yeah ... on back day. they're gonna work your posterior chain and, the heavier you get, they're gonna hit your spinal erectors harder and your lats and traps. sure, they'll thrash your hams, too ... so leg day might suck ass; but I find them to be a pretty good ful back workout (full body, for that matter).

Slightly depressing moment this morning: I weigh more right now than I've ever weighed in my life.

Then again, I'm stronger now than I've ever been in my life.

Mixed emotions....




Guess I'll make the most of it and go hit traps, grip, and bis (never hit bis yesterday). :-) Off day schmoff day. :-) :-)

Add some double ply gear and a nice cycle or ten and you'd be damn close.

It's a double edged sword my friend. There are some guys who stay lean and get strong as hell for that matter. But it appears that you fall into the same boat as myself. Past winter I went from 220ish to 250 and all of my lifts went through the roof. Granted a good bit was a bloated belly. I did get stronger. I guess it comes down to what you want to do with your lifting. Like my friend said, " You wanna look like you can bench 600 pounds or actually bench 600 pounds". Granted, like I said before some guys can accomplish both, usually through an insane amount of AAS. I think myself I am at a crossroads with my lifting. Yea it's nice to toss around crazy weight. But when I walk around, I just look like a big bloated short guy with no neck.

I wish on both counts, sir. :-)


honestly, Frank, actually being able to throw around the weight is what's more important to me. I think, though, that some of what I'm carrying around is impeding me a little bit. I don't want (and honestly don't think I could attain with my genetics) an Ambercrombie body ... and I know that I'm going to gain weight, which doesn't actually bother me all that much when I'm having good results. I'd rather have a Mark Bell body. :-)

at the end of the day, I'm much happier with how I look and feel now than when I started this journey less than two years ago. I guess I just wish I was stronger at my current weight.

Just got back from some cardio. Really, I went to do elliptical so that I could stretch out my hams and glutes. It served its function and burned a couple hundred calories along the way. Did some stretches afterward, too. Now I think I might be able to squat tomorrow. :-)

I did some front squats on tuesday. I couldn't believe how much ROM I lost in my fingers and wrists. It was a little agonizing but I got through it. I'm gonna bring some straps next time and use a modified grip.

Basically here is my 4 day split. At the end of each session there is a circuit. Arm's one day and shoulders another. I have some bulky large upper body, and I would like to cut it up so thats my goal. Basically on my arm day I just pick 6 random tricep/bicep exercises do 15 reps of each, no rest between, and do 3-4 sets. I do the same on shoulder day, but on shoulder day I do
Front Delt Raises
Side Delt Raises
Bent over Shoulder Raises
Arnolds
Upright row

Heres my 4 day split as it is

Monday
Bench
DB Incline
T Bar Row
Leg Curls
Leg Extensions
Arm circuit

Tuesday
Triplex pulls. From floor. Heavier day
Overhead squat/good AM Combo Warmup activities
Light Front squat
Standing Military Press
Shoulder Circuit

Wensday off

Thursday
Incline BP
DB Bench
Bent over row
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Arm Circuit

Friday
Triplex pulls-Heavy-Hang
Back Squat
Sitting Military Press, Heavy DB
Shoulder Circuit

I cried reading your Friday ... a thing of beauty and pain. Sublime. :-)

That's hardcore, dude. I've gotta say one thing, though: I'm a little surprised by the leg extensions and curls. I'm surprised because I'd figured you for someone to do more compound exercises rather than such targeted ones on a big muscle group like that. Care to elaborate?

Hmm...You know I am not really sure why I put them in there. More of a do legs everyday kinda attitude. Plus I have some serious imbalances from my quads and glutes to my hammies. I kinda also work this in at a circuit style. A little anaerobic. This might sound bad, but I f$$$$$$$ hate doing cardio. And im not a very intense person...so to supplement that I try to add in these fun little circuits, which aren't complex and I can just crank them out, get a good burn and feel like I did something. I'm not a good deadlifter, and I dont really like the exercise. Plus I get enough pull work from the floor on my 2nd tri plex day..

Another thing is that I do a lot of pushing/pressing with my legs..I.e squats so the leg curls are a nice pull, the extensions are kind of a opposite pull. My method to my madness is also on my upper body press days...Bench pressing, then kinda doing the opposite with t bar rows. I think this balance of pushing and pulling and almost reverse loading helps injurys

That's all very interesting, Dave. That actually helps me understand you a little bit more. I think what you're trying to say is that deep down, you're an Abercrombie boy who's trapped inside of Ed Coan body. :-) :-)

I'm totally just giving you sh*t. But your explanation makes a lot of sense and does help me understand you and your lifting approach a bit better. :-)

Was in the midst of writing and closed my browser...

Pretty good today, started off with deads, 275x3, 315x1 (PR), then DB Overhead press for 65x5, 70x3(dropped the 4th) and 70x4. Finished up with some lat pulldowns for 195x5, 210x5, 210x4.

Personal record in squat, today. :-)

135 x 8
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 3

365 x FAIL: I crossed parallel and couldn't get up so I dumped the weight. At this point, a couple of guys came over, and offered their help getting the weight back up and on my next set.

So the next attempt, I asked them to just keep an eye on when I hit parallel and tell me to "push" when I get there. This was nice because it allowed me to keep better balance and look up a little. As soon as he said "push" I twitched those muscles, pushed that floor apart, and popped that bad boy right up.

365 x 1 -- NEW PR! :-)

I had full intentions to do more after that (some box squats, some stiff legged deads, etc.); but it would have taken too much time in rest to make sense. Perhaps I'll go back in tonight for some cardio or something. I'm on cloud 9 at the moment, though....

Nice squat... My squat got renovated after reading Mark Rippetoe's book, but I'm gettin back up there. I PRd on the deadlift yesterday lifting barefoot. I was pretty proud of myself. My 160 lb runners body pulling 325 off the floor. That leads me to a question for you all though.

Do any of you use lifting shoes? If so, which ones and why?

How about barefoot lifting?

I've been lifting in running shoes my whole life, but recently have been reading why that is wrong. Makes sense, but do I really want to invest in a new set of shoes? Maybe... thoughts?

I've been wearing these for the last 6 months or so
vibram five fingers

I love them for lifting, and even running shorter distances.

I do get people doing double takes in the gym.

Last time a went rafting one of the guides was wearing those. They are pretty cool!

Nice job!

I currently use Converse Chuck Taylor high-tops. I've got wide feet, so they're a little uncomfortable sometimes; but they do the trick of providing a stable, flat, low sole with gripping power and some mild ankle support. I used them anytime I'm doing squats or deadlifts and if I forget them for some reason, I'll do the lifts barefoot (though most gyms frown on that).

im with dokk. chuck taylors for me. pick a pair up for 40 bucks. i dont even tie mine. if your hardcore get an all black pair lol.

no lifting again tonight, just been out of it lately. think when this week is done it will be a "deload" week. need to get back in the swing of things. I really need a training partner and a new gym. Wish the hardcore gym here had babysitting. The GF cries a ****ing river if I go by myself to the gym.

Adistars for me. They rock. If you are serious about lifting they are well worth it. They last forever.

I've thought about lifting in my Doc Merten's, too; but I haven't yet. :-)

bum rap, Frank. I had to get a membership at a gym my wife could get a membership at, too. we don't usually go at the same time; but we sometimes do (esp if I'm training her) and we'll play racquetball. no kids, though ... but our gym does have daycare (which was the first time I ever saw that).

wish we lived closer, man. I'm realizing more and more that a training partner would help me a lot. just to even check form, call out bogus squats, motivate, etc. haven't really noticed anyone doing actual powerlifting yet, though -- everyone cheats with partials (no depth on squats, half-rep bench, don't even do deadlifts, etc.) ... except for the oly-style guys. there's actually this one little guy who is frickin STRONG for his size (maybe 145 soaking wet).

anyway ... I'll stop rambling now. :-)

hurting. something is definitely "off" with my triceps. even after a solid warmup, I was only able to overhead press a fraction of what I'm used to. definitely need a couple of weeks off from anything that's hard on my tris....

Didn't have much time in the gym today so I made up a little 300 workout

Snatch Grip Dl x10
Upright Row x10
Front Squat x10
Military Press x10
Good Am x10
Squat x10
BNP x10
Push Up x10
Sit upx10
Dipsx10

Repeat x3