[SocraticMethod]

Originally Posted by zop

Yeah bent over rows is one of those hit or miss exercises. When I'm not doing them right I get really out of it and don't even feel like doing BORs, but when I feel myself doing them right I'm into them. It's one of those unusual exercises, like the first rep always seems easy but like the later reps get hard and you're never sure which muscle is giving out first.

My next workout I will go up to 135, which I think should help even out my form even more. I was doing A LOT wrong for a while with BOR and completely hating it because of that.

[SocraticMethod]

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Stronglifts 5X5 Workout B

Squats:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
Bar X 5
105 X 3
135 X 2
155 X 2
185 X 1

Working sets:
210 X 5
210 X 5
210 X 5
210 X 5
210 X 5

SOHP:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
65 X 5

Working sets:
105 X 5
105 X 5
105 X 5
105 X 5
105 X 5

Dead lifts:
170 X 5

Chins - palms forward:
BW X 3
BW X 2 + 10-second negative
BW X 2 + 10-second negative

Seated rows:
190 X 5

[SocraticMethod]

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Stronglifst 5X5 Workout A

Squat:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
Bar X 5
105 X 3
135 X 2
155 X 2
185 X 1

Working sets:
215 X 5
215 X 5
215 X 5
215 X 5
215 X 5

Bench:
Warm-up:
Bar X 10
135 X 3

Working sets:
175 X 5
175 X 5
175 X 5
175 X 5
175 X 5

BOR:
135 X 5
135 X 5
135 X 5
135 X 5
135 X 5

I no longer hate BOR.

Dips:
BW X 10
BW X 6
BW X 6

[SocraticMethod]

Friday, July 11, 2008

Stronglifts 5X5 Workout B

Squats:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
Bar X 5
95 X 3
135 X 2
155 X 2
185 X 1

Working sets:
220 X 5
220 X 5
220 X 5
220 X 5
220 X 5

I felt off today when I started my warm up. The first set with just the bar felt weird, and my hips felt really tight in front. I did the stretch that Ripptoe mentions in the beginning of SS. It helped a bit, but I still felt weird. The rest of the warm-up didn't go very well and 135 felt way heavier than it should have. So I didn't have positive thoughts going into the working sets - that said, I was stoked to get all five sets out. The last two felt easier than the first 3, for some reason.

SOHP:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
65 X 3
85 X 2

Working Sets:
110 X 5
110 X 5
110 X 5
110 X 5
110 X 5

The last set, especially the last two reps, was a fight.

Dead lift:
175 X 5

Chins:
BW X 3 (overhand grip)
BW X 3 (underhand grip)
BW X 2 (overhand grip)
BW X 2 (underhand grip - I shit out trying to get the third rep and died 1/2-way up)
8-second negative that killed me

Seated Row:
190 X 5

[SocraticMethod]

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Stronglifts 5X5 Workout A

Squats:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
Bar X 5
115 X 3
135 X 2
155 X 2
185 X 1

Working sets:
225 X 5
225 X 5
225 X 5
225 X 5
225 X 5

225 was my 1RM when the competition started, so it felt pretty good to hit it 5X5 today.

Bench Press:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
135 X 3

Working sets:
180 X 5
180 X 5
180 X 5
180 X 5
180 X 5

BOR:
140 X 5
140 X 5
140 X 5
140 X 5
140 X 5

Dips:
BW X 10
BW X 8
BW X 6

[SocraticMethod]

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Stronglifts 5X5 Workout B

Squats:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
Bar X 5
115 X 3
135 X 2
155 X 2
185 X 1

Working sets:
230 X 5
230 X 5
230 X 5
230 X 5
230 X 5

SOHP:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
65 X 3
85 X 2

Working sets:
115 X 5
115 X 5
115 X 5
115 X 5
115 X 5

This was a real battle. Each time I OHP I think it's the time I won't hit my 5 sets of 5. I barely squeaked this one out today.

Dead Lift
180 X 5

Chins:
BW X 3 (hands forward)
BW X 2-3/4 (underhand)
BW X 2 (forward)
BW X 2 (under)
10-second negative (hands forward)
10-second negative (hands forward)

I need to get a chin up bar or find something I can use for chins so I can do the grease the groove method that's been recommended - because I'm making piss poor progress here.

Seated row:
190 X 5

[SocraticMethod]

Thursday, July 17, 2008

What passes for my conditioning training:
Jog 400 meters
Sprint 50 meters - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back
Rest - about 2 minutes
Sprint 50 meters - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back

Friday, July 18, 2008

Stronglifts 5X5 Workout A

Squats:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
Bar X 5
115 X 3
135 X 2
155 X 2
185 X 1

Working sets:
235 X 5
235 X 5
235 X 5
235 X 5
235 X 5

Bench press:
Warm-up:
Bar X 8
135 X 3

Working sets (so to speak):
185 X 4 - OW, $#!* - my wrist! - That hurt like hell. I don't know what's wrong - my right wrist appeared to be bending back towards my head way too much. Let's try again.
185 X Liftoff and PHAIL! That sucked just as bad. Sharp, sharp pain.
135 X 10 - to check form. It looks like my wrist is bending back slightly on that too, but nowhere near as much as with 185 on the bar. So I don't know if this is a form thing, or if my wrist strength is just crap.

BOR:
145 X 5
145 X 5
145 X 5
145 X 5
145 X 5

Dips:
BW X 10
BW X 9
BW X 8

Saturday, July 18, 2008

My weak-ass conditioning practice.
Jog 400 meters
Sprint 50 meters - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back
Rest - about 2 minutes
Sprint 50 meters - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back
Sprint 50 - walk back

[SocraticMethod]

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Stronglifts 5X5 - Workout B
Squats:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
Bar X 5
115 X 3
135 X 2
155 X 2
185 X 1

Working sets:
240 X 5
240 X 5
240 X 5
240 X 5
240 X 5

That kicked my ass.

SOHP:
Warm-up:
Bar X 5
65 X 5
85 X 2

Working sets:
120 X 5
120 X 5
120 X 5
120 X 5
120 X 5

Dead lift:
185 X 5

Chins:
BW X 2 - palms forward (OK, that sucked. The past couple times I got 3 solid reps, today it was a struggle to finish the second rep. WTF?)
BW X 2 - underhand
10-second negative (forward)/Seated Row: 170 X 10
10-second negative (under)/Seated Row: 170 X 10

I finished up with some barbell (the small one, not the oly bar) wrist curls because of the problems I had with my wrist on Friday - unfortunately I didn't do any research into building wrist strength, and just kinda thought of it while I was at the gym.

[SocraticMethod]

Monday, July 21, 2008

Conditioning

Jog 400 meters - warm-up

Four 50-meter sprints (walking back to the start line in between)

Rest - about 2 minutes

Four 50-meter sprints

Walk 400 meters + walk home

[SocraticMethod]

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Squats

Warm-up:
Bar X 5
Bar X 5
115 X 5
135 X 2
155 X 2
185 X 1

Singles to 1RM:
225 X 1
245 X 1
265 X 1 - new PR
275 X 1 - new PR
280 X 1 - new PR
290 X 1 - new PR
300 X 1 - new PR

245 X 3
245 X 2 - I didn't have enough left to do 245 5X5

New PR = 300
+50 from my last check
+75 from start of contest

10-minutes (2.5 miles) leisurely stationary bike ride.