Squats, pulls, and curls

Tuesday 08.01.2008

Cardio day thingy

Today was really more of an experiment than anything else. I need to learn my limits so I can set up something that will be challenging.

Javorkian complex #2 circuit

Barbell Upright Row x 3
Barbell High Pull Snatch x 3
Barbell Behind the Head Squat Push Press x 3
Barbell Behind the Head Good Morning x 3
Barbell Bent Over Row x 3

88 lbs

30 sec rest

10 burpees

30 sec rest, repeat complex 88lbs

120 sec rest

repeat all above.

Javorkian complex #4 circuit

Barbell Regular (Supinated) Curls x 3
Barbell Upright Row x 3
Barbell High Pull Snatch From Hip x 3
Barbell Behind The Head Press x 3
Barbell Bent Over Row x 3
Barbell Behind The Head Squat Push Press or x 3
Barbell Behind The Head Seated Press x 3
Barbell Behind The Head Good Morning x 5
Barbell Behind The Head Quarter Squat x 5
Barbell In Front Of Thighs Special Good Morning x 5

66 lbs (bad flow here, as I kinda forgot some of the exercises and had to think about for a second, but I'll get better at that)

30 sec rest

10 burpees

30 sec rest

repeat complex 66lbs (better flow here)


About the complexes:
The squat push press is the toughest exercise, you need to use your entire body and it takes a lot of effort, which I like :D
I think for the future maybe doing complex #4 first since when you start, you're fresh and that complex is longer, then do 10 burpees (or something else) then do complex #2, which is shorter than #4, this way I'll avoid faliure with the complexes and it's logical to take the hardest part first, isn't it?

I don't quite get the curls in the 4th complex, after them I have to change grip to do the rest of the exercises.
Other than that, the weight for upright rows is a bit heavy, but I don't think it matters, 88 kg on the 2d complex felt good, 66 felt good on the 4th.

I'm not sure about the burpees.. they aren't really that intense, also, the jumping back bit seemed to agrivate my hip flexors. Anyone got any ideas for what I can put up there? Prefferably something that's tough and involves the whole body.

Steady state biking
17 min.

The complex stuff is more intense than SS cardio, so this was last. I really don't like biking as cardio, I dunno why, I kinda don't get tired the same way I do from running. My muscles actually seem to burn from lactate acid before anything else.
I also noticed while biking that my glutes were getting fatigued, which they haven't before. Is this because my glutes have gotten weaker? I doubt it, I rather think it's the fact that my glutes are now finally starting to activate properly. I think biking might be good for them, since you gotta use your slow twitch muscle fibers, which are the muscle fibers that are more active through-out the day in holding your body in place (posture-wise)

Today wasn't all that tough, the complexes were hard and I was really tired, but I could probably have done more of them. However, this is the first time I'm trying this and I want to ease into it, I also want to hit the gym tomorrow again.

PWO: the usual. Half before SS cardio and half after.
 
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09.01.2008

Strenght day

A1 Sumo Deadlift
1x1 308
1x1 330
1x1 352
1x1 363
1x1 374
1x1 385 (this is the same as my conventional DL pr. really heavy)
1x1 374 (really heavy
1x1 363

The sets after the 385 set were really hard, way harder than they were when I was going up. Doing a propper 1rm really tires me. I would probably have been better off training wise by staying at 370ish and doing sevral singles, but I really wanted to see how high I can go. A true 1RM in training might not be the best idea. I really think my sumo is going to surpass my conventional in the next few months.

180kg (which is 4 plates here) isn't far away now. it's just 5 more kgs, which is nothing.

Also, I wore a belt for this, the belt problem I had with conventional deads did not appear here, I think it might be because of a more upright position, I don't know. I'll have to wait until I do normal deads again. I think the belt helped some with this massive progress from last time I pulled sumo, but I've definitly gotten a lot stronger.
B1 Bench Press (touch n' go
Trying out new techniqiue today
1x2 176
1x1 187
1x1 198
1x1 209
1x1 220 (Finally got that 100kg up!)
1x2 198 (1 rep with medium grip, rest pause, 1 rep with wide grip. The wide grip rep was easier. I wanted to see what grip I should be using)
1x1 209
1x1 209 (old technique, wanted to see how much difference it made)
1x1 209 (this was easier than the previous set with my old technique, looks like the adjustments worked)
1x1 209
1x8 176 (there was a time when 176 was my max, I'll think about that for a second :D)

I'm not all that happy with the benching, last time I was at 97.5kg, granted, that was a VERY true 1rm, I struggled a lot with it, while the 100kg went up tough today, it wasn't as tough as the previous 97.5.. I think I might have gotten 102.5 if I had tried.

The form change was putting my feet more underneath me, and being on my toes (my ankle flexibility won't allow me to have my heels down at that range, nor would anyone elses :p) I create way more tension on the quads this way and get tighter, I also manage to push myself more up on my traps.
It was a bit weird, as it seemed like I touched the bar a bit lower, so I don't know if I get to reduce the ROM with my stomach as much as I have until now, but I tested today and I can do more weight with the new style, so I'll keep it and experiment some more.

C1 DB Alternating Turkish Get-ups
3x3 35.2

last time I did these I used 26.4. Big improvement in shoulder stability. I think all the DB pressing on my work capacity days have payed off.

D1 Medium grip bent over BB row
1x10 132
3x6 154
1x3 176 (Bad ROM here, some of the reps were a bit short)

Great improvement in this lift. Last time I did sets of 7 with 62.5kg, now sets of 6 with 70.

D2 Triceps press down
1x10 60.5
2x7 66

E1 Swiss ball leg curl
3x8 BW

E2 Reverse crunch roll (traditional reverse crunch)
1xlots BW
2x10 BW

PWO: The usual
 
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11.01.2008

Power day

A1 Power Snatch
1x3 110
1x3 132
1x3 143
5x3 132

Well I used 65kg for tripples last time, now I usd 60, so I got weaker. Way to go. Hope doing these more often will make progress come, as I'm sick of stalling in the O lifts

B1 Hang clean high pull
7x3 176
1x3 181.5

C1 thrusters
Back thrusters
1x3 132
1x3 154
3x3 159.5 (lowering on the last rep on the last set went straight in my neck)

Dunno if back thrusters (back squat into BTN push press) are that good for me, the shoulders are in a ****ed up position and lowering the bar is really ackward

Front thrusters:
1x3 132
1x3 154

C2 Pullups
1x5 BW
2x3 BW

God I just get worse and worse at pullups. Pretty soon I won't be able to do a single one.

D1 AB pulldown standing
1x8 88
2x10 88

D2 BB reverse curl
4x10 22
need to strenghten my wrist extendors

D3 Cable ext rotation
1x8 11
2x7 11
1x6 11

Happy with getting the weight up to 11 lbs here, my rot cuf is weak

PWO: The usual
 
yeah :p but I was kind of hoping that my pullup strenght would increase in harmony with my weight gain. I bet pullups will go up when I cut.
 
13.01.2008

work day

A1 Box squat below parallel
3x10 132

B1 One handed DB standing DB military press
1x12 39.6
1x10 39.6
1x09 35.2

these are tough on the abs too, as you need to stabilize to keep the upper body still

C1 Elbows flared cable row
1x12 165
1x10 165
1x10 154

D1 Reverse alternating lunge
3x10 48.4

darn these are tough, happy with the weight though, progress.
reps are per leg.

E1 Full contact twist
1x8 33
2x9 33

These are really tough. I think they are good for training core strenght for DLs and stuff too, since you gotta keep REALLY tight (specially when you change directions)
reps are per side

E2 single hand false grip reverse DB curl
3x10 26.4

E3 DB Cuban press
1x8 15.4
2x9 13.2

PWO: The usual
 
14.01.2008

Cardio Day

Javorek's Barbell Complex # 2 Exercise:

Barbell Upright Row x 3
Barbell High Pull Snatch x 3
Barbell Behind the Head Squat Push Press x 3
Barbell Behind the Head Good Morning x 3
Barbell Bent Over Row x 3

Kark complex 1
PC thrusters (power clean then front thruster) x5
GM x5
Back thruster x5
Bent over row x5
PC and jerk x3

Complex thingies
kark #1

40 sec

Javorek #2

60 sec

Javorek #2

60 sec

Javorek #2

60 sec

Javorek #2

88 lbs for everything

as you can see I need a lot of rest between the complexes, which is kind of dissapointing. I'm not sure If I should look to increase the ammount of sets I do or decrease rest time.. I think increase the sets since what I do now doesn't really take all that long.
The kark complex #1 was friggin hard! The last PC and jerks were suppose to be for 5 reps.. but I only got 3 I was so tired, so a bit too tough for me. I think I'll lower the reps to 3 for all of the exercises and rather try to increase reps after a while.

this took in all about 16 min

SS cardio: Jogging on treadmil
Time: 13 min
Speed: started at 7 moved to 8-9, finished with a bit of a last effort sprint with 11
Average HR: 157
Max HR: 174

I could have done more here, could have gone for longer or used more speed, but I really had to pee! Last time I'm gonna go pee before I start the SS bit..

PWO: The usual. Had to drink it at home because I forgot to put it in my gym bag :( :p
 
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I'm really sore today (in my glutes), so I'm seriously thinking about pushing my strenght day one day back. I don't think it was because of yesterdays cardio session though, I was already sore in my glutes then from the work day the day before, and soreness has a tendency to hit the top 48 hours after the workout, and I didn't get sore after the last time I did a cardio day.
I might still go though, but I'll have to save the lower body stuff. If I go I'll do RDLs, which always hit my hamstrings more than my glutes (If I want to hit the glutes I have to do some single leg stuff or low squatting, which I did on the work day, I think deep box squats and reverse lunges might be a bit too much for my ass in one day ;) )
 
Tuesday 15.01.2008

strenght day

I was sore in my glutes before I started this workout

A1 RDL from 25 kg plates
1x3 264
1x3 308
3x3 319

Last time I did a doubble at 308 which was VERY heavy, so I'm pleased with the progress

B1 45 degree incline BB bench press
1x3 154
1x3 176 (last time I tried I only got one rep on this)
6x3 165
1x3 170.5

Not much progress in the multiple tripple sets from last time. However, I did get 80kg up only one rep last time, but that was weird, since I got 75 easy 3 times, but 80 only 1. My incline bench is unstable and I haven't quite got it down yet. Today I did notice something though, I've been trying to tuck my elbows (not a lot, but a bit), which brings the bar down to far down on the incline. I can do way more if I flare my elbows. Are you suppose to not tuck your elbows when doing incline? When I just let the bar go down on my upper chest I got it up a lot easier.

C1 Bent over BB wide grip row to low
1x5 132
1x5 154
1x5 159.5
2x5 154

C2 Reverse grip cable pushdown (one hand)
1x10 22
1x06 27.5
1x12 22
1x09 22

D1 False grip reverse BB curl
1x10 22
2x10 49.5

I felt this in my fingers more than my wrist extenders (which is what I'm trying to improve) but I still think it does me good

D2 DB Windmills
1x8 17.6
1x10 22
1x10 17.6

great improvement, last time I used 7kg and only got like 3 reps due to crappy shoulder stability. My shoulder stability has really improved now so I can hold the DB better in balance

D3 Single hand Cable flat rear delt
basically a cable attachment at shoulder level, grab the thing, keep the arm straight and abduct the arm. However, I'm unsure if this hit my rear delts or lateral delts most..
1x10 5.5
2x12 11

PWO: The usual. However, half of my protein shake leaked into my bag. I walked to the bus and got home in pants, sweater and shoes, no underwear, not even socks ;)
 
Karky man, whats this set type called that you use. Meaning is their a name for doing like many sets, few reps e.g. 6x3.

Also by doing this, have you seen decent gains? Im thinking of trying this method.
 
not really a name for it that I know of. It works great though. When doing tripples on the main lifts I usually shoot for 8x3 or 10x3, but it varies on some days according to how I feel. It's a good way of getting a lot of volume, which stimulates growth, while at the same time using heavy weight which stimulates strenght gains.

here's an article from Chad Waterbury, explaining the science behind 10x3
TESTOSTERONE NATION

Waterbury's not the man who came up with the idea (the idea is pretty old if I'm not mistaken, nothing new) but he does a good job explaining it and he is an advocate for that style of training.
 
Thursday 17.01.2008

Power Day

A1 Power cleans
1x3 176
1x3 198
2x3 209
1x3 214.5
2x3 220 (I'm happy with getting 100kg up for 3 reps)
2x3 209

I managed to get better speed here than last time, specially in getting under the bar.

B1 Hang high pulls wide grip
grip almost as wide as the bar allows, however, I did play around with the grip width a bit on different sets. Seems that when my grip is the grip I actually use for snatches, I get a lot more weight up, probably because it's wider than I'm used to for high pulls and thus less ROM. I think I'll need to use straps for this in the future though, it's not that I can't hold it, but my hands get crushed from holding so wide :(

1x3 154
1x3 165
5x3 170.5

C1 Push Press
No pressouts, straight to lockout.

1x3 154
1x3 176
1x3 187
3x3 176

I've been neglecting push press and the likes of that in my rotation, I'm gonna need to do them more often. Maybe every other week an overhead press variation (push press, power jerk, jerks) and speed benching. My weakness is not getting the weight up there, it's controling it once it gets up there. I easily got the 3d rep on 187 up, but once it was there I almost dropped it. I have gotten better shoulder stability from DB work, but I think you need a "different" kind of stability for this. It's very different jumping, landing and catching a heavy bar of 80kg than holding a 20-30kg db over your head. Not only because the BB is heavier, but because you've just exploded up and you're not in perfect balance because your heels/all of you leave the ground.

C2 Pulldowns
1x10 84.7
1x08 84.7
1x09 73.7

D1 High to low woodchop
3x10 46.2

D2 false grip reverse EZ bar preacher curl
1x10 22
1x12 22
1x13 22

These were tough both for biceps and forearms, which is what I want. Two birds with one stone.

D3 cable external rotation
2x10 11
1x08 11

I'm really happy about making progress with external rotations, means my RC is getting stronger, which is good. I've never had much progress with this before, and I think it has helped adding a lot more variety.

PWO: The usual
 
Friday 18.01.2008

Cardio day

Complexes

Complex #2
Upright row
pwr snatch
Thrusters
GM
Bent over row


Complex #2
3x40kg (that's 3 reps per exercise in the complex, with 40kg weight, for future referrence)

30 sec rest

Complex #2
3x40kg

30 sec rest

Complex #2
3x40kg

60 sec rest

Complex #2
3x40kg

60 sec rest

Complex #2
3x40kg

Complex #2
4x40kg (4 reps was frikkin hard!)

Complex #2
3x40kg

90 sec rest

Complex #2
3x40kg

60 sec rest

Complex #2
3x40kg

60 sec rest

Complex #2
3x40kg

60 sec rest

Complex #2
3x40kg

60 sec rest

Complex #2
3x40kg

11 sets of complexes
Duration 19 min
HR:
Average: 155
Max 173

I was normally at the high 160's in HR at the end of a complex.
I'm happy about more duration and more sets now than last time!

SS cardio jogging on treadmil
Duration: 13min
AVG HR: 159
MAX HR: 169
Distance: 2

Speed: started with 8, moved up to 9 then to 9.5 pretty quick, then to 10. I should be able to hold 9-10 for 13 min.

My main problem is actually my calves getting tired and stiff as hell. I can push through it (I do pretty much the entire duration of the run, it comes very quickly) but it's painful. I don't quite get why my calves get so stiff and tired.. :eek:

With jogging I can keep about 160-165 hr pretty steady for a long time, however, with complexes, the same HR is A LOT harder, probably proves how intense complexes are, since you use the entire body, not just mainly the legs like when you jog.
 
Saturday 19.01.2008

Work day

A1 Parallel back squat
1x12 132
1x12 154
2x12 176 (a bit of pain at the end of the last set, nothing major)

The last set here was actually really tough, this is good, since I can now actually fatigue myself without any major pain.
I'll keep squatting only for reps for a while longer, but I have to start thinking about how I'm gonna incorporate max effort squatting in my routine. Should I roll in squats with my strenght pulls on my strenght day? I don't know if this would just cause them both to progress slower than if they both had their own rotation. But then again, I have nowhere to put that, and I doubt I can handle heavy pulling AND heavy squatting on one day.

B1 DB Bench
1x12 57.2
1x12 61.6 (really tough!)
1x12 57.2

Noticable progress here, good thing! :D

B2 Cable row
1x12 84.7
2x12 82.5

C1 Pullthroughs
3x15 132

Noticable progress here too. I had less troubble with the whole being pulled backwards thing now than last time, and I used more weight too + it was done at a different cable station, which I think is a bit harder than the one I normally use)

D1 DB Wrist extensions
1x12 13.2
1x15 11
2x15 13.2

D2 BOV rear delt fly thumbs up w. head support
2x12 11
1x15 11
1x12 11

Crunch
The trick is to keep the back flat against the floor, pelvic posteriorly tilted and not use the lower back in the range of motion, makes it a lot harder than the standard "noob crunch" you all see all over the gym.

1x15 11
1x15 16.5
1x15 22
1x15 27.5
1x16 27.5

PWO: The usual

HR max: 175 AVG: 135
Duration: 1 hour and 27 min.
It got long, but I did waste some time sitting around, and I was stearing at this awsome set of glutes maximus' belonging to someone from the female side of the human race (there, no one should feel offended by that)

But really I was looking at some good pice of ass that I'd like to tear up anytime, anywhere!
 
Monday 21.01.2008

Strenght day

A1 RDL from the top
1x3 308

1x3 319
1x2 330
1x1 341

1x3 330
1x2 341
1x1 352

1x1 352
1x12 264

Heavy sets were belted, last 12 rep set was not.
Happy about this. Specially getting 12 reps with 120kg. The weight felt really easy when I pulled it here because of the heavy previous sets.


B1 Close grip bench press
2x3 176
1x3 181.5
5x3 187

C1 3 point one handed DB row
this is the one with one knee and one hand on a bench. It will from now on be known as the "hardcore DB row" because it's hardcore :p

1x15 48.4
1x09 66
1x12 66
1x07 74.8

Weird how performance varied here. Maybe my technique wasn't quite the same on all sets. Anyhow.. I'm soon all out of DBs here.. so I dunno what I'll do then. Maybe go for very high rep sets.. dang its annoying that the DBs in the gym only go to like 77lbs.

C2 Lying DB skull crusher
3x7 26.4

D1 Side lying Db ext rotation
1x6 15.4
1x7 13.2
1x4 13.2
My left shoulder has been bothering me, and it kept the weight and reps down here. I think I have less external rotation ROM in my left shoulder than my right, since I can't seem to finish the rom with this exercise on my left hand..

D2 Leg raises
3x12 BW

False grip reverse DB preacher curl
3x9 26.4

PWO: The usual
 
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Wednesday 23.01.2008

Power Day

A1 Hang power snatch
1x3 132
7x3 137.5

A bit more weight than last time, but speed was a lot better, atleast in the beginning sets, it subsided as the sets went on due to fatigue (duuh)

B1 Clean high pull
4x3 176
4x3 187

B2 Smith Bench throws
1x3 66
2x3 77
1x4 44
2x4 49.5
1x5 49.5

These doesn't seem to improve much.. the question I pose is if it's best to go with low weight and throw the bar far, or higher weight and not throw the bar as far? I noted down now how high I could throw the 44 lb bar so this is a way I can tell if I progress. I just need to find out if I should stay with low weight or higher weight..

C1 Bent over BB row medium grip
1x10 132
2x8 143

C2 Alternating lunges
3x10 35.2

35.2 lbs in each hand. My conditioning is coming along. It isn't as hard now to do lunges as it was before. I could even superset it with bent over rows without getting too tired.

D1 Low to high woodchop
1x10 46.2
1x11 46.2
1x12 38.5

D2 One handed Cable pull - external rotation - press
In this exercise you put a cable at shoulder heigh, row it with your elbow flared, then do an ext rotation, then military press it. The pressing is very tough for the RC since the resistance is draging your arm towards the cable station and you have to resist it.
1x7 5.5
1x8 5.5
1x7 5.5

D3 False grip reverse one hand cable curl
1x12 16.5
2x12 22

PWO: The usual
 
you mean if you don't catch the bar on the way down and it hits you in the stomach? sure, but since it's on a smith machine the bar is fixed so it's pretty hard to not catch it. And you can always set the safties so that the bar won't hurt your stomach much if you do miss it.
 
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