Codger's Quest

[codgerus maximus]

Week 9 day 3

Two-count paused squat: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 217.5x8x1. Four to five minutes rest.

High-incline DB bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 67.5x10x2. Four to five minutes rest.

High-incline BB bench: [email protected] (AMRAP); 120x12x3. Three minutes rest.

DB flys: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

DB curls: [email protected] supersetted with triceps press downs: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 9 day 4

Two-inch deficit SLDL with straps: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Three to four minutes rest.

Two-count paused bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 152.5x10x2. Four to five minutes rest.

Hip thrusts: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Three minutes rest.

Lat pull down: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

Single-arm DB row: [email protected] supersetted with single-arm high cable row: [email protected]; [email protected] Three minutes rest between supersets.

[codgerus maximus]

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

Squat with belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 255x8x1. Four to five minutes rest.

High-incline BB bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 125x8x1. Three to four minutes rest.

Seated DB press: [email protected]; 45x12x3. Three minutes rest.

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

DB curls: [email protected] supersetted with triceps press downs: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 10 day 2

Conventional deadlift with belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 350x8x1. Five minutes rest.

Paused bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 170x8x1. Four minutes rest.

Belt squat: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Three minutes rest.

Single-leg leg extension: [email protected] Two to three minutes rest.

DB row: [email protected]; [email protected] supersetted with single-arm high cable row: [email protected]; [email protected] 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: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 220x8x1. Four to five minutes rest.

Low-incline DB bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 67.5x10x2. Four to five minutes rest.

Low-incline BB bench: [email protected]; 122.5x12x3. Three minutes rest. (Phew, 99 total presses with the DB and BB incline bench.)

DB flys: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

DB curls: [email protected] supersetted with triceps press downs: [email protected] 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: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 270x8x1. Four minutes rest.

Two-count paused bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 152.5x10x2. Four to five minutes rest.

Hip thrusts: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Three minutes rest.

Lat pull down: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

Single-arm DB row: [email protected] supersetted with single-arm high cable row: [email protected] 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: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 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: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest.

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

DB curl: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

Triceps press down: [email protected] 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: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest.

Squat with 75 pounds or so of chains: [email protected]; [email protected]; [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: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 1 day 3

Deadlift with belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest.

Slingshot bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest.

3-0-3 tempo squat: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 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: [email protected]; [email protected]; 265x5x2. Four minutes rest.

Touch and go bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; 192.5x4x2. Four minutes rest.

Banded deadlift: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Three minutes rest.

DB curls: 35 (each)[email protected] Three minutes rest.

Triceps press down: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 2 day 2

Comp bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; 185x4x2. Four minutes rest.

Squat with 60 pounds of chains: 185 (weight on bar not including chains)[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest.

Press: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Three minutes rest.

Single-arm DB row and single-arm high cable row, AMRAP in 7 minutes. DB row: [email protected]; [email protected]; 60x3x1; high cable row: [email protected]; [email protected]; 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.