2012 Northern Kentucky

[Doberman]

Well, I'm going to start up a journal again. It's a little late since this prep really started at 16 weeks, but better late than never. So here it goes...I just got done with an 8 week recomp phase. This phase utilized My Doberman Training (Article is pending at bb.com sometime next year) which is basically a 3 day split that ramps up the intensity over a 4 workout period. The difference between this and most systems is that I stagger my intensity between training sessions. For instance I rate my intensity by levels (Levels 1-3+a deload level). If I'm on day 1 of my training I may be at a level 1 workout, Day 2 may be a level 2, and Day 3 may be a level in the deload phase. Each phase lasts for 1 workout except for the deload which is 2 workouts. With my UP DAY/DOWN DAY diet I trained every other day on my high calorie day. This went well and I went from 200 11% to 190 at 7%.

Now I'm still on the UP DAY/DOWN DAY DIET, but I'm utilizing a heavy light system which I'll be using for the next 5 weeks. I'm currently at 186 at 6%. I'll then switch to more of a FST-7 type workout. So with out further ado here was yesterday's session:

Heavy Chest and Triceps/Light Shoulders and Light Calves

Incline BB Bench "Intentions" (with these I push my hands together to contract the pecs as I press the weight up)
160x12 185x10 205x8 225x6 185x15
Flat BB Bench "Intentions" I normally use DB's here, but I trained at home and I have outgrown what I have.
160x15 190x12 215x10 245x6 (meant for 8) 185x15 (meant for 20)
Close grip bb bench
160x10 180x8 200x6 160x15
Dips
45x12 70x10 90x6 0x32
DB Upright rows 35x12,12,12,12,12 (20-30 seconds rest)
Rear laterals 15x15,15,15 (20-30 seconds rest)
Seated Calves 45x30,30,30,30,30
Leg raises x30,30,20,15

[Doberman]

Today looked like it might be a problem at the start. We had all my nieces and nephew over 6 kids including my own. We had a great time the night before, but I had to get my training done in the AM in the basement. The kids got up early and were pretty rambunctious, which is fine, but I had to get my deads in. So instead of ignoring everyone and being a grump I got them involved and had them "coach" me and take video. FYI I'm 13 weeks out and hovering between 182-185. Here is how it went:

Heavy Back and biceps/Light Legs/heavy calves/abs
Deadlifts 275x10, 365x8, 455x6, 495x4, 365x15
Pullups 25x12 45x8 70x4 0x22 (got a little overenthusiastic for my audience. reps should be 12,10, 8, then amap)

Leg Press 540x15,15,15,15 (30 seconds rest)
Stiff Legged dead lifts 135x15,15,15

bb curls 60x12, 75x10, 85x8, 95x6, 75x15
rev curls 55x12, 80x10 60x20

Standing Calves 140x10,10,10,10,10

crunches x50,30,30,30

Videos are on the way....

[breck]

Nice work man. Impressive work on the deads. Will you be a welter again? A big welter that would be though.

[Doberman]

Thanks, bro. I think I'll make welter, but I'm going to be peeeeeled.

[Doberman]

Heavy Shoulders/Light Chest & Triceps/ Light calves/ abs
*stretch between and after each light set.

Military Press (standing, which by the way is the only way you can do Military Press, otherwise you are doing seated shoulder press since everything Military is done standing. As Skips says, "Just Sayn'") 125x10,145x8, 160x6, 185x4, 135x16

Arnolds 45x10, 55x8, 65,7 45x15

Seated Calves 5 sets of 30 with 50 lbs (20-30 seconds rest)

H.S. Incline 90 each side x4 sets of 12 (20-30 seconds rest)

Cable Fly machine 40x14 sets of 12 (20-30 seconds rest)

Rope pressdowns 50x15,15,15 (20-30 seconds rest)

Machine over head extensions 40x15,15,15 (20-30 seconds rest)

Leg raises 3 sets of 30

[mister69]

Gotta get the work in :-) nice deads

[Doberman]

Thanks, I might turn those military presses into push presses also. I always seem to get a little extra from using the push to "cheat" the weight up and then control the negative. I'm looking forward to crushing some squats next. I'm going to do them on the Smith machine and see how far into 400's I can go with solid form and a good mind/muscle connection. I usually don't have a problem with that with legs, but I still don't want to get weight just for the sake of weight.

Mister, How's your training going? Is the injury holding up?

[mister69]

The injury has been good :-)


Looking foward to your videos

[Doberman]

Deadlifts 495x4 in my basement on Christmas Eve Morning. I need to work on my form when I get to these heavier weights, but overall I felt good: [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r08j0sLTCU[/YOUTUBE]

[Doberman]

Heavy Legs/Light Back and biceps

Squats 135x15 225x12 315x10 365x8 405x6 315x15 (I hurt my knee a bit by wrapping it incorrectly, but I'm using Sinew Therapeutics Chronic Liniment on it. It helped quickly the last time).

Leg Extentions 70x15 90x12 110x10 130x8 70x33

Wide Grip Prone/Reverse/Neutral Pulldowns 140x15/15/15 (30 seconds rest)

Close Grip Prone/Reverse/Neutral Cable Rows 150x15/15/12 (30 seconds rest)

Preacher Curls 60x15,15,15 (30 seconds rest)

Concentration Curls 15x15,15,15 (30 seconds rest)

Seated Calves 55x30,30,30,30,30 (1 minute rest)

Crunches 30,30,30,30,30 (30 seconds rest)

*on light exercises I stretch between sets.

*Two mistakes I need to point out. First I didn't take enough time to warm up my knees. I'm going to do at least 5 minutes on the bike or treadmill next time, and more active stretches. I'm also going to follow up the training with some foam rolling. The second mistake was wrapping my knees incorrectly. I think it might be best to just use my knee sleeves anyhow. I feel the wraps take away feeling my legs working and if it causes this kind of discomfort I don't want to keep making that mistake again.

[CJ Hartley]

I like to warm up slowly as I have had knee problems in the past. I start with just the bar for 25-30, then add around 50lbs each set for 15-20 reps till I get to 315and up, then I keep reps in the 8-10 range. I think it actually helps for the heavy sets IMO.

[Doberman]

I might try that. One other thing I've done in the past that seemed to work was to do multiple sets of low reps. I might do the first few with a slow cadence almost like stretching while using weight. Then after a few of those I would speed up the positive portion of the rep. I don't know if the science backs this up, but it seemed to prime the nervous system for the heavier weight to come without exhausting the muscle prior to the work set. I didn't do any of that for this routine since it starts out with high reps and the 135 was sort of my warm up.

My other routines are more like a Dorian routine where you warm up like I said then you kill the work weight with 2 heavy sets. Since the current routine uses a pyramid, and it is more of a precontest routine, I think I may do what you are talking about and stop worrying about going heavy enough.

Bottom line is I know better than to rush the warm up, but with the holidays and my wife being off work I just wanted to get in and out of the gym. Next time I'm in a time crunch I'll just train at home and be smarter about it.

[Doberman]

After reviewing this it looks like my depth wasn't the greatest, but I think the camera angle made it look worse. I'll tighten that up next time.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkO4-E01f6w[/YOUTUBE]

[breck]

Awesome squats man. That explains the ginormous quads. I detest warming up and stretching. That is the lack of patience in me...lol.

[Doberman]

Thanks bro. More videos to come.