Codger's Quest

[codgerus maximus]

Week 9 day 3

Two-count paused squat: 217.5x8x1@7; 227.5x8x1@8; 237.5x8x1@9; 217.5x8x1. Four to five minutes rest.

High-incline DB bench: 65x10x1@7; 67.5x10x1@8; 70x10x1@9; 67.5x10x2. Four to five minutes rest.

High-incline BB bench: 135x13x1@10 (AMRAP); 120x12x3. Three minutes rest.

DB flys: 50x13x2@8. Three minutes rest.

DB curls: 35x12x3@8 supersetted with triceps press downs: 75x13x3@8. Three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 9 day 4

Two-inch deficit SLDL with straps: 260x8x1@6; 272.5x8x1@7; 285x8x2@8. Three to four minutes rest.

Two-count paused bench: 145x10x1@7; 152.5x10x1@8; 160x10x1@9; 152.5x10x2. Four to five minutes rest.

Hip thrusts: 205x12x1@6; 215x12x1@7; 230x12x3@8. Three minutes rest.

Lat pull down: 110x12x2@8. Three minutes rest.

Single-arm DB row: 60x17x2@8-9 supersetted with single-arm high cable row: 40x15x1@8; 40x12x1@8. Three minutes rest between supersets.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 10 day 1, starting the final week of the hypertrophy II template.

Squat with belt: 252.5x8x1@7; 265x8x1@8; 277.5x8x1@9; 255x8x1. Four to five minutes rest.

High-incline BB bench: 121.25x8x1@7; 126.25x8x1@8; 131.25x8x1@9; 125x8x1. Three to four minutes rest.

Seated DB press: 50x12x1@10; 45x12x3. Three minutes rest.

Seated cable row: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

DB curls: 35x12x3@8 supersetted with triceps press downs: 75x12x3@8. Three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 10 day 2

Conventional deadlift with belt: 350x8x1@7; 365x8x1@8; 380x8x1@9; 350x8x1. Five minutes rest.

Paused bench: 162.5x8x1@7; 170x8x1@8; 177.5x8x1@9; 170x8x1. Four minutes rest.

Belt squat: 240x12x1@6; 250x12x1@7; 260x12x3@8. Three minutes rest.

Single-leg leg extension: 13.75x15x2@8. Two to three minutes rest.

DB row: 60x17x1@8; 60x15x1@8 supersetted with single-arm high cable row: 40x15x1@8; 40x12x1@8. Three minutes rest.

Good thing I got my workout in early today. The "feels-like" temperature here this afternoon is 100. Even at 9:30 in the morning the garage was pretty warm.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 10 day 3

Two-count paused squat: 220x8x1@7; 230x8x1@8; 240x8x1@9; 220x8x1. Four to five minutes rest.

Low-incline DB bench: 65x10x1@7; 67.5x10x1@8; 70x10x1@9; 67.5x10x2. Four to five minutes rest.

Low-incline BB bench: 137.5x13x1@10; 122.5x12x3. Three minutes rest. (Phew, 99 total presses with the DB and BB incline bench.)

DB flys: 52.5x12x2@8. Three minutes rest.

DB curls: 35x12x3@8 supersetted with triceps press downs: 75x12x3@8. Three to four minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 10 day 4, last day of hypertrophy II template (aside from some GPP tomorrow).

Two-inch deficit SLDL with straps: 270x8x1@7; 282.5x8x1@8; 295x8x1@9; 270x8x1. Four minutes rest.

Two-count paused bench: 145x10x1@7; 152.5x10x1@8; 160x10x1@9; 152.5x10x2. Four to five minutes rest.

Hip thrusts: 210x12x1@6; 220x12x1@7; 235x12x3@8. Three minutes rest.

Lat pull down: 110x13x2@8. Three minutes rest.

Single-arm DB row: 60x15x2@8 supersetted with single-arm high cable row: 40x12x2@8. Three minutes rest.

So that's a wrap on the hypertrophy block. Down to 185 now first thing in the morning, and the old waist is a bit under 33 inches. The lightest and leanest I've been in a long time. Next week I'll start the Strength I template.

[codgerus maximus]

First day on the Strength 1 template, and my first dedicated strength block in more than a year.

Squat with belt: 282.5x5x1@7; 292.5x5x1@8; 300x5x1@9. Four to five minutes rest. Felt heavy, as expected. But overall not as grueling as some of the high-rep sets I've been doing.

Touch and go bench: 190x4x1@7; 197.5x4x1@8; 202.5x4x1@9. Four to five minutes rest.

Banded deadlift, with rogue no.1 red band: 275x5x1@6; 295x5x1@7; [email protected]. Three minutes rest. I've never done these before so I'm easing into them.

DB curl: 35sx13x3@8. Three minutes rest.

Triceps press down: 75x13x3@8. Three minutes rest.

[gymdad150]

33 inches on the waist...I see a Mr. Olympia in your future.

Seriously though, that's nice work. Do you attribute it to the program, or eating mindfully, or a bit of both?

[codgerus maximus]

I see a Mr. Olympia in your future.

..and the crowd recoiled in horror as Codger stepped onto the stage and flexed...

Do you attribute it to the program, or eating mindfully, or a bit of both

Mostly the program, I think. The workouts on the hypertrophy template typically lasted 2 hours, with lots of reps and short rests. And I've been taking brisk walks three or four times a week, plus one interval workout every week on our airdyne. I haven't changed my eating habits very much. Well, maybe I don't go for second helpings at dinner as much as I used to...

[codgerus maximus]

Week 1 day 2 on the strength 1 template.

Comp bench: 180x5x1@7; 187.5x5x1@8; 192.5x5x1@9. Four to five minutes rest.

Squat with 75 pounds or so of chains: 95x5x1@5; 135x5x1@6; [email protected]. Three minutes rest. Never used chains before so I'm trying to figure out the right weight for my work sets. A bit too light today.

Press: 95x8x1@7; 100x8x1@8; 105x8x1@9. Four minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 1 day 3

Deadlift with belt: 380x5x1@7; 395x5x1@8; 405x5x1@9. Four to five minutes rest.

Slingshot bench: 210x5x1@7; 215x5x1@8; [email protected]. Four to five minutes rest.

3-0-3 tempo squat: 135x8x1@5; 155x8x1@6; 185x8x1@7. Two to three minutes rest. Haven't done these for quite a while so was just testing the waters today. The RPEs were supposed to be 7, 8, and 9 for the three sets.

Upper back work, as many reps as possible in 7 minutes. Chins: 10; Single-arm DB row: 60x12x1; 60x10x1; lat pull down: 110x10x1. First time I've done chins since last summer, when I weighed 205. Losing 20 pounds makes a big difference. Today's ten reps felt easy. I think I'll emphasize DB rows, cable rows, and lat pull downs over chins from now on. They seem better for achieving jackedness.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 2 day 1 on the Strength I template.

Squat with belt: 315x1x1@8; 295x5x1@9; 265x5x2. Four minutes rest.

Touch and go bench: 210x1x1@8; 202.5x4x1@9; 192.5x4x2. Four minutes rest.

Banded deadlift: 285x5x1@6; 305x5x1@7; 325x5x2@8. Three minutes rest.

DB curls: 35 (each)x13x3@8. Three minutes rest.

Triceps press down: 75x13x3@8. Three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 2 day 2

Comp bench: 212.5x1x1@8; [email protected]; 185x4x2. Four minutes rest.

Squat with 60 pounds of chains: 185 (weight on bar not including chains)x5x1@6; 205x5x1@7; 225x5x1@8. Four to five minutes rest.

Press: 95x8x1@6; 100x8x1@7; 105x8x2@8. Three minutes rest.

Single-arm DB row and single-arm high cable row, AMRAP in 7 minutes. DB row: 60x12x1@8; 60x10x1@8; 60x3x1; high cable row: 40x12x1@8; 40x10x1@8; 40x3x1.

[gymdad150]

Do you feel that the weight loss is taking pounds off your Bench?

[codgerus maximus]

Do you feel that the weight loss is taking pounds off your Bench?

Good question. My bench is definitely weaker than it was a year ago, but I'm not sure if it's mainly due to the 22-pound weight loss (so far!) or to missing a lot of training last summer, followed by several months of programming that didn't prioritize strength in the 3 big lifts. Probably a combination of all of the above. It will be interesting to see where things stand in say, 10 weeks, now that I"m back on more of a strength focused program. My squat and deadlift don't seem to have been affected as much.