Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Training - Big Session #1 Upperbody

Bodyweight - 244

Lat Pulldowns - warm up 6 sets of 12

Incline Press -
barx30
135x10
185x5
225x4
275x3
315x2
365x1
315x9-5 50% set

Cable Rows - stack x 4 sets of 12
Seated Db Press - 100's x 16

Notes - Zero gas tonight.  I felt good, like energy wise, but as soon as I started pressing there just wasn't a lot of "umpf" to finish.  Pretty pathetic session overall numbers wise.  100's x 16 on seated press made me feel like the worlds biggest vagina.  Glad it was my final movement.  80%er but not by much.

17 comments:

  1. Hey Paul,
    I have lifted in my car hold for the last year, and today i lifted in my universities rec for the first time. Do you ever get the funny sensation that shit feels heavier in your "gym away from home". I didn't have a terrible session, but shit just felt a little better. Is it the stress of a new setting? Ha ha the mind is a powerful thing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always say the weights in my house are heavier than anywhere else in the world. If I go to the gym I can almost always do more reps/weight. Thus, I train more at home.

      Delete
  2. I guess I'm just putting the pussy on a pedestal....

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  3. I've been experimenting with different types of rows lately. For this workout, you used the cable row. Any reason you chose to do that instead of dumbbell, Pendlay, kroc, etc.?

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    Replies
    1. I like cable rows better than any other row. I can REALLY feel my rhomboids working on them. I can stretch and contract better with it than the ones you mentioned.

      Delete
  4. Hey Paul, just curious if you could chime in on this. I was thinking of adding 50% sets to my 5/3/1 top sets as a sort of aide -- I train 3/days a week. Just trying to get bigger/stronger.

    So it'd be set up like:

    Bench -- 5/3/1 w/ 50% set added to top set.
    Dips -- Up to one tough set w/ 50% set.
    Chins

    Squat -- 5/3/1 w/ 50% set added to top set
    SLDL -- Same as Dips.
    Abs

    Press -- 5/3/1 w/ 50% set added to top set
    Incline -- Same as SLDL/Dips (something like 155, 185, 205 rotated)
    Chins

    Deads -- 5/3/1 (no 50% set)
    BB Rows -- Up to two tough straight sets.
    Abs

    Thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, awesome. Which leads me to my other question: In a template like that, what is the purpose of doing the "small" workouts in addition to these ones? Just for the sake of prehab/balance?

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  6. Had a similar session today, and Monday. trying leangains like you tried IF couple of weeks back and i have a feeling it's not working all that well, i'm giving it one more shot but if friday goes shitty again i'm dropping it and going back to what i knew worked.

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  7. paul whats ur carb intake on non training days for the carb backloading

    -steve

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I usually try to keep it less than 30 grams a day on non training days, but my guess is that it is somewhere between 30 and 50.

      Delete
  8. Paul,

    Quick question. I've been dealing with some rotator cuff issue in my right arm. I aggravate it every time I bench, and I'm a massive pussy on the bench to boot (I squat 500 but have never benched over 220... how awful is that?).

    In your opinion, would it be very detrimental to just drop benching and focus solely on overhead, which doesn't bother me at all? I also have come to like higher volume DB bench as assistance on press days, and that doesn't cause any issues. So I'd keep doing that.

    I'm running 5/3/1 4x a week now, but I was thinking of dropping bench and just rotating between squat/press/dead/press 3x a week and doing a bunch of rehab work on the shoulder. Sorta like your templates but with 2 big lower workouts, but just using overhead press for every big upper workout.

    Would not benching for 8-12 weeks submarine my already pathetic bench?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1. Stop benching

      2. Focus on overhead

      3. Try incline and see if that can be subbed in for bench.

      4. Db bench is fine if it causes no issues.

      Because of my shoulder I often have to drop bench for weeks or months at a time. It comes back after just two or three bench sessions, and sometimes surpasses it.

      I'd go.....

      press #1
      incline
      dips (if you can)

      press #2
      overhead
      db bench

      Delete
  9. Paul, started a new 531 cycle yesterday using Pause Squats. You've said before not to try and go above 5 reps with those, and I see why now. I started with 80% of my regular squat as my training max, and I don't think I COULD have gotten more than 6 or 7 reps on my top set if I'd tried. Think I should lower the training max, or is this just part and parcel with this movement? This cycle is just for 6-weeks (for now).

    ReplyDelete