More Experimentation: Push, Pull, Legs *Update*

Update:

So I made a change below, I added an extra day for doing pull ups and dips. I haven’t started this yet. However, I will start it sometime after next week once I get paid. I will join the good ole gym across the street. Right now I weigh about 168-172 lbs. The lightest I have been in about …. 4 years. Down from 225. I want to ideally get down to 160. And then start going in on the powerlifting. 🙂 Me and my nephew are going to do a meet hopefully sometime at the end of the year.

LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!

*old post*

Hello All,

So I Will be venturing into another routine, simply to experience what it is all about. And that routine is the Push Pull Legs. Routine. Here is how I will split it up. 3 Days a week in a Mon. Wed. Fri. type of set up.

I got the idea from this post http://jacktylerperformance.com/2013/10/13/pushpulllegs-split-strength-size-and-athleticism/

Legs
High Bar Squats – Sets of 5
Rack Position Reverse Barbell Lunge (sheesh, long exercise name) – Sets of 8
Good Mornings – Sets of 10-12
Glute Bridges – Sets of 15+
Goblet Squat – Sets of 15
Some form of Conditioning: Sprints or Jump Roping

Push
Press – Sets of 5
Dips – Sets of 8
Bench Press – Sets of 10-12
Pec Deck or Fly’s – Sets of 15
Lateral Raises – Sets of 12-15
Some form of Conditioning – Sprints or Jump Roping

Pull
1)High Bar Squat Warm Up – 3 easy sets of 5; Warm up for Deadlift
1A)Deadlift – Sets of 3-5
Neutral Grip Chin Ups – Sets of 8
Row of Some kind – Sets of 10-12
Wide Grip Pull Up –  Sets of 8
Dumbbell Curls – Sets of 12-15
Some form of Conditioning – Sprints or Jump Roping

Calisthenics
Neutral Grip Pull Up
Dips
Wide Grip Pull Up
In order for me to do this, I will have to go to my neighborhood gym. When I will start this is yet to be determined. Any way…… time for rest and sleep.

That is all. 🙂

Strength Training: 3/20/2014

Hello All,

High Bar Paused Squat:
90 x 3 x 3
120 x 3 x 3
150 x 3 x 3

Press:
45 x 5
75 x 5
85 x 5
100 x 1
107.5 x 1
115 x 1

Speed/Technique Deadlift:
115 x 3 x 4: with red short bands
135 x 2 x 4: With green short bands

THis workout was alright. High bar squat still needs some work. I have a slight butt wink. But so far it has not affect my lower back at all.

Strength Training Preview

Hello All,

High Bar Squat: Depends on how I feel. I am still feeling a little sick. So if anything I will do technique work.
95 x 8
115 x 8 x 5

Press:
45 x 5 x 2
75 x 5 x 2
95 x 5 x 5

Deadlift:
135 x 3 x 8

Calisthenics: 3/17/2014

Hello All,

Neutral Grip Chin Up: 5 sets of 8: 40 reps

Dips: 15,12,12,12,12: 63 reps

Wide Pull Up: 5 sets of 5

Cable Rows: 85lbs 3 sets of 12: Did not feel like doing assisted pull ups.

Tomorrow I will do my 1.5 mile Sprint. It has been able 10 or more days since I did this stuff, so I am very sore.

The Essentials

Strength Training: 3/16/2014

Hello All,

High Bar Squat: Thought I squatted 172.5 after the 3rd work set. So I decided to do 2 more. Thankfully I did not go heavier. This was tough. Thursday will be a day to work on Technique. Something like 5 sets of a light 10. or 10 sets of 3 at a slightly heavier weight.
85 x 5
110 x 5
135 x 5
162.5 x 5 x 5
115 x 8

Bench: This was somewhat difficult. Next time it will be higher rep work. Something like sets of 10.
45 x 10
75 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
132.5 x 5 x 5
85 x 8

Deadlift: Just focused on technique and form. Thursday will be heavier day. Going for 250 x 5 x 2.
135 x 5
185 x 5
252.5 x 5
252.5 x 1 x 5

Tomorrow is Calisthenics Day. HELL YEAH!

Barbell Complexes

Hello All,

So I am trying to find a way to add barbell complexes to my routine. I might do 1 complex on days that I do conditioning work. (sprints, jump rope) Here are some ideas I had for barbell complexes.

High Bar Squat x 8
Behind Press x 8
Front Squat x 8

Deadlift x 8
Row x 8
Clean x 8

High Bar Squat x 8
Barbell Lunge x 8
Straight Leg DL x 8

High Bar Squat x 8
Press x 8
Clean x 8

I just used 8 reps arbitrarily. But depending on the weight, that will determine the reps and the # of rounds.

High Bar Squat VS Low Bar Squat: Which is better? Revisited

Hello All,

So a few weeks back I wrote about the High Bar vs Low bar squat. Since then I have realized I forgot to mention a very important aspect that can determine whether or not a person can high bar squat or low bar squat. And that is a persons individual anatomy. Apparently that, and ankle dorsiflexion are some of the most important things in regards to perform the squat correctly and doing your best to avoid low back flexion or “butt wink”.

Here are is an article and video regarding that topic.

Why People Must Squat Differently

The Best Kept Secret: Why People HAVE to Squat Differently

So for me, the best thing I did was go to the high bar squat. It still a work in progress. I definitely feel less stress on the low back. My original thought that mobility and flexibility determine if a person can high bar squat is not true. Or maybe partially true.

Here is my original post. https://strengthstrategy.wordpress.com/2014/01/22/high-bar-squat-vs-low-bar-squat-which-is-better/

That is all. 🙂

Rep Ranges or Total Reps?

Hello all,

So it dawned on me to think about reps in another manner. Total reps. This is just me thinking. But when I try to go for max loads, I usually do sets of 1-3. But what about total reps? What if I did 10 really heavy singles. Or what about the question about “how many reps to build hypertrophy?” Is there a difference between doing 30 reps, 3 sets of ten at 75% of max and doing 10 sets of 30 @ 90% of max? The only guess I have, is that the 10 sets of 3 is more difficult since, it is the same volume in terms of total reps, but higher intensity. I need to do more research, but it seems reps are a continuum. It doesn’t seem like it is just about reps/sets/total reps but a combination of all of those things.

Going to do some research and get some more clarity on this. And of course if you have any interesting articles that are related. please share.

That is all. 🙂

Why Stretching May Not Help Before Exercise

Interesting