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Pretty crappy session tonight.
Me lower:
Deadlifts:
Though I'd at least manage to work up to a triple using my old weight for 2x5 but all I got was one rep. My body really doesn't like taking time off lifting it seems.
Squats:
Decided to to beltless Olympic squats. Couldn't even do 100 after the deadlifts ...
Hypers:
3x8
Easy enough, even after deadlifts.
Glute ham raises:
2x8
Easier than last time.
Me lower:
Deadlifts:
Though I'd at least manage to work up to a triple using my old weight for 2x5 but all I got was one rep. My body really doesn't like taking time off lifting it seems.
Squats:
Decided to to beltless Olympic squats. Couldn't even do 100 after the deadlifts ...
Hypers:
3x8
Easy enough, even after deadlifts.
Glute ham raises:
2x8
Easier than last time.
RE upper:
Flat barbell bench press:
60 x 13
2 rep improvement over last time.
Chin ups:
bodyweight x 6 - used wide hammer grip
bodyweight x 8 - used normal grip
bodyweight x 5 - used wide hammer grip
bodyweight x 6 - used normal grip
In conclusion, wide hammer grip is harder for me than close normal grip. However, I've done close hammer grip before and they were the easiest grip I've done.
Lateral side raises:
used the 5's
10 x 10
10 x 10
10 x 10
Tricep push downs:
70lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
Started off with just 70lbs and absolutely no shoulder or back help to push it down. Then noticed it was far too easy so moved up to 100lbs, which was a lot harder but doable. Next time I'll do all sets with 100lbs, same form.
Bicep curls:
used a 10
20 x 10
20 x 10
20 x 10
Easy enough. I'll use a 12.5 next time.
Ab circuit training:
15 Decline situps, a few leg raises then 10 more decline sit ups.
Really don't like leg raises at all. Feel absolutely no ab involvement in them whatsoever. Next time I'll do weighted decline situps and standing cable abs.
Flat barbell bench press:
60 x 13
2 rep improvement over last time.
Chin ups:
bodyweight x 6 - used wide hammer grip
bodyweight x 8 - used normal grip
bodyweight x 5 - used wide hammer grip
bodyweight x 6 - used normal grip
In conclusion, wide hammer grip is harder for me than close normal grip. However, I've done close hammer grip before and they were the easiest grip I've done.
Lateral side raises:
used the 5's
10 x 10
10 x 10
10 x 10
Tricep push downs:
70lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
Started off with just 70lbs and absolutely no shoulder or back help to push it down. Then noticed it was far too easy so moved up to 100lbs, which was a lot harder but doable. Next time I'll do all sets with 100lbs, same form.
Bicep curls:
used a 10
20 x 10
20 x 10
20 x 10
Easy enough. I'll use a 12.5 next time.
Ab circuit training:
15 Decline situps, a few leg raises then 10 more decline sit ups.
Really don't like leg raises at all. Feel absolutely no ab involvement in them whatsoever. Next time I'll do weighted decline situps and standing cable abs.
I've never bothered with ab circuits. Well, I've tried them a couple of times but IMO they don't do anything good old fashioned weighted decline situps don't do. Out of interest why are you doing abs on upper body day? I normally consider abs to be lower body because they're used on squats and deadlifts. Other than that, all looks good. What you're doing is very similar to the routine I get my best gains on.
Yeah exactly, I never see why people train abs differently to other stuff. I hear people say that because you use them every day you can train them more often/higher volume. Last time I check people use their legs whilst walking, and their arms whilst picking things up, that doesn't mean you can do a circuit of high rep leg exercises and still call it strength training.
burningnun
I've never bothered with ab circuits. Well, I've tried them a couple of times but IMO they don't do anything good old fashioned weighted decline situps don't do. Out of interest why are you doing abs on upper body day? I normally consider abs to be lower body because they're used on squats and deadlifts. Other than that, all looks good. What you're doing is very similar to the routine I get my best gains on.
The only reason I'm an ab circuit is because that's what the programme says. If it doesn't work then I'll obviously change it.
I do abs on upper body because that's also what the programme says. I also prefer to do abs on uppers because that way I can work them heavier.
Thanks.
ME lower:
Squats:
worked up to 140 x 5 - technically a PB seeing as I had only done this to a parallel box before. Depth was below parallel on all reps. Happy to get some squats done right though.
Stiff legged deadlifts:
Tried to do 100, but couldn't grip it for long enough. Got 1 x 5 before I had to dump it, then like 1 x 2 and gave up. Next time I'll take my chalk.
Hypers:
bodyweight + 5 x 8
bodyweight + 5 x 8
bodyweight + 5 x 8
GHR's:
bodyweight x 4
bodyweight x 4
Couldn't do any more.
Did some stretches as well.
Squats:
worked up to 140 x 5 - technically a PB seeing as I had only done this to a parallel box before. Depth was below parallel on all reps. Happy to get some squats done right though.
Stiff legged deadlifts:
Tried to do 100, but couldn't grip it for long enough. Got 1 x 5 before I had to dump it, then like 1 x 2 and gave up. Next time I'll take my chalk.
Hypers:
bodyweight + 5 x 8
bodyweight + 5 x 8
bodyweight + 5 x 8
GHR's:
bodyweight x 4
bodyweight x 4
Couldn't do any more.
Did some stretches as well.
ME Upper:
Flat bench:
worked up to 80 x 2. Was going to go for another but honesty couldn't have made it so no point in trying. Next time I'll try and get 5 reps so 80kg will be my new 5RM. I think this will be mentally easier to do than add more weight to the bar seeing as I'll have already had that weight on the bar and succesfully benched it.
Bent over barbell row:
67.5 x 6
67.5 x 6
67.5 x 6
Very hard so didn't bother with last set. Think I'll switch to another row next time, either high rep dumbell rows or low cable rows.
Military press:
40 x 6
40 x 6
40 x 4
Absolutely terrible. Used absolutely no leg drive so it was all shoulders and triceps. Experimented with different grips as well. Tried a far wider than usual grip and it didn't workout too good as you can see.
Decline sit-ups:
used a 10 as well as bodyweight for 15, 15 and 15.
Flat bench:
worked up to 80 x 2. Was going to go for another but honesty couldn't have made it so no point in trying. Next time I'll try and get 5 reps so 80kg will be my new 5RM. I think this will be mentally easier to do than add more weight to the bar seeing as I'll have already had that weight on the bar and succesfully benched it.
Bent over barbell row:
67.5 x 6
67.5 x 6
67.5 x 6
Very hard so didn't bother with last set. Think I'll switch to another row next time, either high rep dumbell rows or low cable rows.
Military press:
40 x 6
40 x 6
40 x 4
Absolutely terrible. Used absolutely no leg drive so it was all shoulders and triceps. Experimented with different grips as well. Tried a far wider than usual grip and it didn't workout too good as you can see.
Decline sit-ups:
used a 10 as well as bodyweight for 15, 15 and 15.
Another crappy session:
RE Upper:
Flat bench:
60 x 12
One less rep than last time. Perhaps could've got another rep or two, but the 11th and 12th were extremely slow. It wasn't to failure, but then I didn't train to absolute failure when I got 13 either.
I'm going to re-evaluate my form and how it feels. I still don't feel quite tight enough at the back; could do with pushing shoulders in more, and also I never seem to consider what on earth my elbows are doing. Elbows tucked next time.
Chins:
bodyweight
6
6
6
6
Used same grip for all sets this time. Worse than last time, a little bit. I'm quite tall (6'4"ish) and my feet always end up touching the floor. I don't use any leg drive at all any more, but I end up deloading the weight (me) after every rep, so I'm not really doing proper sets of chins, even if the first few 'reps' I do are very explosive. Finding it quite hard to progress with bodyweight stuff (these and dips, for example). If I had a regular training partner, I'd do what Charles Poliquin advises and have someone hold my ankles giving just enough help so I could do proper sets of chins without resting. I'd progress much better doing that and perhaps my pipes might grow a bit as well.
Lateral raises:
used the 7.5's
15 x 10
15 x 10
15 x 10
Last few reps of last set quite hard. I'll add more reps next time.
Tricep push downs:
100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
Very easy.
Dumbell curls:
used the 12.5's
25 x 8
25 x 7
25 x 6
Crap.
standing cable crunches:
140lbs x 10
Did a few more but stopped as I was feeling a pump in my quads so it wasn't really my abs doing anything.
RE Upper:
Flat bench:
60 x 12
One less rep than last time. Perhaps could've got another rep or two, but the 11th and 12th were extremely slow. It wasn't to failure, but then I didn't train to absolute failure when I got 13 either.
I'm going to re-evaluate my form and how it feels. I still don't feel quite tight enough at the back; could do with pushing shoulders in more, and also I never seem to consider what on earth my elbows are doing. Elbows tucked next time.
Chins:
bodyweight
6
6
6
6
Used same grip for all sets this time. Worse than last time, a little bit. I'm quite tall (6'4"ish) and my feet always end up touching the floor. I don't use any leg drive at all any more, but I end up deloading the weight (me) after every rep, so I'm not really doing proper sets of chins, even if the first few 'reps' I do are very explosive. Finding it quite hard to progress with bodyweight stuff (these and dips, for example). If I had a regular training partner, I'd do what Charles Poliquin advises and have someone hold my ankles giving just enough help so I could do proper sets of chins without resting. I'd progress much better doing that and perhaps my pipes might grow a bit as well.
Lateral raises:
used the 7.5's
15 x 10
15 x 10
15 x 10
Last few reps of last set quite hard. I'll add more reps next time.
Tricep push downs:
100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
Very easy.
Dumbell curls:
used the 12.5's
25 x 8
25 x 7
25 x 6
Crap.
standing cable crunches:
140lbs x 10
Did a few more but stopped as I was feeling a pump in my quads so it wasn't really my abs doing anything.
If you want a session mate to iron out any form issues with any of the exercises let me know and ill gladly help you out. We all have bad workouts, it can only get better.
Sometime next week, if that's OK with you?
Smack
Sometime next week, if that's OK with you?
Im away tues, wed, thu, fri lol but if u can do Mon afternoon/evening or Sun afternoon onwards as i think ill be working Sat all day. Sorry about that, forgot about next week before i typed. Or if u can do any of the remaining days this week im free other then sunday morning/lunch.
If not then im free anytime after next week.
I'm going home either tomorrow or Friday morning and I've got an exam on Monday. I'm sure the exam is in the morning but I'll have to check the times. Monday evening would be good for me, though.
What gym?
What gym?
For various reasons I'm going to abandon the current Westside upper/lower type routine I'm currently doing, and I'll explain why later, along with what I'm going to do instead.
Now onto today's session. It wasn't really an ME upper but it wasn't really an RE upper either. I didn't sleep much last night and didn't get to eat much this morning, so wasn't expecting too much.
Flat bench:
70 x 5
70 x 4
70 x 5
Technically a PR since I've never done more than 3 with 70 before, and I also got three sets. Bench felt really, really weird today, for some reason. Didn't feel that heavy, but at the same time I was struggling with it. I mustn't have been there mentally. I didn't rest long enough between the first and second sets, explaining why I only got 4 on the second set. Happy with the PR, though.
Cable rows:
60lbs each side
120lbs x 6
120lbs x 6
120lbs x 6
120lbs x 6
Easy enough. All fast and not much rest between sets.
Incline dumbell bench press:
used the 20's
40 x 10
40 x 10
Felt really hard, just wasn't there mentally.
Tricep push downs:
100lbs x 20
100lbs x 14
Felt the burn on these. Too much so in that 100lbs wasn't really heavy but I couldn't do any more. Especially on the last set. Oh well.
Handing leg raises:
Did some, but couldn't hold on long enough to really feel it at all in the abs. Put feet down at end of each rep for a half second or so to stop myself from swinging around too much.
---------------------------
Now onto why I'm going to stop this particular routine. I really, really can't do well with the way the lower days are set up on this programme. I can't squat much at all after deadlifting, and pretty much vice versa for squats. I also can't do much hypers or GHRs either, whereas before on legs/back/biceps day with not quite as much leg work I could do three sets of ten with a 5kg plate. Clean reps as well.
So in short: I faired better on a chest/shoulders/tris, legs/back/biceps split done three days a week, and with more volume (2-3 sets) on the big lifts rather than just working up to a triple or 5RM all the time.
Now I have many options available. The two ones I'm leaning towards most favourably are continuing Westside style training but instead of upper/lower, using chest/shoulders/tris, legs/back/biceps as the split. I'd keep it three days, though, spreading the whole thing over 9 days. There are lots of examples of this split in a Westside format with exercises more geared towards powerlifting at Ironaddicts. They look good as well, and lots of people done them with great success.
The other option that I'm seriously considering is this:
Monday:
Squats 2 x 5
Box squats 2 x 5
Leg presses 1 x 20 (pick 1 of the squats + the leg presses)
posterior core movement 2 x 10-20reps
heavy abs 2 x 20
hips 1 x 20-25 reps
Calves (your choice of exercise if you like) 2 x 10
Wednesday:
Wide grip flat bench 2 x 6 (index fingers on the rings)
hammer grip dbs 2 x 8-12 reps
tricep push downs 1-2 x 8-100reps. (yup 100)
db side laterals 1-2 x 10reps light
db front raises 1-2 x 10reps light
pull-a-parts 1-2 x 20reps
Friday:
Dead lifts (rotate variations each week) 2 x 5
posterior core movement 2 x 10-20reps
heavy abs 2 x 20reps
rows 2 x 4-8reps
Reverse grip narrow grip pull downs 2 x 4-8reps
Standing wide grip curls 2 x 8-12 reps (or your favorite curl here)
hammer curls or reverse curls 2 x 8-12reps
I'm not sure what to pick so I'll sleep on it.
Now onto today's session. It wasn't really an ME upper but it wasn't really an RE upper either. I didn't sleep much last night and didn't get to eat much this morning, so wasn't expecting too much.
Flat bench:
70 x 5
70 x 4
70 x 5
Technically a PR since I've never done more than 3 with 70 before, and I also got three sets. Bench felt really, really weird today, for some reason. Didn't feel that heavy, but at the same time I was struggling with it. I mustn't have been there mentally. I didn't rest long enough between the first and second sets, explaining why I only got 4 on the second set. Happy with the PR, though.
Cable rows:
60lbs each side
120lbs x 6
120lbs x 6
120lbs x 6
120lbs x 6
Easy enough. All fast and not much rest between sets.
Incline dumbell bench press:
used the 20's
40 x 10
40 x 10
Felt really hard, just wasn't there mentally.
Tricep push downs:
100lbs x 20
100lbs x 14
Felt the burn on these. Too much so in that 100lbs wasn't really heavy but I couldn't do any more. Especially on the last set. Oh well.
Handing leg raises:
Did some, but couldn't hold on long enough to really feel it at all in the abs. Put feet down at end of each rep for a half second or so to stop myself from swinging around too much.
---------------------------
Now onto why I'm going to stop this particular routine. I really, really can't do well with the way the lower days are set up on this programme. I can't squat much at all after deadlifting, and pretty much vice versa for squats. I also can't do much hypers or GHRs either, whereas before on legs/back/biceps day with not quite as much leg work I could do three sets of ten with a 5kg plate. Clean reps as well.
So in short: I faired better on a chest/shoulders/tris, legs/back/biceps split done three days a week, and with more volume (2-3 sets) on the big lifts rather than just working up to a triple or 5RM all the time.
Now I have many options available. The two ones I'm leaning towards most favourably are continuing Westside style training but instead of upper/lower, using chest/shoulders/tris, legs/back/biceps as the split. I'd keep it three days, though, spreading the whole thing over 9 days. There are lots of examples of this split in a Westside format with exercises more geared towards powerlifting at Ironaddicts. They look good as well, and lots of people done them with great success.
The other option that I'm seriously considering is this:
Monday:
Squats 2 x 5
Box squats 2 x 5
Leg presses 1 x 20 (pick 1 of the squats + the leg presses)
posterior core movement 2 x 10-20reps
heavy abs 2 x 20
hips 1 x 20-25 reps
Calves (your choice of exercise if you like) 2 x 10
Wednesday:
Wide grip flat bench 2 x 6 (index fingers on the rings)
hammer grip dbs 2 x 8-12 reps
tricep push downs 1-2 x 8-100reps. (yup 100)
db side laterals 1-2 x 10reps light
db front raises 1-2 x 10reps light
pull-a-parts 1-2 x 20reps
Friday:
Dead lifts (rotate variations each week) 2 x 5
posterior core movement 2 x 10-20reps
heavy abs 2 x 20reps
rows 2 x 4-8reps
Reverse grip narrow grip pull downs 2 x 4-8reps
Standing wide grip curls 2 x 8-12 reps (or your favorite curl here)
hammer curls or reverse curls 2 x 8-12reps
I'm not sure what to pick so I'll sleep on it.
Decided to stick with the Westside template but use a chest/shoulders/triceps/abs legs/back/biceps split rather than upper/lower.
So Tomorrow will be:
ME press 1 x 3-5
supplemental press 2-4 x 8-12, no sets to failure
Triceps isolation NFT
Raises 1-2 x 10
heavy abs
Since both lower body days are ME for since I don't lift heavy (yet), they'll look something like this:
ME Squat/deadlift movement 1 x 3-5
Maybe a light squatting movement if the ME lift is deadlifts or good mornings for one or two sets of 10
additional posterior core movement (GHR's or pull-throughs): 3 x 10-whatever
rowing or chin movement 2-4 x 8-12
Biceps curl 2-3 x 8-12 NTF
RE bench days will look like this:
Pressing movement (not same as ME lift) 3 x 5-8, only last set near failure.
Overhead movement (because they're manly) with either dumbells or barbell: 3 x 8 NTF
Perhaps another light pressing movement: 4 x 10 NTF
Triceps isolation whatever x whatever NTF
Abs
I'll see how this goes for a month. If it's good, I'll keep it; if it doesn't work or over train me, I'll assess whether there is either a) too much ME squat/deadlift days and do a DE or RE instead; or b) whether I got the volume wrong.
So Tomorrow will be:
ME press 1 x 3-5
supplemental press 2-4 x 8-12, no sets to failure
Triceps isolation NFT
Raises 1-2 x 10
heavy abs
Since both lower body days are ME for since I don't lift heavy (yet), they'll look something like this:
ME Squat/deadlift movement 1 x 3-5
Maybe a light squatting movement if the ME lift is deadlifts or good mornings for one or two sets of 10
additional posterior core movement (GHR's or pull-throughs): 3 x 10-whatever
rowing or chin movement 2-4 x 8-12
Biceps curl 2-3 x 8-12 NTF
RE bench days will look like this:
Pressing movement (not same as ME lift) 3 x 5-8, only last set near failure.
Overhead movement (because they're manly) with either dumbells or barbell: 3 x 8 NTF
Perhaps another light pressing movement: 4 x 10 NTF
Triceps isolation whatever x whatever NTF
Abs
I'll see how this goes for a month. If it's good, I'll keep it; if it doesn't work or over train me, I'll assess whether there is either a) too much ME squat/deadlift days and do a DE or RE instead; or b) whether I got the volume wrong.
this is the thing about westside stuff, it seems it can be quite easy to get wrong, and i cant help but think most people would do better on something much simpler? i couldn't be arsed with it personally, unless i was training with someone whos got it right before.
Well what I'm doing is a very simple version. On squat/deadlift days I work up to a max triple or 5RM, ditto for max bench days. On RE bench days I do more reps and sets.
I haven't included DE since that is unnecessary at my strength level (lol, 'speed squats' with less than two plates each side). I really don't think it's overcomplicated but we'll see how it goes.
I haven't included DE since that is unnecessary at my strength level (lol, 'speed squats' with less than two plates each side). I really don't think it's overcomplicated but we'll see how it goes.
The thing with DE days is that while bar weight may be less then 2 plates, you use bands to increase the weight. So if i had a 150kg max squat i'd use 75kg + 30kg-50kg band tension on my DE days. Bar weight is only half of Westside.
Well for DE I'd be using 50-60% of my max in order to build speed strength (since force = mass times acceleration, the same force can be created with less mass if the acceleration is increased) which isn't very much, bands or not. By the way, where did you get your bands from? I'm considering getting some to do things like pull throughs, triceps pushdowns, face fulls, low cable rows and other cable stuff with.
I still think it's a bit advanced for me and I'd be better off just doing some more heavy lifting.
I still think it's a bit advanced for me and I'd be better off just doing some more heavy lifting.
ME bench:
CGBP:
worked up to 70 x 3. First time doing these. Tried for a fourth rep but failed half way up - perhaps this suggests weak triceps?
Incline dumbell bench press [30]:
More inclined than the one at my uni gym which was probably at 20-25 so was a bit harder. Used the 22.5's (I am assuming since I do not know the exact weight of my olympic dumbbell handles but they feel like 5kg so they probably are since that's a nice round number)
45 x 8
45 x 8
45 x 4
These really were quite hard.
Incline skull crushers:
Used an 18.75
18.75 x 10
18.75 x 10
18.75 x 10
Damned hard the last few reps were.
Lateral side raises:
used a 7.5
15 x 10
15 x 10
15 x 10
First time training in a week. Third session in about a month. Over the summer I'm going to get back into it seeing as exams are finished now and I have no uni till September.
CGBP:
worked up to 70 x 3. First time doing these. Tried for a fourth rep but failed half way up - perhaps this suggests weak triceps?
Incline dumbell bench press [30]:
More inclined than the one at my uni gym which was probably at 20-25 so was a bit harder. Used the 22.5's (I am assuming since I do not know the exact weight of my olympic dumbbell handles but they feel like 5kg so they probably are since that's a nice round number)
45 x 8
45 x 8
45 x 4
These really were quite hard.
Incline skull crushers:
Used an 18.75
18.75 x 10
18.75 x 10
18.75 x 10
Damned hard the last few reps were.
Lateral side raises:
used a 7.5
15 x 10
15 x 10
15 x 10
First time training in a week. Third session in about a month. Over the summer I'm going to get back into it seeing as exams are finished now and I have no uni till September.
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