My training History: I trained less than one year before competing in my first powerlifting meet as a teenager back in 1983. Before leaving the sport in 2005 I achieved my elitefts status in the 198,220,242,275 & 308 weight class. Throughout these years I did have a 3 year run in the bodybuilding world. Loved the training didn't like the competing aspect so I went back to my first love, powerlifting. Injuries have been a part of my life ever since I can remember and were the biggest reason for leaving the sport (I can no longer hold a squat bar on my back). I have degenerative joint disease and have had two shoulder surgeries (right shoulder needs replaced), one full hip replacement, knee surgery, and some issues with pretty much every joint in my body. I can't even begin to list the number of muscle tears I have had, surgical and non surgical. I am "The Mashed Up Meathead" and this is my story.
You can find my training log archives HERE and my most current training log posts HERE.
** Unless otherwise noted the tempo of all my sets of 1/2 the speed of what most people would consider normal. I don't time or count the tempo but it is twice as slow as if I was going to "Just knock off" a set. My reason for this is to work the muscle harder while placing less force on the joints.
Sunday
Dumbbell Press on Slight Incline
* 6 warm up sets 15-20
* 4 work sets 8-10 (two sets using the 80's and two using the 100's)
-- even after not using dumbbells I have some funky forearm thing going on.
Decline Hammer Press
* 3 warm up sets 15
* Worked up using ascending work sets of 6 ending with 3.5 plats per side for two sets
Machine Flies
* 3 warm up sets
* 4 work sets of 10-12 (to failure)
Chain Flies
* 6 sets of 8-10 (to failure)
* 1 loaded stretch for 45 count
Monday
20 minutes - bike
Tuesday
20 minutes - bike
Wednesday
Tsunami Bar Pulldowns
* 5-6 warm up sets
* 4 work sets of 10-12 (to failure)
Chest Supported Rows
*4 warm up sets 10
* 3 work sets of 8-10 (to failure)
Comfort Grip DD Pulldown
* 6 sets 10-12 (to failure)
Hise Shrugs
* 5 sets 12-15 (to failure)
Low Rows with Tsunami Bar
* 4 sets 10-12 (to failure)
Back Raises
* 1 set of 50
Hammer Row
* 2 warm up sets of 10
* 1 set of 4 with 15 sec eccentric
* 1 set of 4 ending with a 45 second loaded stretch
Thursday
Slayer Bar Curls
* 4 warm up sets of 8
* 4 work sets of 8-10 (to failure)
Reverse Curl
* 2 warm up sets of 6
* 3 work sets of 8-10 (to failure)
One Arm Dumbbell Curl
* 2 warm up sets
* 2 sets of 4 reps using a 15 count eccentric
Blast Strap Face Curls
* 3 sets to failure
* The last set held the stretched position for a 45 count.
Pushdowns using Fat V Bar
* 2 warm up sets 15
* 4 work sets 8 reps using the V handle and 8 reps using the 4" ball of handle - 16 total reps
Lying Cross Body Extensions
* One warm up sets of 1o
* 3 double sets of around 6-10 per set. To do these I did as many reps as I could with one arm (around 10-15) and then did the second arm, with no rest right back to the first arm again to do as many as I could (about 50-60% of the reps I got the first time)
Barbell in Rack - Close Grip Push Ups
* 1 set of 4 using a 15 sec eccentric
One Arm Cable Extension - Standing
* 1 sets of 8 reps ending with a 45 sec loaded stretch
Friday
Nothing
Saturday
Seated Leg Curls
* 4 warm up sets
* 4 work sets of 8-12 with the last set adding 20 partials
Leg Press
* Started at 5 plates per side for 8 and worked up one plate per side for each additional set. The last set was 11 plates per side for 8
Machine Squat
* 2 warm up sets of 8-12 reps
* 2 sets of 4 using a 15 sec eccentric
Leg Extensions (just top 1/2)
* 4 sets of 10-15 (to failure)
Glute Presses
* 2 sets 12
Quad Stretch and Contract
* Using a basic quad stretch a three phase stretch is used. each held for a 10 count. The first is a mild stretch for 10 count, then stretch it more and hold for another 10, finally go to close to max stretch for 10 count. Right after this a set of TKE's for 8-10 with max contraction was done.
* 2 rounds
Notes:
* Volume is still be added each week and then will hold for a few weeks while the effort of work will go up.
* The main objective this week was to get in 6-7 sessions for the week. I hit 4 with two cardio.
* light cardio will begin to be added before many of these sessions
* I still have not been able to lock down the training time I would like but the evening during the week has been working out for now.
* Another objective was to add the loaded stretching and eccentric work into every weight training session.
* One hour of muscle activate therapy was done Wednesday morning
* Bodyweight has dropped from 299 to 278 over past 10 weeks. I know I am still over 15% so I am not bothering to check bodyfat at this point.
* On a scale of 1-10 from a nutritional standpoint. 1 being fast food every meal and 10 being super clean BB diet I have been at a 6.
* My blood work was taken 10 weeks ago (when I was 299) and it was really bad. It was taken again on Thursday so I will see if it's heading in the right direction. I am expecting changes in some areas but am not expecting it to be a huge difference due to the time elapsed and my health history.
* For what seems to have been a very long time now by body wasn't participating with me. If it was then my mind or work would become a mess. It seemed like whatever I tried my body/mind wasn't listening. After months of trying to force it I just back off and relaxed about it. No point is forcing and stress what wasn't happened so I figure I would save it for when I could see the light again. Now that I see it I am back up and fighting again.
Had I known how this would have worked out I would have backed off 6 months ago.