Joe's Quest For Strength and Health

[Joe Fraser]

Saturday 6/29/2019

Dumbbell Curls
*to warm up biceps for the heavy bench press
9lbs x 25, 9lbs x 20

Bench
warmups: 45lbs x 5, 135lbs x 5, 155lbs x 2, 175lbs x 1
work sets: 200lbs x 2, 200lbs 3 x 3 (PR)
12 second lockout hold at 250lbs

This is my first set at 200lbs. It started off a bit rough. The bench had the Buddy Caps Bench Bar on it which is not what I usually use. It was thicker than the normal bar and I wasn't sure if it was regular weight. When my spotter handed it to me on my 1st set it twisted my wrists forward. The thickness was also difficult as I have small hands. I grabbed a different bar after the 1st set and it went much better. Google had nothing on this particular bar. Even on the Buddy Caps website.

I'm trying the heavy lockout hold to prepare for heavier weights.

I didn't feel like the bicep curls helped. I still felt tight on the lowering portion and had to lower slow.

Squats
warmups: 45lbs x 5, 135lbs x 5, 225lbs x 3
work sets: 265lbs 3 x 5

I'm back up to the weight I was at prior to deloading to work on depth.

Barbell Row (from dead stop on the floor)
95lbs 3 x 5

1st time bringing these into the program. I decided to move deadlifts from 3x a week to 2x a week.

Chinups
Bodyweight x 3, x 2, x 3

I had some upperback/lat soreness the next day.

Monday 7/1/2019

OHP
warmups: 45lbs x 5, 70lbs x 5, 95lbs x 2, 115lbs x 1
work sets: 130lbs 2 x 3 (PR), 120lbs x 5, 115lbs x 5

My left shoulder still felt sore from the last bench session. Feels hard. It's probably just doms, it doesn't feel injured. I didn't have the energy to push through 5 sets of 3 at the 130lbs do I did since back off sets.

Squats
warmups: 45lbs x 5, 135lbs x 5, 225lbs x 2
work sets: 270lbs 3 x 5 (PR)

I bought some 7" running shorts as I didn't like how my prior shorts would get caught on my knees when I squat. I was better on depth but it probably wasn't the shorts.

These were a grind but I finished them and made depth. The classes on the other side of the gym as all turned to watch. It must have been exciting. I decided not to worry about making it back up and if I get stuck I can just dump the bar forward. This helped me tremendously with getting down all the way.

Deadlifts
warmups: 185lbs x 3, 225lbs x 1
work sets: 265lbs 2 x 3 (PR)

Chinups
Bodyweight 3 x 2

Bicep Curls
50lbs x 8

I'm hoping the bicep curls will help with building the strength needed for the chinups.

 

[mikhael]

I'm hoping the bicep curls will help with building the strength needed for the chinups.

I believe they will, as those two exercises involves Biceps.

 

[Joe Fraser]

Wednesday 7/3/2019

DB Hammer Curls
9lbs x 25
9lbs x 15
*To warm up for benching

Bench
warmups: 45lbs x 5, 135lbs x 5, 165lbs x 2, 195lbs x 1
work sets: 205lbs 3 x 3, 185lbs x 5, 135lbs x 5

LB Squats
warmups: 45lbs x 5, 135lbs x 5, 225lbs x 3, 250lbs x 1
work sets: 275lbs 3 x 3
Short rest from last set(1 min or less)
225lbs x 5, short rest again 135lbs x 15

Barbell Rows
100lbs 3 x 5

Another strong session. I was able to continue my 5lb increase but cut the volume short on the top sets. For bench, I take an eternity to lower the bar. I'll try and record a set on the next session. I think I'll try and bring the reps back to the 5 range as I've done the last 4 bench sessions at the 3 rep range. I'll shoot for sets of 4 at 205lbs and then sets of 5 the session after.

Squats were a killer. I didnt have it in me to do 275lbs x 5 so I decided, mid set, to do sets of 3. I felt kind of guilty for cutting the reps short so I added the drop sets to get some work in.

I was super sore in the quads on Tuesday, from the prior squat session. I'm thinking I wasn't 100% recovered, even though I wasn't sore by training time. I feel much better, two days after this session so I may be able to perform better when squatting tonight.

 

[Joe Fraser]

WEEK 11

Saturday 7/6/2019

OHP
warmups: 45lbs x 5, 70lbs x 5, 95lbs x 4
work sets: 135lbs 4 x 3 (PR), 97.5lbs x 8

Low Bar Back Squats
warmups: 45lbs x 5, 135lbs x 3, 225lbs x 2, 265lbs x 1
work sets: 280lbs x 5 (PR), x 4, x 4

Deadlifts
warmups: 135lbs x 5, 225lbs x 1
work sets: 270lbs x 2

Chinups
Bodyweight 189lbs 3 x 3
Did full reset for each rep (on stand)

Farmer's Walk Holds
90lbs each side plus the weight of the handles 2 x 12 seconds

It feels really good to press the big plates over your head! I don't really see anyone at my gym doing overhead presses so have no competition to go against.
The 97.5lb set I mis-loaded and left a small plate off one side. Oops!

On the squat, the weight continues the slow progression! My hamstrings felt a bit tight after the first set so I didn't push too hard to squeeze out 5 reps. I could feel I did enough to trigger the adaptation. I might switch to 1 top set and 2 back off sets for a bit in order to milk linear progression for some more.

Deadlifts were a struggle. My grip is the weak spot. I haven't wanted to do the alternating grip but my fingers aren't long enough to do a proper hook grip. I added the farmer's walk hold to do something for my grip.

 

[Joe Fraser]

Today's learning experience: I can't get a decent barbell workout without a partner. I know some of you all do it, I respect that. I don't know how you do it. It was streaming hot in the gym, their was no energy and I had issues working without a spotter.

My wife couldn't make it today. It was one odd those difficult Lupus days. I decided I needed to get my workout in cause I had two days off already.

Tuesday 7/9/2019

Bench
warmups: 45lbs x 7, 135lbs x 5, 165lbs x 2, 195lbs x 1
worksets: 205lbs x 4, 205lbs x 2, 190lbs x 2, 190lbs x 4
2 min of rest 135lbs x 6, 20 seconds of rest 135lbs x 3, 20 seconds of rest 135lbs x 2

For reference, my last session reached 205lbs x 3. I should have been able to do 5 sets of 4.

The lift off was the hardest part and was messing me all up. I had a slight bend in my elbow so raised the racking position after the 1st 190lbs set. I thought I could pause the weight on the spotter arms, reset my grip and position and power it back up but it wasn't happening.

Squats
warmups: 45lbs x 5, 135lbs x 5, 225lbs x 2, 250lbs x 0

Last session was 280lbs 3 x 5. I was planning on 285lbs for a 5lb PR which is typical with this linear progression program.

I warmed up in between bench sets. After benching, and some rest, I tried my last warmup at 250lbs and couldn't get down. Probably a mental block. I always have to push through the 1st heavy rep but today wasn't happening. I cut my losses and called it a day after that. FAIL

 

[Joe Fraser]

Redemption Day:
Today I set out to redeem myself from the previous day's session. Discipline and consistency is the key to progress after all.

As I loaded my last warmup set at 250lbs, I realized what happened the previous day. I put a 25lb plates on each side of the two 45lb plates the previous day. So it was actually 275lbs not 250. No wonder it felt heavy. It was more than I was mentally prepared for as it should have just been a moderate set and not so close to my work set. Lifting certainly has some psychology to it.

Tuesday 7/10/2019

Squats
warmups: 45lbs x 5, 135lbs x 5, 225lbs x 2, 250lbs x 2
work sets: 285lbs x 5, 285lbs x 5, 250lbs x 8

Deadlifts
135lbs x 5

Barbell Row
95lbs x 5, 105lbs 3 x 5

Chinups
x 4, x 3, x 3
Reset before the last rep (stood back on stand)

Barbell Curl
60lbs x 5, 60lbs x 4

Short rest...

Dumbbell Curls
30lbs x 4 dropset 20lbs x 4

Deadlifts wasn't going to work after the heavy squats. My glutes and hamstrings were super tight and sore from the squats.

I'm doing LP on the barbell rows. The position was difficult on my tight glutes. I'll push them closer to failure next session.

I was short on time when I got to the chins and biceps so went quick with short rest periods. If I can ever get the time to hit these hard I'll certainly make better progress. I look at the chins and curls volume as if they're one movement as I'm using biceps for both.