TheStig's Workout Log

[Fuglydude]

Squats are coming along nicely, also nice dumbbell work. If you want a more challenging version of the dumbbell push work try these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJJMxv9_WhE

Parallel grip dumbbell push work is tougher, but great for building scapular stability.

 

[TheStig]

Squats are coming along nicely, also nice dumbbell work. If you want a more challenging version of the dumbbell push work try these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJJMxv9_WhE

Parallel grip dumbbell push work is tougher, but great for building scapular stability.

Thanks man, and what is scapular stability?

 

[Purefilth]

Thanks man, and what is scapular stability?

wrists

 

[TheStig]

In the words of Purefilth, BEASTMODE was [ON] today
BB Day
Bench Press
15 x 135 lbs
12 x 185 lbs
10 x 205 lbs
8 x 225 lbs
6 x 245 lbs (gains)
2 x 275 lbs
8 x 225 lbs
20 x 135 lbs

Incline Bench Press
3 sets of 10 @135 lbs

Dumbbell Row/Pullups Supersets for burnout
12 x 90 lb rows immediately followed by 8 pullups
10 x 100 lb rows immediately followed by 8 pullups
10 x 100 lb rows immediately followed by 8 pullups

Push Press
10 x 95 lbs
8 x 115 lbs
6 x 135 lbs

T-Bar Row
15 x 135 lbs
10 x 180 lbs
10 x 225 lbs

Dips
3 sets of 10 with 55 lb dumbbell

AND FOR THE FINISHER...............

We named this the chest blaster, and it goes like this:
-put a 25 pounder on each side of an ez curl bar (totaling 75 lbs)
-bench press it for as many reps as possible, as fast as possible
-when you hit failure, then go immediately into skullcrushers, following the same format
-when you hit failure on that, get rid of the bar, put your feet up on the bench, and do pushups til failure, with a buddy spotting you using a weight belt, so that even after failure he can help you bust out a couple more
-then proceed into dropset barbell curls, using an olympic barbell, with a 10 pounder and two 5 pounders on each side
-do 10 reps of curl, then drop a 5 off. 10 more reps and then drop the other 5 off, and so on, until you are doing the bar for 10 reps
-this is all done non fvcking stop, so 1 guy goes through this at a time

Congratulations, you've completed the chest blaster!

My numbers were 70 presses, 7 skullcrushers and 8 pushups, plus the dropsets

Then we did 8 40 yard sprints with 30 sec in between each sprint.

Yeah, not to be a douche, but I feel like a badass right now. It was just one of those days lol.

 

[TheStig]

Today was the epitome of what a circuit should be, short, sweet, intense, and full of sweat
Circuit Day
Front Squat, 6 reps, 205 lbs
Pullups, 10 reps, bodyweight
Push Press, 6 reps, 135 lbs
Dips, 8 reps, 50 lb dumbbell
4 rounds

Fvck yeah I feel good after that, only took 20 min, but I already feel sore as hell lol

 

[Fuglydude]

Thanks man, and what is scapular stability?

Tough to define concisely I suppose, but basically it refers to how all the muscles in your upper back work to keep the shoulder blade in one place so that it can serve as an insertion point for other muscles. Anytime you're lifting/pushing/pulling your scapula and associated upper back muscles are involved. Strong scapular stability is important for having a strong push as it lets you "push off your lats"...

Anyways, I'm not an athletic trainer/therapist, but here's an article for ya:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-...obility-and-scapular-stability/#axzz2UmnWFWdr

Once you get into the bigger weights, 500+ deads, 350+ bench, 250+ clean, etc and heavy push work, scapular stability becomes more important to avoid injury.

 

[TheStig]

Tough to define concisely I suppose, but basically it refers to how all the muscles in your upper back work to keep the shoulder blade in one place so that it can serve as an insertion point for other muscles. Anytime you're lifting/pushing/pulling your scapula and associated upper back muscles are involved. Strong scapular stability is important for having a strong push as it lets you "push off your lats"...

Anyways, I'm not an athletic trainer/therapist, but here's an article for ya:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-...obility-and-scapular-stability/#axzz2UmnWFWdr

Once you get into the bigger weights, 500+ deads, 350+ bench, 250+ clean, etc and heavy push work, scapular stability becomes more important to avoid injury.

Thanks man that's some helpful info right there

 

[TheStig]

Today is heavy bench and deadlift, my goals are 290 on bench and 375 on deads, get pumped!! The 300s on bench and 400s on deads are so close I can taste it..

 

[TheStig]

Heavy Day(bench and deads)
Bench Press
10 x 135 lbs
4 x 225 lbs
4 x 245 lbs
3 x 255 lbs
1.5 x 275 lbs
1 x 285 lbs
0 x 290 lbs fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck
8 x 225 lbs

Deadlift (with weighted dips to stretch the back - - thanks Fuglydude)
10 x 135 lbs
5 x 225 lbs
5 x 295 lbs
5 x 315 lbs
(6 dips with 60 lb dumbbell)
3 x 345 lbs
(6 dips with 60 lb db)
1 x 365 lbs
(dips with 60 lb db)
1 x 375 lbs
3 x 315 lbs
(dips with 60 lb db)
3 x 315 lbs
3 x 315 lbs
3 x 315 lbs
5 x 315 lbs
(ended with 8 dips with the 60)

Then I got pumped as fvck doing cable crossover/close grip chins supersets, can just now straighten out my arms lol

Edit: hit my 10 post limit
Thanks Krueg! Yeah I don't know, you just gotta do it lol. They were slow and controlled to focus on decompressing my back, and I don't think it'd be that difficult because you're hitting two completely different muscle groups. Even if you can't do the dips, just having weight hanging from your waist while you hang from a pullup or a dip bar will help stretch you out. But yeah I was breathing hard and had a nice slimy layer of sweat all over me lol my weight belt was soaked.

And BDJ: care to elaborate? haha jk I know what you mean. Everyone has to start somewhere, I was weak as fvck when I started out lifting about 7-8 years ago

 

[Krueg]

Nice Job hitting your DL goal! Don't know how you can add some dips between deadlifting, you'd find me resting on a bench, breathing hard before my next set

 

[BeDJ]

This journal makes me motivated and sad at the same time.

 

[Purefilth]

This journal makes me motivated and sad at the same time.

A bit like taking a $300 bet on 6pack abzzz and then stuffing your face full?



An d @ Krueg - sitting down on big lifts is no good buddy. Use the rest time to stretch / clench the muscles that youre working. Trust me - it makes a difference.

 

[TheStig]

My little brother spontaneously took a video of me when I was doing 365.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR3cXGShh40

I was actually surprised at how good my form looked, because in the moment when I was lifting it, I couldn't tell at all how my form was because that was fvckin hard.

 

[BeDJ]

Lmao. That was good.

 

[Krueg]

Nice, Head was in a neutral position, you kept your chest up and low back arched. 365 look pretty good.

 

[TheStig]

Decided to forgo a circuit and do a 2nd heavy day this week, today, don't ask me why lol I don't really know
Heavy Day, Part 2
Box Squat
10 x 225 lbs
8 x 275 lbs
6 x 295 lbs
5 x 315 lbs
3 x 335 lbs (attempted a 4th rep but failed...thank you safety bars)
2 x 345 lbs
1 x 355 lbs
1 x 365 lbs
0 x 375 lbs
3 x 315 lbs

Rack Pulls(for the first time ever)
5 x 225 lbs
5 x 225 lbs (set the safety bars lower)
5 x 315 lbs
3 x 335 lbs
3 x 355 lbs
3 x 365 lbs
2 x 385 lbs
2 x 405 lbs
3 x 405 lbs
2 x 405 lbs
fatigue started to really set in, didn't want my form to get sloppy so I decided to end it

Then I did a set of parallel DB press with 90s, 10 reps, but decided to end there in favor of doing weighted dips, my back was fvckin tight, not in a bad way though.

Dips (with 65 lb dumbbell)
8, 6, 6
these honestly helped so much, eradicated tightness and decompressed my spine

Pullups
1 set of 5 with the 65 pounder, then 2 more sets of 5 at bodyweight

And done.

The box squats felt fantastic! I opted for box squats today in an attempt to build more consistency. They were parallel touch and go (I'm just not comfortable with the idea of sitting completely down with 300+ lbs of weight pressing on my spine). I found out pretty quick the explosiveness required to get the weight up from a dead stop with no stretch momentum (is that even a term?). I mean, I know what they're like because I've done them before, but not in years.

And I chose to do rack pulls to assist my deadlift and figure out where my weakness lies. I found out my weakness is actually the very first half of the lift (leg drive). The finishing half of the lift is much easier for me, and I have very good form too, there's absolutely no back rounding, just a solid arch. I'm putting my lumbar erector to good use lol. I suppose I have a strong lower back but I guarantee you there's no way in hell I could deadlift 405 at this point in time.

By the way this is my inspiration; what I strive to have my deads be like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYWulxelwbU

 

[Krueg]

Awesome work Stig!

For the rack pulls, I think that will help your lock-out power. Were these done below or above the knee?

If your weak off the floor you could try deficit pulls off a 45 plate or 2 or 4 inch box.

405 is on the way, keep charging!

 

[TheStig]

Awesome work Stig!

For the rack pulls, I think that will help your lock-out power. Were these done below or above the knee?

If your weak off the floor you could try deficit pulls off a 45 plate or 2 or 4 inch box.

405 is on the way, keep charging!

At my knee, maybe ever so slightly below..it was the second or third notch up from the floor on the power rack...and yeah I never wobbled like a lot of guys do when they're trying to lock out, which showed me that my weak point is off the floor. I'm pretty sure it's my height. Speaking of that I know some people would say switch over to a sumo stance, but I've tried it and I hate the way it feels. I'll look into deficit pulls, thanks man.

 

[Fuglydude]

Hey man,

I have little doubt that you could do 405 right now if you went in fresh. Don't be afraid to do spinal decompression work prior to a big lift. Not only will your spine be decompressed, all the muscles in your posterior chain will have had a nice stretch. Furthermore, the pushing motion of the dips will act as an antagonistic motion to the pulling motion of a dead and should help as well.

I can't tell from the video, but are you using straps? In the past I would have chewed you out for using em', but more recently I think that alternating deadlift grip can cause potential problems and if you aren't careful can lead to asymmetric development. Other than that, the only suggestions I can give you on your form are to keep your ass a bit lower at the start of the lift and drag the weight up your body.

Overall, it looked great! Keep it up man, I wanna see a quarter ton!

Edit:

I forgot to mention: That's a sick sick box squat by the way! And yes, the "stretch reflex" you talked about is a real physiological phenomenon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretch_reflex

 

[TheStig]

Hey man,

I have little doubt that you could do 405 right now if you went in fresh. Don't be afraid to do spinal decompression work prior to a big lift. Not only will your spine be decompressed, all the muscles in your posterior chain will have had a nice stretch. Furthermore, the pushing motion of the dips will act as an antagonistic motion to the pulling motion of a dead and should help as well.

I can't tell from the video, but are you using straps? In the past I would have chewed you out for using em', but more recently I think that alternating deadlift grip can cause potential problems and if you aren't careful can lead to asymmetric development. Other than that, the only suggestions I can give you on your form are to keep your ass a bit lower at the start of the lift and drag the weight up your body.

Overall, it looked great! Keep it up man, I wanna see a quarter ton!

Edit:

I forgot to mention: That's a sick sick box squat by the way! And yes, the "stretch reflex" you talked about is a real physiological phenomenon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretch_reflex

Yup I'm using straps. The reason I started is because when I get to about 335-355 my grip starts failing after ~3 consecutive reps, which fvcks up my form because then I'm more worried about not dropping the weight. I've also seen plenty of evidence that with a mixed grip one can tear their bicep. I've heard a double overhand is much safer. I am of the opinion that straps don't matter because deads are a back and leg exercise, not a grip and forearm exercise. I don't put on the straps anyway until I get to 335-345.

And thanks for the advice man you've always been really helpful!