Pumping Iron with Zemekone and Icehog3

[The Professor]

At the gym doing cardio. Not going to touch a weight at all today. My body needs a break. Lol!
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[PeteSB75]

Another full body day today. Pretty good, all told.

Work sets:

Squats
265x5 3 sets (new PR)

Standing OH Press
115x5 3 sets

Deadlifts
185x5
205x5
225x5 (new PR)

And wow, I am definitely having a tough time holding onto that bar, even with a hook grip, for that final set. I think I'm going to have to go pro/sup for next weight push.

[King James]

Going to probably do chest and shoulders today after missing a day. Need to run to supplement warehouse after noon exam

[zemekone]

deadlift day...

see you guys in a bit...

[PeteSB75]

Did some back work today, but shorter workout than I wanted(woke up about 10-15 minutes late)

Work sets:
T-Bar rows
115x5 3 sets
DB Rows
75x5 3 sets
Cable Low Row
180x5 3 sets

Way too much gas left leaving the gym, but I needed to get to work. Wanted to get at least another exercise or two in.

[The Professor]

Interesting day at the gym for me -- triplex push-pull + rack pulls for grip work. Multiple personal bests.

Triplex pulls started at 115 after the warmup. Ended at 225. These were hanging rather than from the ground. Interesting thing about these, today, is that I had a much harder time with the medium grip sets from the hanging position than I ever do from the ground. The close grip and wide grip were fine, though, for the most part. I had a harder time with my grip toward the end ... and finally gave in to use straps for the last set.

The pulls, today, were supersetted with standing overhead presses. Those started at 95 (after a warmup) and went up to 145 by the end. 145 x 3 was a personal best by far. Woo-hoo!!!

Followed up the push-pull with some rack pulls for grip work: 275, 315, 365, 405, 455. I effin owned 365 and 405 was a LOT better than Monday. In fact, I held 455 today for as long as I held 405 on Monday. I'm using a sumo stance with a close mixed grip. I'd like to move toward that stance and grip for my deads, too.

Was feeling strong ... so I loaded up the bar with 495 (can we just call it 500?), put on my straps, got into the sumo stance, and pulled. That's heavy. I held it for a few seconds just so my body could know what it's like. I'll pull it for reals before the next school year starts. Mark my words.

Good lifting to all today!!!!!

[The Professor]

Two other quick notes.

1. I've really felt jack'd lately. Don't know what it is ... maybe the NanoVapor, maybe diet, maybe just having things go my way (job, house, etc.); but I've just had a crazy intensity in the gym and have been feeling a lot stronger.

2. Dynamic workouts are da shiznit. This goes with #1, I think. My body has just really been responding well to these more dynamic and speed-focused sessions. For example, I "feel it" in my chest (the muscle soreness) despite having had plenty of water, rest, and protein since my chest workout on Tuesday. Feeling it even more then when I went for max weight a few weeks ago. Go figure.

Anyway ... my brain is in that rambling stupid post-workout state. So I'll shut up now.

[icehog3]

Congrats on a PB day, Dokk!

[BigFrank]

Originally Posted by PeteSB75

You work your 1RM on deads?

I go to 95% of my 1RM and perform it for reps. Every so often I will attempt to do 105% or 110% for a single, if I am feeling up for it.

Like today for instance I tried to close grip press 455 and failed. 110% of my 1RM

Originally Posted by PeteSB75

And wow, I am definitely having a tough time holding onto that bar, even with a hook grip, for that final set. I think I'm going to have to go pro/sup for next weight push.

got chalk?

[icehog3]

About 2 1/2 weeks into the prohormone experiment, and so far the results are great. Today I had my strongest day of military presses in many years, and never felt tired. I will still use the full 6 week cycle to evaluate the supplement, but so far I am more than pleased with the results.

[The Professor]

Mediocre leg day today. Given the rest of the week, I'm okay with it being mediocre. Also, I didn't really set out for personal bests or anything like that. Rather, I was focused on doing good sets of box squats with proper form (sitting back not down) and really focused on the push off the bottom. So after warm-ups, my box squats (at or below parallel, depending on how u measure) were:

135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 3 for 7 sets (breaking 20 reps was my goal)

My traps and delts were so sore from the abuse they took this week (especially yesterday) that just holding the bar took some serious effort.

Followed that up with 5-6 sets of stiff legged deads @ 135 and 185 (with no straps, per my orders).

Fished things off with some pull-down abs -- sets of 8-10 at 150, 170, 200, & 200.

Anyway ... not the best leg day ever; but I'm content with it.

Happy lifting to all on this beautiful Friday.

[PeteSB75]

Originally Posted by BigFrank

I go to 95% of my 1RM and perform it for reps. Every so often I will attempt to do 105% or 110% for a single, if I am feeling up for it.

Like today for instance I tried to close grip press 455 and failed. 110% of my 1RM

I've been doing ok gradually moving my 5RM up with most exercises. Starting to slow with some of them, Press specifically seems to be advancing pretty slowly, but I could just not be working it enough. My squat and dead seem to just go and go. Pushing PRs every time I do them. It's wierd, I've been lifting for a bit more than a year and I never really started pushing the weight until I read that book, and now I don't want to stop...

got chalk?

Not at my main gym. I do when I go to the gym at work - there is a bucket there. Not done deads there yet though. Should get some to bring to the gym by my apt.

[The Professor]

Not that wierd at all, Pete -- deads and squats involve some of the largest muscle groups in ways that presses don't quite as much (they do, just not at the same level as a squat or deadlift). As such, it makes total sense to me that you can add weight more rapidly those those lifts than to any kind of press.

I've been lifting since November 2007. I've been lifting moderately seriously since right around January 2008 (ish). Biggest gains were definitely in leg/back stuff ... e.g., I was pulling 315 x 3 on deadlift by April 2008. I didn't break 135 on bench *consistently* until July ... and that was on a Smith. Didn't break it consistently on a real bench until September or October -- just in time for me to hurt myself. Now that I'm better, I'm finally seeing my first noticeable gains on bench, overhead presses, etc.

Anyway, I'm not entirely sure what my point is. I guess just that what you're describing makes sense and you can eventually expect to see other gains as you work on things. Not sure what finally made things click for me. Still trying to figure that out.

[The Professor]

Triplex pulls from the ground, today. 135 to 245 in increments of 10-20lbs. Last set with straps so I wouldn't hurt myself.

Rack pulls held for grip work after that: 275, 315, 405, 455. Was able to hold 405 for 5-6 seconds, which is best yet. Was able to hold 455 for 2-3 seconds, which is best yet.

Happy lifting to all today.

[King James]

Chest day today. Got a new workout and picking up super pump and and protein after class. Any suggestions for creatine you guys use that you like? I tried Volu-Gro 2 months ago and liked it but didn't notice much of a difference compared to others

[The Professor]

I've just been using Optimum Nutrition's creatine mono.

[King James]

Do you take it with gatorade or some sort of juice?

[The Professor]

I take it with waxy maize post workout. If u use juice, don't do anything citrus ... do grape instead. Gatorade works well, too. Also remember that you should consume it fairly quickly after u mix it. It's unstable.
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[King James]

Originally Posted by The Professor

I take it with waxy maize post workout. If u use juice, don't do anything citrus ... do grape instead. Gatorade works well, too. Also remember that you should consume it fairly quickly after u mix it. It's unstable.
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I thought grape juice is bad to use because it is high in fructose which doesn't cause an increase in insulin release?

[The Professor]

Originally Posted by King James

I thought grape juice is bad to use because it is high in fructose which doesn't cause an increase in insulin release?

could be. that's what Gerry told me to use at one point, though. aren't most fruit juices high in fructose???

I only did that for a short time, anyway. my preference is to use a good transporter like waxy maize. when i'm lazy, though, I'll just add it into one pwo shake -- protein, waxy, bcaa, creatine. I know you're not supposed to do that; but I figure it's better than nothing.

if I'm *on* my game, I'll do two shakes pwo:

#1. 35-60g waxy, 5-10 bcaa, 5-10 glutamine, 5-10 creatine (immediately after WO at the gym)

#2. 50g ON whey, 35-60g waxy (30 minutes later at home)