Planning to keep this post updated with my overall progress and plan.
Stats
5’8” M
170lb
Squat – 375 (3/15/18)
Bench – 255 (3/6/18)
Deadlift – 410 (5/6/18)
Press - 170 (3/16/18)
Goals
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Look good at Electric Forest
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500/400/300/200 in 2018 (preferably without getting fat)Training/Nutrition Plan
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Bridge 1.0
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Complete
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5/14/18 – Start program
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Muscle gain(ish)
- Recomp/cut
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6/26/18 – End program
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Electric Forest
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HLM
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7/2/18 – Start program and change macros
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Muscle gain
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8/25/18 – End program
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GPP Hypertrophy
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8/27/18 – Start program
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Muscle gain (cont’d)
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10/8/18 – Start program
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Muscle gain (cont’d)
3/19/18:
Starting The Bridge v1.0 today.
Squat
1x5@6 - 275
1x5@7 - 295
1x5@8 - 305
CGB
1x4@7 - 185 (too light)
1x4@8 - 200
1x4@9 - 210
Rack pull mid shin (lowest rack setting was more like upper shin)
1x7@6 - 265
1x7@7 - 285
1x7@8 - 305
Probably all a bit too light. Hopefully I can get an appropriate height setting next time.
So it begins.
Yesterday:
2 ct paused squat
1x4@7 - 275
1x4@8 - 295
1x4@9 - 305
Press
1x5@6 - 125
1x5@7 - 135
1x5@8 - 140
BB Row
1x8@6 - 135
1x8@7 - 145
2x8@8 - 150
Never performed this movement before. Amount of hip involvement affects RPE drastically. I’ll have to keep working on consistency in the coming weeks.
Today:
7 minutes chin ups - 42 reps
7 minutes isometric abs
25 minutes on Matrix rowing machine (sad and pathetic compared to the C2, not sure if I’ll use this any more)
Today was a mess.
Due to equipment availability I did my tempo squats first. This was unwise.
303 Tempo Squat
1x8@6 - 225
1x8@7 - 235 (too heavy, still fatigued from previous set)
1x8@8 - 235 (too heavy, still fatigued from previous set)
I think these need longer than my standard 4 minute rest period. They seem uniquely fatiguing because the movement and the set are both long compared to the rest of the program. Will experiment and see.
1 ct Bench
1x5@6 - 185 (too heavy)
1x5@7 - 185
1x5@8 - 195
Deadlift
1x5@6 - 275
1x5@7 - 295
1x5@8 - 315
Maybe a little light, but I’m not used to much volume on this exercise and I was still cooked from those damn tempo squats so I played it safe.
Squat
1x5@6 - 285
1x5@7 - 300
3x5@8 - 310,310,305
Probably all a little heavy. May hold at these weights or drop back next week.
CGB
1x4@7 - 190
1x4@8 - 200
2x4@9 - 210,210
Rack Pull
1x7@6 - 275
1x7@7 - 295 (straps)
2x7@8 - 315, 315 (straps)
Got the height right this time. Haven’t used straps in years. Felt good to not have to worry about grip.
8 mins arm work
I substituted for an injured friend in his volleyball league last night, so I came in a little more fatigued than expected.
2 ct Paused Squat
1x4@7 - 245
1x4@8 - 265
2x4@8 - 285
I was definitely using a mini bounce to get a stretch reflex last week. I stopped that this week and took the load down accordingly.
Press
1x5@6 - 115
1x5@7 - 125
4x5@8 - 135,130,125,125
Using a stricter technique. I relied on a double layback previously and my back was starting to get irritated. Dropping the load here as well.
Barbell Row
1x8@6 - 135
1x8@7 - 145
1x8@8 - 155,145,145
Still no clue how to achieve minimal hip and knee involvement toward the end of the set.
8 mins chest/shoulder work
Still definitely on the learning curve with these new movements and with RPE.
Yesterday:
7 minutes chins AMRAP - 44 reps
7 minutes isometric abs
25 minutes Airdyne bike
Today:
Deadlift
1x5@6 - 275
1x5@7 - 305
3x5@8 - 325x2,315
1 ct Paused Bench
1x5@6 - 165
1x5@7 - 175
4x5@8 - 185x4
303 Tempo Squat
1x8@6 - 185
1x8@7 - 195
1x8@8 - 205 (probably still too heavy)
These are just the worst. I added more rest and took the weight down and the last set was probably still too heavy. My weekly dose of anti-ego.
8 mins shoulder work
Yesterday:
Squat
1x5@6 - 275
1x5@7 - 285
3x5@8 - 295
The only bar available was this gigantic thing over 30mm with no center knurl (probably made from melted soup cans). Couldn’t get it to sit still on my back, so my elbows hurt way more than usual. Not even sure if the thing was 45lbs. That said, this felt like a “true” 8, in that I could do my sets with about 4 minutes of rest with very little or no degradation.
CGB
1x4@7 - 195
1x4@8 - 205 (maybe 8.5)
2x4@9 - 215 (maybe 9.5), 210
e1RM up to 250 here. My normal bench grip is relatively narrow, so I expect this number to be pretty close to it. That said, as a longtime sufferer of Low B, this is starting to feel much better.
Had to cut it short due to an emergency at home. Will return tonight to finish up. Moving GPP to Wednesday and other Bridge sessions to Thursday and Saturday.
Today:
Rack pull
1x7@7 - 295
1x7@8 - 315 (added straps)
2x7@9 - 335, 345
8 mins arms
7 min chins AMRAP - 44 reps
7 min isometric abs
25 mins Airdyne
Abs and cardio are feeling markedly better. Chins are stagnant, but I’ve had them in my program continuously since the middle of my LP, so I don’t expect much there beyond maintenance.
2ct Pause Squat
1x4@7 - 245
1x4@8 - 275
2x4@9 - 290x2
Press
1x5@6 - 115
1x5@7 - 122
4x5@8 - 130,128x3
BB Row
1x8@6 - 135
1x8@7 - 140
3x8@8 - 145x3
These don’t feel any different from when I started except for an increase in technical competence. They’re in the program beginning to end though, so I have time to figure them out I guess.
8 mins chest/shoulders
Deadlift
1x5@6 - 295
1x5@7 - 315
3x5@8 - 330x2,325
1ct Pause Bench
1x5@6 - 175 (too heavy)
1x5@7 - 180
4x5@8 - 190,187.5x3
303 Tempo Squat
1x8@7 - 195
1x8@8 - 205
2x8@9 - 215,220
Upped the rest to about 6.5 mins so these feel less like death. Conditioning is probably helping as well.
8 mins chest/shoulders
Squat
1x5@6 - 265
1x5@7 - 285
4x5@8 - 300x3,295
CGB
1x4@7 - 185
1x4@8 - 195
3x4@9 - 205x3 (more like 9.5 on the last one)
Rack Pull
1x7@7 - 295
1x7@8 - 315
2x7@9 - 335,355
I think 355 was right. I was mistaking low back stiffness for fatigue, but once I powered thru I realized I had a lot more in the tank.
8 mins arms
Slightly weird day due to the altered schedule last week. Came into this workout on 1 day rest instead of 2, and I could really feel it on the pulls and presses.
Yesterday:
2ct Paused Squat
1x4@7 - 245
1x4@8 - 275
3x4@9 - 295,290,285
Press
1x5@6 - 115
1x5@7 - 125
4x5@8 - 130
Added some hip movement back into these. Still stricter than before the bridge, though.
BB Row
1x8@6 - 135
1x8@7 - 142
4x8@8 - 147
Starting to feel better about these. Micro plates help. Even if it’s largely mental, I like being able to write a bigger number without jumping up by 5 and overshooting RPE.
10 mins chest/shoulders
Today:
7 mins inverted rows (chins were aggravating my shoulder)
7 mins abs
BB curl myoreps @ 45lb (wanted to see what they were like)
25 mins Airdyne
Cardio is getting way easier. Gaining strength and conditioning at the same time is fun!
Yesterday:
Deadlift
1x5@6 - 305
1x5@7 - 320
3x5@8 - 335x3
1 ct Paused Bench
1x5@6 - 170
1x5@7 - 180
5x5@8 - 190x2,187.5x3
303 Tempo Squat
1x8@6 - 185
1x8@7 - 195
2x8@8 - 205,195
Good riddance!
That was a tough week. Felt really beat up last night. Time to eat and sleep!
Squat
1x4@6 - 275
1x4@7 - 295
3x4@8 - 315
3 ct Paused Bench
1x4@7 - 175
1x4@8 - 185
2x4@9 - 190,185
7 and 8 a little too heavy.
2 ct Paused Deadlift
1x4@7 - 255
1x4@8 - 275
2x4@9 - 295
12 mins arms
How were the paused deadlifts?
Pin Squat
1x4@7 - 245
1x4@8 - 265
1x4@9 - 275,285
Press
1x4@6 - 115
1x4@7 - 125
5x4@8 - 135
BB Row
1x8@6 - 135
1x8@7 - 145
4x8@8 - 150
Finally getting a handle on these.
7 mins incline DB press
Yesterday:
7 mins leg raises
7 mins BB row @ 105 (59 reps)
30 mins air bike
Today:
Deadlift
1x4@6 - 315
1x4@7 - 335
3x4@8 - 355x2,345
1ct Paused Bench
1x4@6 - 180
1x4@7 - 190
5x4@8 - 200x2,197.5x2,195
Squat no belt
1x6@7 - 255
1x6@8 - 275
1x6@9 - 285,290
Much tougher than expected.
Tough day and another pretty tough week. Workout times were a little shorter than last week, but I still had to focus up to make it through today’s session. Time to hit the recovery hard (minus the half GPP session tomorrow of course).
7 mins BB row @ 105 - 76 reps
I used to be a lover of chins, but rows are king for this. I get a conditioning effect from these that I could only get from chins or pull ups if I kipped them, and those Crossfit days are well behind me I think.
7 mins hanging h-sits
Squat
1@8 - 345 (maybe a little heavy)
3x4@8 - 305x3
3ct Paused Bench
1x3@7 - 180
1x3@8 - 190
2x3@9 - 200,197.5
2ct Paused Deadlift
1x4@7 - 265
1x4@8 - 285
2x4@9 - 305,310
12 mins arms
