[Merrill]

AGE - 32
Height - 5' 10"
Weight
191 1-22-2008
205 9-29-2008


PRs:

Squat
365 1-22-2008
375 5-27-2008
425 9-22-2008

Deadlift
365 1-22-2008
370 2-20-2008
385 7-11-2008
405 10-11-2008
435 10-18-2008

Bench
245 2-18-2008
265 10-23-2008

SOHP
160 2-13-2008

Chin-up
BW+45 2-13-2008

Current PR goals:

Squat 455
Deadlift 500
Bench 275
SOHP 175
Chin-up BW+60

Youtube Channel

[takeahnase]

Good luck!

[Merrill]

Thanks Takeahnase

Oh yeah, check out the guy doing the 1/2 squats in the Smith Machine with dimes on each side. His second and last set he upped the carnage to 2 dimes on each side. This is on the 365 deadlift video.

[DEVILsSON]

Merill good to have you on this forum. Read up on all the stuff in the Frequently Asked Questions of the Strength/Power, D/S, and Conditioning forums....there's a lot of good stuff there to help you. Cosgrove program sounds solid.

good luck

[Merrill]

Thanks DevilsSon, good to be here.


Cosgrove's Strength 1 Workout A (1)

BW:186

1) Barbell Back Squat:

290X5
325X1
305X4
335X1

3 min between sets

I fucked up and did my calculations based on a 365 1 RM. My 365 1 RM was not below parallel. All of these reps were below parallel. My last set should have been a 345 single based on a 365 1RM.

EDIT: I just realized I was supposed to do 2 more sets of squats: 1 @10-12 reps and 1 @ 15-20 reps..Shit!

I found another person doing this program on another forum and he used this format for the initial calculations:

80%X6
90%X1
85%X6
95%X1

I need to redo the weights based on a lower 1 RM.


2) Bulgarian Split Squat and Step-Ups Superset: 3 sets 90 seconds rest between supersets

BSS: 20 lb DBX30 (15 ea leg), BWX24, BWX20
Step-Up: BWX30, BWX12, BWX12 (step was at middle knee height)

I couldn't believe how hard this shit was. My legs were on fire after the first set. Only getting 90 seconds rest after 60 reps sucks. I am going to use only body weight next time till I can conquer all of the reps. This was quite humbling.

3) 45 Degree Back Extension (90 seconds TBS)

BW+10X10
BW+20X10

Second set was kind of difficult. Move up in next workout.

4)Swiss Ball Crunch (90 seconds TBS)

BWX10
BW+10X10

Pause at the top. First time doing these.


Afterburn Program on Treadmill (no incline)

2 min warm-up @ 3 mph
3 rounds with 60 seconds @ 5 mph and 2 min at 3.5 mph
5 min cool down @ 3 mph

Pretty good first day on this program. I'm a little pissed off about the miscalculation on the squat poundages and my shitty performance on the BSS/Step-Up Supersets. The Afterburn program was not at all difficult and I could handle faster speeds but my legs were feeling like Jello from the supersets. I was happy about seeing 186 on the scale. My goal is to get to 10-12% BF.

[Merrill]

Trying this next week based on 355 1 RM:

265X6 75%
320X1 90%
285X6 80%
340X1 95%

[Merrill]

Strength 1 Workout B (1)

BW - 188

7:25-8:45

1) Bench Press/Bent-Over BB Rows Alternating Sets (180 seconds TBS)
Bench Press
135X6
155X4

180X6
220X1
195X6
230X1
160X12

All sets were completed fairly easily. Should have done a single with 240. Move all sets up 5 lb next week with a 240 top single.

Bent-Over BB Rows
90X6
110X5

145X6 (Very Easy)
175X1 (Ditto)
155X6 (Add 10 lb next week)
190X1 (ditto)
125X12(ditto)

Trying to get my Horizontal pulling up to match my push.

2) Close-grip pullup/Dumbell Shoulder Press alternating sets (120 seconds TBS)

Close-grip pullup (hands about 8-10 inches apart)
BW-5
BW-5

Sets were supposed to be in the 6-8 rep range but I did not want to substitute lat pull-downs for pull-ups. Vertical Pulling is by far my weakest movement.

Fucked up, read my program wrong, and did incline dumbbell press instead of Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Incline Dumbbell Press
75X7 (Screwed up during my set-up and nearly dropped the dumbbell from my right hand)
75X8 (Last Rep was a grinder. I am ordering Platemates so I can go up in smaller increments)

3) Lower Body Russian Twist (90 seconds TBS)
BWX10 ea side
BWX10 ea side (This set was tough. I had to stop half way through and reset.)

Afterburn on Treadmill no incline
2min warm-up @3 mph
4 3min rounds: 6mph for 1 min & 3.9 mph for 2 min
3.5min cooldown @ 3mph
1min @ 2.5 mph

Much better than Mondays effort. I am satisfied with my performance with the exception of the pull-ups and not reading my program properly. Left Shoulder feels kind of beat up.

[Merrill]

Strength 1 Workout C (1)

BW = 190.6 ( I have been eating a lot of carbs the past 2 days)

Not sure of the time it took to do this workout. I started getting delirious.

1) Conventional Deadlift (180 seconds TBS)

135X6
225X4

275X6
325X1
290X6
345X1 (not too hard. I need to work on my form though)
235X10 (lower back was on fire by the 9th rep. Took a 5 second pause before the 10th rep)
165X6 (I was supposed to get 15-20 reps here. No fuckin way. Back was still on fire)

2) RDL/Static Lunge alternating sets (90 sec TBSS)
RDL:
190X6 (Lactic acid still high in my lower back)
120X10 (worked on speed)
120X10 (worked on speed again)

Static Lunge:
45X16
45X16
45X16

This is the same style superset done on squat day. the volume + short rest period make them a bitch. I was breathing heavy the whole time. Good for GPP I guess.

3) GM (90 sec TBS)
95X10
95X10

First time doing these. Went light. Did not have a problem with my lower back. Pushed butt back as far as possible and lowered so my upper body was just above parallel.

Standing High Pulley Crunch
85X10
85X10

Was supposed to do Incline reverse crunch but some douche was hoggin the thing. I like the weighted standing movement better anyways.

This workout was just as (if not more) grueling than the squat workout. The lactic acid built up in my lower back on the first 10 rep set and stayed there throughout the superset. I skipped the Afterburn session today because I was fried.

[DEVILsSON]

good workouts.

so they relanted on FTers and unbanned blprince99? lol....would be funny if the guy ever found his way on this site...the amount of shit he'd get....

[Merrill]

It would be 10 times funnier with the cursing and all. You can give a guy like that good advice all day and he will still do the same old shit that doesn't work.

A lot of the posters on there are not willing to do their homework.