Starting January 5, 1999

For previous workouts go to:
Dec.19-30, 1998
Oct.30-Dec16, 1998
Aug. 26-Sept. 12, 1998
January 4 - February 12, 1999
Current

These are my actual workouts that I do on a day to day basis.  After each workout I will write down here which body parts I did, the exercises and the actual poundages I used.  I've never seen this done before so I'm going to do it, as I think people might be interested.  In the future I hope to get pictures of me training but I might have to wait until I get a digital camera instead of the old Polaroid.  I hope this section is useful to you, try doing the same workouts and adjust the poundage to your level.  My schedule is a bit out of the ordinary and I often try new exercises so it may seem a bit weird at first (like doing the same body part 3 days in a row sometimes) but it is very effective.  Anyone who trains with me tends to achieve personal bests on the first day and gains noticeable size in a couple of weeks.  Here we go:

January 5, 1999                       February 2, 1999
January 6, 1999                       February 3, 1999
January 7, 1999                        February 5, 1999
January 8, 1999                      
February 6, 1999
January 9, 1999                       February 7, 1999
January 10, 1999                     February 9, 1999
January 12, 1999                     February 11, 1999
January 14, 1999                     February 12, 1999
January 15, 1999
January 16, 1999
January 17, 1999
January 19, 1999
January 20, 1999
January 21, 1999
January 23, 1999
January 24, 1999
January 26, 1999
January 27, 1999
January 28, 1999
January 29, 1999
January 30, 1999
February 1, 1999


New year,  new workout page.  I've had the last 5 days off to start fresh for the New Year with a new workout program. I've managed to lean out a bit more during this time off and plan to get fairly ripped in a few months. I'm hoping to get some before and after pics to post on this site (didn't get the digital camera for Christmas so I'll have to use the old way). This is a variation if the "Serious Growth" system which I have used in the past with good results.  It basically involves training the main body parts 3 times per week but just doing 3-5 sets per body part in each workout.  Throughout the week, the intensity builds up, (higher weights, less reps). Each week a set is added for 3 weeks, than it cuts back to 3 sets and lower reps.   I'll keep you posted on how the workouts feel.

 

January 5, 1999    Weight = 185 lbs.    Partner = Edwin    Time between sets = 1.5 min     Reps = 13-15

Trained:  Back, Chest, Biceps, Calves

I started with chin-ups to warm up (which I will do every back workout to reach my goal of 35 consecutive chins).  I managed to get 27 chins, my best yet!  From there we went to Bent-over Rows and I started with 225 and, using a medium over hand grip, just managed to get the 13 reps so I went down to 185 for the next and it felt the same, got 13 reps.  The last set, I used the same weight but used an underhand grip and squeezed out 13 reps. With the quick turnaround time (and the chins), my back was quite pumped from these, it seemed to be more tiring than usual, but that could be from the layoff and the shorter time between sets.

Next we did Bench Press, I warmed up with 135 for 15, then went to 225 and 'just' made 15 reps. I used the same for the next set and made 13 with a slight rest (5 sec.) after the 11th rep. For the last set I went down to 185 lbs. and, with a great struggle made 14 reps.  I was totally pumped by this time and the chest was burning. I think that last rep was sheer will power!

For Biceps, we did E-Z bar curls using 35 lbs. per side, I got 16 fairly easy ones on the first set, 14 quite hard ones on the second set and barely squeezed out 13 (using rest pause on the last few) for the 3rd set. This caused an intense burn and pump in the biceps and the whole upper body was still pumped and kind of sore (a good sore). 

Finally we get to calves, we did Standing Calf Raises and I started with 500 lbs. for 20 as a warm-up.  For the working sets I used 300 lbs. and did them one calf at a time for 3 intense sets of 15. Now the calves were burning and the upper body was losing the burn, we were both glad to be finished.  The whole workout was completed in 45 minutes and was very intense!


January 6, 1999

Time between sets = 2 min.    Partner = Edwin     Weight = 185    #Reps = 13-15   Sets = 3

Trained:  Shoulders, Triceps, Quads, Abs

    We did Dumbbell Shoulder Press to start and I warmed up with 50 lbs. for an easy 15 reps so I used 60 lbs. for the working sets. The first set I got 16 without too much problem but I knew the next would be tougher so I stayed there. I was right, I barely squeezed out the 15 reps and had to use rest-pause on the last 2. I stayed at 60 for the third but was finished at 13, which was in the range but I grabbed some 45's and forced out 3 more reps, that last one taking about 30 seconds of struggling to complete. Was funny, after I finished that rep, I looked up and everyone around was staring at me, they all trained a bit harder after that ; )

    For Triceps we did Decline Skull Crushers (or Lying Decline Triceps Press whatever you want to call it).  I started with 35 a side on an E-Z curl bar and just got 15 reps, so the next set I dropped to 25 a side (75 lbs. I think) and squeezed out the 15.  I stayed there for the last set and managed 13 continuos and 3 more using rest-pause (about 3-5 second pauses).

Now for legs, this one killed! I decided to save squats for the lower reps days so we did leg press today. I warmed up with 4 plates for 15, then went to my chosen working weight of 8 plates a side. The first set I got 15 pausing a few seconds after 10, then doing 5 more. Quads were burning pretty good after this.  After 2 minutes I did the next set pausing at 7 and 12 reps but I still squeezed out the 15. BTW, these are full reps, not partials! Quads were on fire that wouldn't go away after this! The last set I decided to try to go nonstop for the full 15 but had to stop at 12 for 3 seconds, then did 4 more to make up for it. Now I was almost overheating and had to sit for about 10 minutes to recuperate, same with Edwin (who did 2 sets with 6 plates and the last with 5), we were both lying on the floor trying to get the burn out of our legs, and had to delay abs for 10 minutes.

We did weighted sit-ups for abs using a 50 lb. bar held on the neck. I used the highest incline (3 feet) on the first set and barely managed 15 so the next set I used the 2 foot height and did got 13 + 2 more with that. The last set I started at 2 feet incline and got 10, then had Edwin drop it a notch and squeezed out the last 5. Every time we do this exercise people look at us like we're crazy, I don't know why.

Edwin got a good compliment today, someone asked him what he was taking, and he's not even taking creatine or anything, just eating.

That's it for today, we were both exhausted even though the workout just lasted an hour (or just over because of the recovery time after legs).

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January 7, 1999   

Weight=186    Partner=Edwin    # of reps=10-12     # of sets-3    Time between sets= 2 min.

Trained:  Chest, Back, Biceps, Calves

Did Bench Press again today warming up with 135 for 12 than going straight to 245 for my working sets.  I was just able to get 12 on the first set and 10 on the second. For the third set I dropped the weight to 225 and got 10 consecutive and 3 more using rest-pause (4 second pauses).

For back we did T-bar rows with an Olympic bar in a corner. I started with 3 45 lb. plates and got 12 easily so I called that a warm-up and did my first set with 4 plates. I got 12 with this fairly easily so I added 25 lbs. for the next set and got 11 with difficulty. I was trying to do these using pure power (no momentum) so for the last couple I would pull the weight halfway up (as far as I could), hold it there for a second and then pull it right in. These were very intense!  I went back to 4 plates for the last set and managed 10 reps.

For biceps we did E-Z bar curls, I was already warmed up so went straight to my working weight of 45 per side (115 lbs.). I got 12 fairly easily on the first set, the second was much harder (11 reps)and left my arms burning!  I cut it down to 35 a side for the last set and squeezed out 12 with that leaning back a bit on the last two.

We did calf raises on a hack squat machine (facing backwards). This hits them a bit different from standing or seated raises and is a great exercise.  I warmed up with 5 plates a side, then went to 8 per side for my 3 HARD sets of 12.  Had a great burn from these and did one more set with 5 plates to cool down.

The end (for today!)

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January 8, 1999     Weight = 185    Partner = Edwin

Reps = 10 - 12         Rest = 2 min.         Sets = 3

Trained:  Shoulders, Triceps, Legs, Abs

Started with Dumbbell press doing 60 lb. dumbbells for 2 sets of 12 and 11 on the last set.  Next was triceps pressdowns using 100 lbs. for the first two sets for 11 and 10 reps then dropping to 90 lbs. for the last set of 12.

For legs we did squats starting with 225 for 12 then to 275 for 2 more sets of 12.  With only 2 minutes between sets, these were killers!

For abs, it was weighted sit-ups again using the 70 lb. barbell and a 2 foot incline for the first 2 sets and 1 foot on the last set squeezing out 12 reps for each set.

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January 9, 1999         Weight = 185          Sets = 3         Reps = 8-10         Rest = 2 min.

Trained:  Back, Chest, Calves, Biceps

 

We started with one set of close-grip underhand chins to failure to warm up for the T-bar rows. I actually managed to get 27 chins, a personal best! I'm going to try to hit 35 in the next few months.  We then went directly to T-bar rows,  and after warming up with 4 plates I went to 5 plates and got 10 reps on the first and second sets then dropped it to 4 plates and a 25'er for the last set getting 12 reps with that.

We stuck with flat bench for chest, I used 265 for the first set just squeezing out 10 reps so I used 245 next and made 12, and then 10 for the last set.

Calves were next and I did a set of seated calf raises with 3 1/2 plates on the machine (all these machines are different). I then switched to standing raises using 500 lbs. and doing them one leg at a time. I would get about 8 reps and then help a bit with the other leg to bring it to 12. I finished off with a set of 20 using both feet, then supersetting to seated raises with 2.5 plates for another 15.

It was E-Z curls again for biceps, I used 50 lbs. per side and managed 2 sets of 12 and 10 on the last.

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January 10, 1999         Weight: 184         Sets:  3         Reps:  8-10         Time between sets:  2:00

Trained:  Shoulders, Triceps, Legs, Abs

    For shoulders we did Dumbbell press again.  I warmed up with 45's for 2 sets then started with 60 lb. DB's.  I got the 10 reps on the first set so attempted 65 for the next.  Funny thing was, I couldn't do it, I got them into position and couldn't lift them more than halfway!  Edwin helped for the first rep and I still couldn't get a second so I switched to the 60's and by that time I couldn't lift those either. I told Edwin to go and he managed 5 with the 65's, then dropped to 45's for 3 more.  Now I was mad (but in a good way), I got in there, picked up the 65's and pounded out 7 reps, then took the 60's for 2 more!  Amazing what a little motivation can do!  I just used the 60's for the last set and got 9 reps with those.   I think I just needed to warm up a bit more, but it just shows what a partner can do for you.

Now it was time to torture the triceps with close-grip bench press.  I warmed up with 135 then went to 185 lbs. getting 2 sets of 10 and one set of 8.  Tri's were bigtime pumped after this!

For legs we decided on heavy leg press since we did squats last time.  I warmed up with 5 plates per side for 12 reps, then went to 7 for 3 reps (just to get a feel for it), then went to my desired working weight of 10 plates per side.  I got in the machine, lifted the weight off the pins, tested it my doing a few partials, then dropped the pins and slowly lowered it to below the mark I use for a full reps, then pushed HARD all the way up for 10 reps!  Did the same for the next 2 sets and it seemed to get easier each time but I think this is because my legs were going numb and I couldn't feel them.  I actually felt energized after doing these, must have released some endorphins or something.

For abs, we did the usually, weighted sit-ups combined with pull-overs. I used a 70 lb. barbell at neck level and and incline of 2 feet getting 8 reps on the first set.   The next set I used a 1 foot incline and barely got 8 reps after which I did 10 straight arm pullovers with the weight.  For the last set, I used no incline and did 9 reps and 10 pullovers.

This was it, week 1 over! Now for a much deserved day off tomorrow.  See you Tuesday!

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January 12, 1999         Weight = 185         Sets = 4         Reps = 13-15         Time Between Sets:  90 secs.

Trained:  Back, Chest, Biceps, calves

    This week we add a set and decrease the rest time.  For back  I warmed up with one set of chin-ups and set a new personal record of 28 consecutive reps.  From there, we went to bent-over rows and I started with 225 and just got 13 reps (I think the chins affected that) so I cut down to 205 for the next 3 sets and stayed within the 13-15 range.  The shorter rest times really add intensity to the workout, I barely recover and I have to go again!

    For chest we did dumbbell incline press and I warmed up with 65's, then used 75 lb'ers for my 4 sets getting 15 on the first two then 14 and 13, barely.

    For biceps we used the machine preacher curl so I can't really give accurate weights for this.  I used enough to just enable the specified number of reps.  Was totally pumped after all this and glad there was just one more body part left.

    We did calf raises on the hack squat machine, I used 6 plates a side for 4 sets of 15.

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Unfortunately, I had to take the 13'th off as it was my birthday and I had to go out for supper with the family.  The workout would have been: Shoulders, Triceps, Legs, and Abs using the same timing as the last workout.  We decided to skip this workout day to stay on schedule.  Sometimes life just gets in the way ; ).

January 14, 1999         Weight = 187     Sets = 4         Reps = 10-12    Rest = 90 seconds

Trained:  Chest, Back, Biceps, Calves

    For chest we did flat bench press doing 2 warm-ups with 135, then moving to 225 for 3 sets of 12, 12, 11 and lowering to 205 for the last set of 11.  

    For back we did seated rows for a change, I started with 220 lbs. for 12, then raised it to 240 for the next 2 sets getting 12 and 10, then went down to 185 for the last set getting 11 with that.

    We did incline dumbbell curls next using about a 75 degree incline and doing both arms at once.  Starting at the top position I would slowly lower the dumbbells to the lowest position, then lift them under control.  I started with 45 lb. dumbbells and managed 12 for the first 2 sets, and 10 on the 3rd, then dropped to 35's for the last set getting 10 with those.  Thought my arms were going to fall off!

    We finally got to seated calf raises today.  I started with 3 plates on the machine for 15 easy ones, then went to 4 plates for 2 sets of 12 and one drop set doing 6 reps with 4 plates and 20 more with 3 plates. 

That was it! Tomorrow (Friday) will be Shoulders, Triceps, Legs and Abs for 10-12 reps/90 sec. rest.

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January 15, 1999        Weight = 188         Sets = 4    Reps = 10-12     Rest = 90 seconds


Trained:  Shoulders, Triceps, Legs, Abs

    We did wide-grip upright rows for the delts today warming up with standing front press for 8 reps with 135, then starting the rows with 95 lbs. for 12 (still warm-up).  My working weight was 115 lbs. for the first 2 sets getting 12 reps on both. At this time, another friend had a bar loaded with 5 plates a side for shrugs and indicated that I should do a set.  I said no problem and did a set of 15, then right to my third set of rows. For this set, I added 20 lbs. and got 10 reps, then went for another 15 shrugs before my last set, for which I dropped the weight to 115 for 12 reps. AWESOME!

    For triceps we did decline French press (skull crushers). I warmed up with 25 lbs. a side on an E-Z curl bar for 12, then attempted 50 lbs. a side which turned out to be too heavy (did 2 reps) so I lowered it to 35 a side.  I got 2 sets of 12 with this, then went to 45 a side for 10 and back down to 35 for the last set of 10.  Triceps were burning and totally pumped after this.

    Today was the dreaded squat day (I love squats I love squats I love squats).  After warm-up with 135, I started at 225 for an easy 12, then went to 275 for a fairly difficult 12.  I stayed there for the third set getting an extremely difficult 12 (had to lie down after this one, so much for the 90 second break after that!). After about 2 minutes I dragged myself up for my last set going down to 235 for 12 more.  The third set was so intense I didn't even feel the last one.

    After that I was too exhausted to do abs so I decided to leave it at that and do abs at home later.  I'm going to do 4 sets of slow squeezing breathing out sit-ups.

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    January 16, 1999        Weight = 187     Sets = 4    Reps = 8-10    Rest = 90 seconds

Trained:  Back, Chest, Calves, Biceps

    Back: Weighted chin-ups

    I used a 45 lb. plate for these getting 3 sets of 10, 9, and 8 reps then dropped to 35 lbs. for the last set for 10 reps.

    Chest:  Weighted dips

    I warmed up with 2 X 45 lb. plates for 12 reps, then went to 3 plates and got 10 on the first set, then 9,8, and 7 on the last 3 sets. I don't think I've ever done 10 reps with 3 plates before but that could be because I usually do this exercise after bench press.  I was quite happy with it though.

    Calves:  Leg press calf raises.

    I put 8 plates a side on for the first set and got 15 reps with that so I went to 9 and got 3 sets of 10 plus a few "burn" reps on each set.   For some reason my quads were trying to cramp up after each set, I just drank some water and kept going.

Biceps:  E-Z bar curls

    Did 50 lbs. a side getting 10 on the first 2 sets, 8 on the third and dropped to 35 a side for the last set getting 10 with that.

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January 17, 1999         Weight = 189         Sets = 4    Reps = 8-10     Rest = 90 seconds

Trained:  Shoulders, Triceps, Legs, Abs

    Shoulders:  Seated Dumbbell Press

    Used 60 lb. dumbbells all the way through getting 10 reps on the first set, 9 and8 on the second and third and only 6 on the fourth (totally lost it) so I grabbed some 45's and squeezed out 4 more.

    Triceps:  Close-grip Bench Press

    I warmed up with 135 for 15 reps then went to 175 for 4 sets of 10 doing fairly slow reps and adding a few partials in the middle range at the end of each set.

    Legs:  Hack Squats

    Warmed up with 2 plates a side and didn't think I'd be able to do these with my knee but after a few slow reps it felt a bit better so I went to 3 plates a side and pounded off 10 below parallel reps!  After this, my knee felt fine so I did 12 reps the next set and for the third I added 50 lbs. a side and did 10 with that.   I didn't want to really push it so for the last set I went back to 3 plates and did 10 reps.

    Abs:  Weighted sit-ups

    I used a 90 lb. barbell this time and started with a 3 foot decline for 9 reps, then dropped the decline to 2 feet for 8 reps , then to 1 foot for 8 reps and for the last set used no incline for 10 reps , then put the weight down and did 20 slow crunch/sit-ups for a real burn.

Tomorrow is the day off!  Back at it Tuesday with 5 sets per body part and 90 seconds rest!

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January 19, 1999         Weight:  187    Sets:   5    Reps:  13-15    Rest:  90 seconds

Trained:  Back, Chest, Biceps, Calves

Back:  Chin-ups and Lat pulldowns.  I started with Chin-ups to failure until I couldn't get more than 13.  The first set I got 27 (one more than last time).   I do these using a wide overhand grip.  The second (1 1/2 minutes later) I could only get 13, then 10 on the third.  This is when I switched to Lat pulldowns and using 150 lbs. I got one set of 15 and 2 sets of 13.

Chest:  Bench Press.  Since it was high rep day I warmed up with 135 for 25 then used 205 for 3 sets of 15 then dropped to 185 for the last 2 sets of 15.  I used rest-pause on the last 3 reps of the last set.

Biceps:  Machine curls.  There were 3 of us training today so I used the machine to take advantage of the quick weight changes, and because I want to save the barbell/dumbbell exercises for the lower rep days to come.  Since every machine is different it's no use to give the alleged weight.  I did 5 sets using weights that barely allowed the required number of reps (used the stack on the first set and got 9 and had to drop the weight), and we were all quite exhausted after this.

Calves:  Standing Calf Raises.  I found a new way to add weight to the calf machine, I had my 2 partners hang off the shoulder pads + the 500 lb. stack of weights.  This worked perfectly and I was just able to get the 15 reps this way for the first 3 sets.  After that I just had one partner pushing down on it for the last 2 sets of 15. Awesome!

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January 20, 1999     Weight:  189    Sets:  5     Reps:  13-15    Rest:  90 seconds

Trained:  Shoulders, Triceps, Legs, Abs

Shoulders:  Machine Press.  Here we go with the machine again, I don't normally use them, but they are good for high rep days, especially with 3 of us again (we all use different weights) and there IS the odd machine that works pretty good.   Anyway, we went as heavy as we could while staying basically in the rep range utilizing drop sets if the weight was too heavy and dropping the weight a bit for the next set to try to get the full number of reps in one continuous set.  Again, machine are different and it's no use putting the "weights" down.

Triceps:  Overhead Rope Pullovers.  These are done using a double handled rope from a high pulley.  You grab the ropes in both hands, face away from the pulley, bend forward or kneel on the floor and straighten and bend the elbows.   This is one of the best exercises for the triceps.  I did 3 sets of 15-13 using the stack and 2 more sets with a bit less.

Legs:  Leg Press.  I warmed up with 4 plates a side for 12 reps, then started at 8 plates a side getting 15 fairly easy reps going extremely deep.  This workout program sure builds up the endurance as I wasn't even out of breath after this.   I went up to 9 plates for the next set and it was harder, but still seemed fairly easy.  I stayed at the 9 plates and blasted off another 15 reps, and then 3 more.   I could really feel it now, I got a burn that wouldn't go away!  I sat down and could barely get up for my next set, so I just went with 6 plates getting 15 easy (couldn't feel my legs by now).  I went up to 7 plates for the last set and about half way through it started to burn again but I kept going, past 13, past 15 right up to 20 continuos reps, and every one extremely deep!  This was the end though, I was toasted after this and couldn't walk properly for 2 hours after.  AWESOME LEG WORKOUT!  Can't wait for the next squat day!

Abs:  Decided to do abs at home again, those leg presses gave the abs a pretty good workout anyway as when I bring the weight down my knees press hard on the abs and chest.  I'm going to do 5 sets of slow sit-ups before bed.

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January 21, 1999     Weight:  188    Sets:  5     Reps:  10-12    Rest:  90 seconds     Partner:  Edwin

Trained:  Chest, Back, Biceps, Calves, Abs

Chest:  Bench Press.  After warming up with 135 for 15 reps I went to 225 for the first 3 sets getting 12, 11, and 10 reps respectively.  I lowered the weight to 205 getting 11 reps on the fourth set and used 185 on the last squeezing out 13 reps.

For back I did T-bar rows starting with 3 plates for 15 then 4 plates for 12.   I then tried 5 plates and got 10 reps but it was a bit heavy to continue using reasonable form so I went back to 4 plates for the last 2 sets getting 12 reps each.

I have to say that this workout is really building up my endurance and a set that would have had me gasping for air a month ago seems relatively easy now and I recover much faster.

I did seated dumbbell curls for the biceps starting with 50 lb. dumbbells and getting 12 on the first 2 sets and 10 on the third.  I dropped to 40 lb. bells for the next set and got 12 slow ones.  For the last set I did concentration curls using 50 lbs. and did 10 slow squeezing reps with each arm helping just a bit on the last 2 reps each.

Now for the calves!  I liked my last seated calf raise workout so much I decided to do them again.  I warmed up with 3 plates (using the hard machine) for 15 easy reps, then went to 4 plates getting 12 fairly easily.  I decided to try 5 plates which I have never done before and managed 6 reps with that, then dropped to 4 plates for another 8.  I stayed at 4 plates for 2 more sets of 12 then did one set of standing raises with 500 lbs. and Edwin pressing down on the shoulder pads for extra weight. (Edwin weighs close to 200 lbs. and I lift him and the weight stack up.

We then staggered our way to the locker room and I had just opened my locker when Edwin says "lets do abs now, since we missed them yesterday".  I agreed and we went back and did 5 sets of hanging leg raises, some straight legged, some bending the knees, but always curling the butt off  the pad.   I did one set of 25, one set of 15 and 2 sets of 12.

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January 23, 1999    Weight:  190    Sets:  5    Reps:   8-10    Rest:  90 seconds

Trained:  Chest, Back, Biceps, Calves, Shoulders

    I had to miss yesterday's workout so I added shoulders on to today's.  One thing about training each bodypart 3 times a week, the odd missed workout isn't critical and life does get in the way sometimes.

    For chest we did flat bench press.  I warmed up with 225 for 12 reps, then tried 295 and got 2 with that, then did a single with 305 and finally got back with the program using 245 for 2 sets of 10 and 2 sets of 8.

    Did Bent-over Rows next using 225 for 6 sets of 10 followed by one set of Deadlifts using 305 for 10.  (For some reason I felt like doing a few extra sets today).

    We did straight barbell curls starting with 135 lbs. for a set of 10 and 3 sets of 8, then lowered the weight to 115 for 1 more set of 10.

    For calves we did seated calf raises.  I started at 3 plates for 25 reps then went to 4 plates for 5 sets of 15.  My calves were still sore from the last workout so I didn't want to try 5 plates again today and maybe pull something, so I went with the higher reps.

    I added a quick shoulder workout in today as I missed it yesterday.  I did seated side laterals with 25 lbs. supersetted with seated barbell press to the front and behind the neck with an 80 lb. barbell for 4 sets.  After training chest and back, there wasn't much strength left in the shoulders.

Tomorrow I get back on schedule with Shoulders, Triceps, Legs, and Abs.

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   January 24, 1999    Weight:  189     Reps:  8-10    Sets:  5     Rest:  90 seconds

Trained:  Shoulders, Triceps,  Legs, Abs

Shoulders:  Dumbbell Press.  I warmed up with 45's for 12 then went to 60 lb. dumbbells getting 8 reps on the first, 10 on the second and 8 on the third sets.   The fourth set I got 6 reps then dropped to 40 lbs. to get 4 more.  The last set I used 50 lbs. and got 9 with those.

Triceps:  Decline Triceps Press (Skullcrushers).  I did these on a steep decline with a 100 lb. E-Z bar.  I used this weight for 5 sets of 9 or 10 reps each.

Legs:  Squats!  I warmed up with 135 for 10 and 225 for 6 then tried 305.  I did 2 reps with that and felt a potential pull in my back (no doubt from doing a set of deadlifts yesterday) so I stopped and lowered the weight to 275.  I did 4 sets of 10 deep reps with 275 taking 90 seconds rest between sets.  After the third and fourth sets I had to lie down to recover, these were tough sets!  For the last set I went down to 225 and did 10 slow reps getting a good burn that just wouldn't go away.

Abs:  We almost didn't do the abs again but decided we had to.  I used a high (4 foot) decline for sit-ups, and did not use weight today.  I did full slow reps breathing out on the way up and in at the bottom squeezing the abs the whole way.   I did 2 sets of 15 2 sets of 12 and one set of 8 this way.

Tomorrow is a day off and then we start the main BUILDING PHASE on Tuesday!    

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January 26, 1999     Weight:  190    Sets:  3     Reps:  10-12    Rest:  3 Minutes

Trained:  Back, Chest, Biceps, Calves

    Back:  T-Bar rows, using an Olympic bar with one end in a corner and the other loaded with plates. I use a "V- grip" handle behind the inside collar to pull.

    I warmed up with 4 - 45 lb. plates for 12 reps, then went to 5 plates for the 3 working sets getting 10 each for the first 2 sets and squeezing out 12 for the last set.  I do these fairly strictly doing the whole motion with my lats and middle back and pausing for a half second at the top.  On the last few reps in each set, I hold the weight at the halfway point and do a few burns (small partials), then pull it right up, then lower under control.

    Chest:  Dumbbell Bench Press.

    I had no warm-up for these, I started with 100 lb. dumbbells and did 10 on the first set and 11 on the second and third sets.

    Biceps:  Barbell curls.

    I used 115 lbs. for the first 2 sets and did strict reps with no swinging and a minimum of leaning back (just a bit on the last few reps) getting 11 on the first and 10 on the second set. For the third I dropped the weight to 95 lbs. and got 14 reps plus a few burns ( I guess I lowered it too much).

    Calves:  Leg Press Calf Raises.

    I did these because it's one of the few calf exercises where I can go as heavy as I want.   I loaded 10 plates per side on and did 3 sets of 12 full reps.  While I was doing them I was thinking "Damn, I'm going to have to leg press this weight tomorrow"!

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January 27, 1999     Weight:  190    Sets:  3     Reps:  10-12    Rest:  3 minutes

Trained:  Shoulders, Triceps, Legs, Abs

    Shoulders:  Wide-grip Upright Rows.

    I chose this exercise because triceps were next and this works the shoulders well and doesn't tire the triceps out.  I used a 145 lb. barbell getting 12 reps on all 3 sets, pausing at the top of each rep for a half second or so and doing burns on the last few reps.

    Triceps:  Close-grip Bench Press.

    I warmed up with 95 lbs. and 135 lbs., then went to my working weight of 185 lbs. getting 10 on the first set and pushing out 12 on the last 2 sets.

    Legs:  Leg Press.

    This is the one I was looking forward to ; (.  I warmed up with 6 plates a side for 10 easy ones, then went to 8 plates a side and pushed out 12 easy ones.  I went for the 10 plates next and got 12 kind of hard reps.  I decided to stay with this weight today and did 2 more sets of 12 with it.  These felt good and for some reason I had more energy after than before.  I think I'll go for 12 plates next time.

    Abs:  Weighted decline sit-ups supersetted with straight arm pullovers.

    I started with a 3 foot decline and an 80 lb. barbell held at neck level and got 10 reps.  I lowered the decline to 1 foot for the next set and got 12 reps plus 10 pullovers.  The last set, I had no decline (flat) and did 10 reps and 15 pullovers.

That's it!

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January 28, 1999         Weight:  190    Sets:   3     Reps:  8-10    Rest:  3 minutes

Trained:  Chest, Back, Calves, Biceps

    Chest:  Bench Press.  I warmed up with 135 for 12 and 225 for 3 reps.  I decided on 245 for my working weight and got 9 on the first and second sets and 8 on the last set.

    Back:  Weighted Chin-ups.  I warmed up doing 10 reps with bodyweight, then attempted 70 lbs. (2X35) and managed 5 reps so I dropped one plate and did 5 more.  The next set I just used 35 lbs. and got 10 reps and 8 with the same weight for the last set.  I decided to do one more set with bodyweight and got 18 reps.

    Calves:  Standing Calf Raises.  I warmed up with the stack (500 lbs.) for 15 reps, then loaded 6 - 45lb.  plates a side on the machine. I got 15 reps with this so I added one more plate per side (all it would hold) and did 12 reps with that.  For the last set I had my partner hang of the end of the shoulder pads and managed 6 reps after which my partner let go and I did 10 more. 

    Biceps:  E-Z bar Curls.  I warmed up with 35 lbs. a side for an easy 12 reps, then went to 45 a side for the first set getting 10 reps plus 3 more half reps (lower the bar to just below the halfway point, then bring it up again).   I went to 55 a side for the second set and got 6 reps and had to strip the 10's off to get 4 more.  For the last set I stayed with 45 a side and squeezed out 12 reps.   All reps were done in fairly strict form (no swinging and only slight leaning back for the last couple of reps in a set).

That was it, this workout felt really good, especially considering I didn't feel too hot when I got to the gym.

Tomorrow will be:  Legs, Abs, Shoulders, Triceps for 8-10 reps, 3 minute rest, 3 sets each.

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January 29, 1999     Weight:  191    Sets:  3     Reps:  8-10    Rest:  3 minutes

Trained:  Legs, Abs, Shoulders, Triceps

    Legs:  Squat day!  I warmed up with 135 and 225, then went to 315 for my working sets getting 2 sets of 10 and one set of 8.  My legs were still alright but I was feeling a burn in my back, which is why I only did 8 on the last set.  I was hoping to go heavier than 315 today but my knee was a bit sore from the last workout so I didn't want to really push it today (not that it was easy).

    Abs:  Machine crunches.  Did these for something different and they kind of sucked.  The machine didn't go heavy enough and my partner had to press down on the weight stack to make it heavier and I was still getting well over 10 reps. They should have some effect though.

    Shoulders:  Dumbbell Shoulder Press:  After warm-up I used the 60 lb. dumbbells and got a fairly easy 10 reps, then I tried the 65's and they were much harder and I only got 8 for that set.  I used them again for the last set and they felt better and I managed 9 reps.

    Triceps:  Reverse-grip Triceps Pressdowns.  These are done the same as normal pressdowns, but with a palms up grip.  Can't go quite as heavy on these but they hit the triceps differently. I did 3 sets of 10 using 70 lbs. followed by one set of normal pressdowns with 90 lbs.

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January 30, 1999     Weight:  191    Sets:  3     Reps:  5-7    Rest:  3 minutes

Our first extra heavy day!!!

Trained:  Back, Chest, Calves, Biceps

Back:  T-Bar Rows. 
     I warmed up with 4 plates for 12 then 5 plates for 8, then went to my working weight of 6 plates and got 6 reps on  the first set, and 7 on the second and third sets.

Chest:  Bench Press, Weighted Dips. 
    Warmed up with 135 for 15 then 225 for 6 then used 275 for my working weight getting 6 reps on the first set, 7 on the second and back to 6 on the last set.  I decided to add in a few sets of weighted dips after this and set a new personal record! After doing a bodyweight warm-up set I put 3 X 45 lbs. on the belt and pumped off 11 reps (almost 12).  This felt good so I tried 4 plates (180 lbs.) and managed 2 complete reps!  I think if I was fresher I could have gotten 6 or more with the 4 plates.  Next time.

Calves:  Standing Calf Raises.
    I loaded as many plates (7 per side) as the calf machine would hold (plus the 500 lb. weight stack) and did 12 reps with that for my warm up. I used that weight for my first set and got 15 reps (too light).  For my second set I had Kris (one of my partners) climb on top of the machine and did 12 reps with that.  That was still not heavy enough for 5-7 reps,  so I had Edwin and Kris hang off the shoulder pads and squeezed out 6 reps, then they let go and I got 10 more fast reps.  I decided to do a bonus set with just the stack and the weights and did 12 reps with that, then we took all the plates off and I did one more set with the 500 lb. stack getting 6 reps with each leg.

Biceps:  Barbell curls.
    I did my first set with 135 lbs. and squeezed out 7 reps with that but was leaning back too far for the last 2 reps so lowered the weight to 115 and did my remaining sets with my back against the wall.  They felt really good this way and I think I'll do them against the was from now on.  I got 7 on the second set and 6 on the last set, totally strict.  I decided to do one bonus set of hammer curls and, using the 55 lb. dumbbells did 12 reps each of these for a total arm pump.

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February 1, 1999      Weight:  192      Sets:  3     Reps:  5-7    Rest:  3 minutes

Trained:  Shoulders, Abs, Triceps, Legs

Shoulders:  Standing Front Barbell Press.
    I started with 135 lbs. for warm up (which was a bit heavy as I only got 3 reps at first).  The next try I got 5 reps and was finally starting to feel warm.  The next try I got 9 reps so started my first "real" set with 155 lbs. getting a set of 7 and a set of 5.  For my last set I went back to 135 and got 10 reps (go figure).  Makes me wonder about the HITters who just do one set with no warm-up.

Abs:  Weighted Sit-ups.
     I used 100 lbs. for this low rep day (barbell held at neck level) and made an attempt using the highest incline (3 feet) and barely got one rep.   I lowered it to the 2 foot level and got 6 reps.  For the next 2 sets I used the 1 foot high incline getting a set of 10 and a set of 7.

Triceps:  Close-grip Bench Press (to upper chest).
    I started with 85 lbs. for warm-up getting 10 easy reps, then went to 185 and did 10 with that so I started the real sets with 205 lbs. which allowed me to get one set of 9 and 2 sets of 7 reps.  Got quite a good triceps pump from these.

Legs:  Leg Press.
    I warmed up with 6 plates a side for 10 reps then did a second warm-up at 8 plates a side for 10.  For the next set I stayed at 8 plates and had my partner (200+ lbs.) sit on top and did 7 reps plus 3 or 4 burns with that.  The next set I added a plate a side and did my 7 reps (and the burns), then my partner jumped off and said to do one more rep, so I did 5 more.  My legs were pretty burnt after this but I still had one set to go!  I used the 9 plates with Edwin on the machine and did 5 s-l-o-w  reps always knees to chest.  These were pretty intense!   Thankfully, that was the last exercise.


February 2, 1999         Weight:  192    Sets:   3    Reps:  10-12    Rest:  3 minutes

Trained:  Back, Chest, Biceps, Calves

I decided to do some different exercises today for a change.

Back:  Chin-ups (bodyweight to failure).
    I started with wide-grip chins to behind the neck getting 20 reps on the first set and 15 on the second.  For my last set, I did 7 behind the neck, 7 wide-grip to the front and 7 narrow underhand grip.  I did one bonus set after this getting 18 with the narrow grip.

Chest:  Cable crossovers.
    3 sets using 90 lbs. on the first and getting 15, 110 lbs. on the second getting 11 and back to 90 lbs.  for 2 more sets of 12.

Biceps:  Hammer Curls.
    I used 55 lb. dumbbells for all three sets getting 12 on the first 2 and 10 on the last set.  I can feel that I got growth from these!

Calves:  Seated Calf Raises.
    After warm-up I used 4 X 45lb. plates (with 10 lb. spacer plates) for 4 sets of 15.


February 3, 1999        Weight:  192    Sets:  3     Reps:  10-12    Rest:  3 minutes

Trained:  Shoulders, Triceps, Deadlifts

Shoulders:  Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Dumbbell Laterals for rear delts.
    I started with presses warming up with 40 lb. DB's for 15 reps then using the 60's for a set of 13 and a set of 12. Next I did my version of rear delt laterals using 40 lbs. for 2 sets of 12.  To do these, pick up 2 dumbbells, stand leaning slightly forward and with arms slightly bent, raise the weights in a wide arc up, out and slightly back dipping the head and shoulders down at the top.  I finished each set with a few "burns".  My delts were twice the normal size after doing these (looked like it anyway).

Triceps:  Weighted close-grip Dips.
    I used a grip narrower than shoulder width for these and after a warm-up with bodyweight, used 3X45 lbs. getting 10 on the first set, and 11 on the second and third.

Deadlifts:  This was actually supposed to be a leg workout but deadlifts aren't in this program so I am adding them in.  Also I wanted to see how much I could lift. 
I warmed up with 235 for 6 and 325 for 3 (neither of these were to failure).  I went to 415 and did 1 rep , then another one.  I attempted 465 but just got it off the ground so I went back to 415 and did 4 reps and then one more set of 3 followed by 12 shrugs.  I finished off with one more set of 15 shrugs with the 415(The weights are all 10 lbs. more than normal as I was using the heavy duty 55 lb. bar instead of the usual 45 lbs.).

This was enough for one day! Tomorrow is a day off.


February 5, 1999        Weight:  192        Sets:  3    Reps:  8-10     Rest:  3 minutes

Trained:  Chest, Back, Traps, Calves, Biceps

Chest:  Bench Press.
After warm-up, I did 255 lbs. for a set of 10 and 2 sets of 9.

Back:  Bent-over Rows.
I used 225 lbs. and got 3 sets of 10 strict reps pausing at the top and adding in some burns in the middle range at the end of each set.  I could really "feel" these and got a great pump.

Traps:  Barbell Shrugs.
These aren't in the program but I felt like doing some heavy shrugs.  I warmed up with 315 for 15 then with 405 for 15 then went to 495 for 12.  I went up to 585 and managed to get 5 reps before my grip gave out (even with straps).  This was one of those sets where endorphins were released and I felt great after.  I finished with one more set with 5 plates for 15 reps.

Calves:  Standing Calf Raises.
I did these the usual way using the stack on the machine plus 7 plates a side and my 2 partners hanging of the ends of the shoulder bars.  After about 8 reps, one partner would let go, then I would get about 6 more reps when the second guy would let go, then I would get 15 more for an intense burn!  My partners each weigh around 200 lbs.   I did 2 sets like this, and for the last one I just had on e guy hanging on the bars

Biceps:  Seated Barbell Curls.
I did these very strictly using nothing but biceps power to lift the weight.  I used 55 lb. dumbbells and got 2 sets of 10 and one set of 6 dropping to 45's for the last 4 reps.  Talk about PUMPED!


February 6, 1999     Weight:  190    Sets:  3     Reps:  8-10    Rest:  3 minutes

Trained:  Quads, Abs, Triceps, Shoulders

Legs:  Squats.
    My favorite exercise ; )    I did the usual warm-up with 135 for 12 and 225 for 10, then went to 315 for my first set and got 10 deep ones.    The next set I went up to 335 and got 8 deep reps (way below parallel).   These took a lot out of me so I dropped to 295 for the last set getting 10. 

Abs:  Roman chair sit-ups
    The chair I used is kind of like an extreme incline bench (about 65 degree incline) with pads to lock the feet in place with the knees bent.  I do these by holding position about halfway back and arching the back to get a stretch, then crunching in hard and breathing out hard.  My training partners seemed to have a hard time doing these and were only able to get 5-8 reps and would then get stuck--we'll have to do these more often.  I got 20 reps on the first set and 15 on the remaining two.

Triceps:  Weighted Dips, Rope Pullovers
    For the dips I warmed up with bodyweight for 25 reps then went to 3 plates and got 8 reps, then felt something tweak in my wrist so I stopped these.  I replaced them with overhead pullovers doing 2 sets with the stack (140 lbs.) getting 20 and 15 reps.

Shoulders:  Wide-grip Upright Rows, Barbell Press
    I went fairly light on the upright rows using 95 lbs. but I did the reps slowly and squeezed extra hard at the top getting 2 sets of 15.  After these I started pressing the weight getting 2 more sets of 15, one set to the front and the other to behind the neck.


February 7, 1999   

Trained:   Chest, Back, Calves, Biceps,

  Chest:  Weighted dips/Bench Press
    After warm-up I loaded 3 plates on the belt and had pumped out 8 reps when something gave in my wrist (I think I strained it a bit doing the deadlifts a few days ago) so I had to stop that exercise.  I switched to bench press and was able to go light (225) for 2 sets of 13 and 12 reps.

Back:  Bent-over Rows. 
    I could do these using an overhand grip and did 3 sets of 15 with 225 lbs.

Calves:  Hack machine Calf Raises.
I warmed up with 5 plates a side for 20, then went to 7 plates for 4 sets of 15.

Biceps:  Curls bothered my wrist so I used the curl machine with a moderate weight for 3 sets of 15.

I think I'm going to have to focus on legs for the next week until my wrist heals up, it's not serious, just bothersome.


February 9, 1998         Weight:  191         Reps:  5-7    Sets:3     Rest:  3 minutes

Trained:  Shoulders, Abs, Triceps, Legs

Shoulders:  Wide-grip Upright Rows.
    All upper body is going to be fairly light with higher reps for the next while until my wrist gets better.  For this I used 135 for 3 sets of 12.

Abs:  Roman Chair Sit-ups.
    4 sets of 25, 20, 15, 12

Triceps:  Rope pullovers.
    3 sets of 18 with the stack.

Legs:  Leg Press.
    Finally, something I could go heavy on!  I warmed up with 6 plates a side for 15 reps, then 8 plates for 12 reps.  I added 2 more per side (10) and did a set of 10.  For the next set, my partner, Kris (185 lbs.), jumped on top of the sled and I managed 8 reps with this, then he got off and I did 2 more reps!  I did one more set with the 10 plates getting 8 reps. All reps knees to chest, none of that 6 inch range of motion  BS.  Killer workout!


February 11, 1999         Reps:  10-12+    Sets:   3    Rest:  3 minutes

Trained:  Shoulders, Triceps, Abs, Legs

Shoulders:  Dumbbell Shoulder Press.
    I just used 45 lb. dumbbells and did 4 sets of 22, 16, 12, 14 reps.  Got a great pump from the higher reps.

Triceps:  Rope Pullovers.
     This seems to be the only triceps exercise I can comfortably do right now--good thing it's a good one.  I used the stack for 4 sets of 25, 20, 16, 16.

Abs:  Roman Chair Sit-ups.
    My new favourite ab exercise--4 sets of 25, 20, 15, 12

Legs:  Squats!
    This is great, I'm actually starting to look forward to leg workouts.  I decided to go for higher reps today and started with 145 for 20 then 235 for another 20 (that 55 lb. bar again).  I went to 285 next and managed 15 with that and almost passed out after.  Next I did 2 sets of leg curls for 15 reps each.   That was it!


February 12, 1999        

Trained:  Chest, Back, Calves, Biceps

Chest:  Machine Press.
    I don't normally like machines, but they are good for recovering from injuries and  this machine allowed me to go fairly heavy without hurting my wrist.  For this whole workout I did higher reps than normal, for a change.
    I started at 225 for 22 reps (machines always seem lighter thant real weights) and stayed there for 3 more sets of 15, then raised it to 245 for 8, back to 225 for 12 followed by one more set at 150 for 12.

Back:  Bent-over Rows.
    Started with 135 for 25 strict reps, then 185 for 12 reps and back to 135 for 2 sets of 20 and 15 reps.

Caves:  Seated Calf Raises.
    I warmed up with 2 plates for 15 reps then went to 3 1/2 plates and did a set of 12 (legs, including calves felt a bit sore from the last squat workout).   I did another set getting 15, then something happened on the last set, I got into the zone!  After about 10 reps, the weight suddenly felt easy and I kept going, past 20, past 30, past 40, all the way to 50 reps, all full range of motion!  I almost fell over when I got off the machine but the feeling was awesome.

Biceps:  Machine curls.
    Biceps are most affected by my sprained wrist, I attempted dumbbell curls but couldn't even get 30 lbs. for reps so I stuck to the machine.  I went fairly light and did 4 sets of between 15 and 20 reps each.


 


   

 

 

 

 

 

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