hold 7 secs, 7 sec neg): bw x 5r x 4sets.  brutal! 
Weighted hypers (2 sets):  25 lb x25, 25 lb x25 nice burn. glutes/hams tight  
Weighted decline crunches (2 sets):  25 lb x 50 reps x 2 sets.  very nice burn!  
Workout time: 1 hr. 15 min.
 
Stretch:  in whirlpool.
 
Comments:  Very nice workout!

Tue 10/27/09
Yoga class
60 min.
Very nice class.  Heavy leg focus:  Quads burning!

Wed 10/28/09  12:15 PM 
Bill Starr 5x5  Week 6 Day 2 
 
Warmup:  3 min. Rower
 
Squat:
5x95
5x120 
5x145
5x145 good!   
 
SOH Press:
5x80
5x95
5x110 okay!
5x125 (4+1)  okay!     
 
Deadlift:
5x165 
5x200  
5x235 good! 
5x270 (3+1+1) w/straps. whoa! louder drop and I didn't care!  ;)  
 
Assistance: 

Pullups/chinups :  WG Pullups (2sets x 5 reps, hop, 7 sec hold, 7 sec neg); MG Chinups (2sets x 5 reps, hop, 7 sec hold, 7 sec neg).  Brutal!  Forearms burning! 
Weighted decline crunches (2 sets):  25 lb x 50 reps x 2 sets.  very nice burn! 
Crisscrosses (bicycles for obliques):  bw x 50r x 2 sets.  Very very nice!

Stretch:  In whirlpool.   
 
Workout time:  60 min.  
 
HIIT:  Swimming  15 min.
2 laps warmup
6 intervals (1/2 lap high intensity, 1/2 lap regular intensity)
2 laps cooldown.
Nice!
 
Comments:  Good workout!  Chinups are brutal!!!  Swimming was nice.
I feel like I could've used some Vaseline to get my Speedo swimsuit on!  My thighs (and waist!) have grown consierably!  I don't like the idea of buying a new wardrobe every couple months.  I don't have a problem with it if it's because of muscle.  But if it's because of fat, that's depressing.

Fri 10/30/09  9:05 AM 
Bill Starr 5x5  Week 6 Day 3  
 
Warmup:  3 min. Concept 2 Rower
 
Squat:
5x95
5x120
5x145
5x170
3x200 easy!
8x145 good!     
 
Bench:
5x90
5x110
5x135
5x155
3x180 (2+1) good!! 
8x135 good!      
 
Row:
5x90
5x115
5x135
5x160
3x185 okay 
8x135 easy  
 
12:05
Assistance: 
Weighted dips (3 sets, 5-8 reps):  25# x8, x5, x5 okay! 
Pullups/chinups (20 reps total):  Pullups:  2 sets x 5 reps, hop/hold/neg; Chinups: 2 sets x 5 reps, hop/hold/neg).  Good stuff! 
Tricep extensions (3 sets, 8 reps):  100x8x3sets (tough but good! very impressive pump!!)
EZ Barbell curls (3 sets, 8 reps):  100x8x3sets okay!  Little bit of layback cheat on reps at end of sets.
 
Cardio:
Swimming 15 min, 10 laps.  Nice!
 
Stretch:  In whirlpool! 
 
Workout time:  1 hr. 10 min.
 
Comments:  Good split up workout on a very hectic day with 2 school Halloween parades to attend.  Got a nice "How's it goin'?", smile, and conversation out of Karen, the hot fitness director at my gym.  :)

Forgot to mention that sometime this week I met this pretty good looking black dude in the sauna of all places!  His first words to me:  "You been trying to bulk up or something?"  I said, "Well that's been the plan anyway," to which he replied, "Well, it's working!"  Turns out he's 50 and has been lifting pretty steady most of his life, from his teens.  He says he's always trying to figure out why I do some of the crazy stuff I do, the latest being the isometric and negatives on the chins and pulls.  I can't believe I've never noticed this guy before, at least not in the free weight room.  His name's Ricardo.  Ricardo's trying to cut and wants to be heart healthy so he does treadmill a lot.  (Which is probably why I don't notice him!).  Really really cool guy and I hope I look as good as him when I'm 50.  I will, I will!  Ran into him again today and, what do you know, he appears out of nowhere and says, "Have a nice weekend, Mark."  He must have some sort of cloaking device, lol!

Looks like your doing well. Just my 2 cents on wide grip chins amd pulldowns, they dont do my shoulders good. After about a week or two going wide, I get an ache in my left shoulder. As long as I stay med to narrow, Im fine, so thats what I do.

 

williemon


Looks like your doing well. Just my 2 cents on wide grip chins amd pulldowns, they dont do my shoulders good. After about a week or two going wide, I get an ache in my left shoulder. As long as I stay med to narrow, Im fine, so thats what I do.

W, Thx!
    And you still get lat width growth with the medium to narrow grip?
 
edit:  I may add something new with the chins/pulls this week:  After my normal hop/hold/negative work, I think I'll hop either on the pulldown machine or the chin/pull assist machine and just blast my lats into submission with some punishing drop set action!  I need to show those bullies who's boss!  They shall pay, damnit, for all the humiliation they've pummeled me with!  Errrrrr!!!  

It is a good confidence boost when people at the gym notice you are becoming one of "the big guys" at the gym.

I like it. I like the respect even moreso.

Perrynaytor


It is a good confidence boost when people at the gym notice you are becoming one of "the big guys" at the gym.

I like it. I like the respect even moreso.

P,
   Yes the confidence boost is awesome!  And I could use a ton of confidence boosting, lol!  :)
I haven't gotten around to putting my 2c in on RS's thread about somatotypes and personality traits, which is fascinating.  They try to teach us that it's what's inside that's important, but the (perhaps sad) truth is that physical appearence has a whole lot to do with how others see you and consequently how you see yourself.  And I think the lesson is ANYONE can better themselves and look more attractive (in different ways) when they buckle down and show their physical selves the respect they deserve.
   I'll try to get to RS's thread today.  I think the comments have just scratched the surface of a complex topic.  I'd be curious how people's personalities have changed as their bodies have transformed.  People are complex and the more I learn about them, the more I discover I share many demons with my fellow man.  Life is all about struggle and overcoming adversity, imo.  Bodybuilding fits right in with that!
   Sorry for bloviating!
 
Good workin' out!  :)

You're cutting, right J? So you're doing the keto and DC? Any updates on the routine you've chosen? Are you going to do the upper/lower split in 4 day fashion or workout a/workout b like Dante has you doing? Either one, you'll love DC. I would stick to 5 x 5 with squats and deadlifts and 3 x 10 with barbell rows.

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

MVP


You're cutting, right J? So you're doing the keto and DC? Any updates on the routine you've chosen? Are you going to do the upper/lower split in 4 day fashion or workout a/workout b like Dante has you doing? Either one, you'll love DC. I would stick to 5 x 5 with squats and deadlifts and 3 x 10 with barbell rows.

MVP,
   First off, I'm still bulking and think I'll stay on a bulk for the foreseeable future.  Might as well be a monster, right?!  ;)  So long, six pack!  Ha!  I need to catch up my journal, but this was week 7 of my 5x5 and it's going well, knock wood!  But yes, as soon as the 5x5 stalls, I'm thinking of doing some DC.  Dante's Mon Wed Fri Mon upper/lower split looks interesting and would fit well into my schedule.  The one I'm looking at is
 
a)  chest, shoulders, triceps, back width, back thickness
b)  biceps, forearms, calves, hams, quads
 
   You're saying I should do legs before arms on the "b" day?  Should I throw in some squats on the "upper" days too for the T boost?  How many reps and sets should I be doing?  Do I ramp like in the 5x5 or do warmup sets and then straight sets?  Dante mentioned something about 6 to 8 reps for legs and then a 20 rep "widowmaker"?  Somewhere else he said if you're over 34, you need to make sure reps before 1st RP are at least 10 (except for legs) due to risk of tear injuries due to age.  Agree?  You mentioned in another thread alternating exercises like w/o to like w/o.  In other words flat bench on Mon, incline bench on Fri.  Question about that:  If I don't have a spotter, with the rest pauses and controlled negatives, I'm basically approaching failure for that last rep before each RP, no?  Sort of risky.  Should I seek out machines, Smith, power rack presses w/safety bars or am I being overly cautious?  Of course I prefer barbells but I guess dumbbells would actually be preferable for safety, ROM, and increased stabliizer involvement.  Is the progression weekly or every workout?  Progression is weight I'm guessing and not some other variable (reps, sets, speed or time of negative).  Someone mentioned a hold somewhere:  What that all about?  Do you just do one exercise per body part?  Just one working set per exercise?
   Sorry for the billion questions!  Looks promising and I just don't feel I understand it all.  Beginning to become more clear.  Thanks!  :)

"W, Thx!
    And you still get lat width growth with the medium to narrow grip? "

I think my lats are a bit lagging but thats my cross to bear.  I think med and narrow grip really hits them hard though. As I understand, the grip does not need to be really wide. Just so the elbow gets close to a 90 degree angle in it at the mid point.  Yes, it uses more bicep in the lift, but that just makes it a true compound. No need to do any bicep work since you hit them as well. Ive started doing narrow neutral grip pullups as well with a V handle. I can feel that for sure, plus my shoulders say thanks as well. .  Im looking to have  more back come summer.

Yikes,  I've got some cathing up to do on my journal!
 
Mon 11/02/09  5:25 AM
Bill Starr 5x5  Week 7 Day 1
 
Warmup:  2 min. Rower
 
Squat:
5x100
5x125
5x150
5x175 
5x200 (2+1+1+1) okay!      
 
Bench:
5x90
5x115
5x135
5x160 okay but heavy for next to last set :( 
5x180 (2+1+1+1) okay!  spotter? (can't remember, probably not because I usually write that down) 
 
Row:
5x95 wide grip all sets 
5x115
5x140
5x160
5x185  weak!  
 
Assistance: 
Pullups :  pullups: bw x 5r x 2s; chinups:  bw x 5r x 2s.  (rushed due to lack of time)  :( 
Weighted hypers (2 sets):  30lb x25, 30lb x25 nice burn. glutes/hams tight  
Weighted decline crunches (2 sets):  no time 
Workout time: 60 min.
 
Stretch:  no time.
 
Comments:  Lacked energy so early in the morn. 
 
Tues 11/03/09
Yoga
60 min.
Nice!

Wed 11/04/09  5:30 AM 
Bill Starr 5x5  Week 7 Day 2 
 
Warmup:  2 min. Rower
 
Squat:
5x100
5x125 
5x150
5x150 good!   
 
SOH Press:
5x80 okay
5x95 better
5x115 okay/whoa!
5x130 (4+1)  whoa/okay!     
 
Deadlift:
5x170 
5x205 good  
5x240 good! 
5x275 (3+1+1) w/straps.  awesome/whoa!   
 
Assistance: 

Pullups/chinups :  WG Pullups (2sets x 5 reps, hop, 7 sec hold, 7 sec neg); MG Chinups (2sets x 5 reps, hop, 7 sec hold, 7 sec neg).  Brutal!  Forearms burning! 
Weighted decline crunches (2 sets):  no time 
Neutral grip pulldowns, wide grip:  120x10, 132x10, drop set from 132 lb to 84 lb (3 sets x 8 reps)  nice.  New!
Crisscrosses (bicycles for obliques):  no time 

Stretch:  no time.   
 
Workout time:  50 min.   
 
Comments:  Overnight feeling in back from the pulldowns was awesome!  Must keep up with those in addition to some bodyweight pulls/chins.