Hi All. Over the past year and a half or so I’ve run a couple of cycles of the general intermediate/advanced program and a cycle of the GPP Hypertrophy Bias template interspersed with my own programming and, most recently, a Nuckols-based 5-day split. I’m now on week 0 of the 12 Week Strength template, so I figured it makes sense to start a log here.
5/16/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 0, Day 4
Beltless Paused DL
325 x 4 @<6
345 x 4 @6
375 x 4 @7.5
CG Bench
215 x 4 @<6
230 x 4 @7
240 x 4 @8.5
RDL
275 x 10 @6
295 x 10 @7
305 x 10 @8
I undershot my weight selection on all movements - they were supposed to follow a @7, @8, @9 progression. Also, I know the template prescribes mid-shin rack pulls at this stage, but I don’t currently have blocks or a shitty bar to do them with. Hopefully, I’ll be able to pick up another horse stall mat at some point this week out of which I can fashion some makeshift blocks. Finally, I’ll note that my cg bench is weirdly close to my comp bench.
5/17/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 0, GPP
Airdyne: LISS - 25 mintues
Chin-up: 7-minute AMRAP - BW x 45 reps
Plank: 7-minute AMRAP - 4:25 total
Superset - Skull Crusher / BB Curl: (80 x 12 / 75 x 12) x 3
5/19/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 1, Day 1
LBS w/belt
440 x 1 @8
'bout tree fiddy x 5 x 5 (~@6, 3 minute rests)
Comp Bench
260 x 1 @8
210 x 5 x 5 (~@6, 2.5-3 minute rests)
Pendlay Row
195 x 10 @7
205 x 10 @8
215 x 10 @8.5
215 x 10 @9 (2 minute rests)
Felt good today.
5/20/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 1, Day 2
DL w/belt
500 x 1 @8.5
390 x 5 x 5 (~@6.5, 3 minute rests)
Press w/belt
190 x 1 @8
150 x 5, 5, 5, 6 (oops), 5 (~@6, 2 minute rests)
3-0-3 Tempo Squats
190 x 10 @7
200 x 10 @7.5
210 x 9 @10
190 x 10 @9 (3-3.5 minute rests)
The wife and I hosted a BBQ at our house yesterday. I wasn’t feeling 100% and got off to a bit of slow start, but I picked up steam as I went along. Tempo squats are the devil, but upon reviewing footage of my session, it looks like I’m actually making things worse for myself by going even slower than prescribed. I’ll try to make that adjustment next week.
5/22/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 1, Day 3
Beltless LBS
350 x 4 @7
365 x 4 @7.5
385 x 4 @9
365 x 4 @8 (3.5-4 minute rests)
Slingshot Bench
270 x 4 @7
280 x 4 @8
290 x 4 @10
280 x 4 @10 (touched too high on my last rep - 4 minute rests)
CG Incline Bench
170 x 10 @7
175 x 10 @8.5
175 x 10 @9
165 x 10 @10 (3-4 minute rests)
Difficult session; my shoulders and lower biceps were really bothering me, which made slingshot bench pretty dicey. I may have to sub beltless high bars for beltless low bars to give my arms a bit of a break.
5/23/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 1, Day 4
Beltless Mid-shin Rack Pull
455 x 4 @9
435 x 4 @8
435 x 4 @8.5
435 x 4 @8
Close Grip Bench
225 x 4 @7
235 x 4 @8
240 x 4 @8.5
240 x 4 @9
RDL
250 x 10 @6
275 x 10 @6.5
285 x 10 @7
295 x 10 @8
Trained at the U Mich gym with my wife today since I had to do rack pulls and I’m still not able to do them in my basement. I completely overshot my RPE on my first set - they are surprisingly hard - but I got more comfortable with them as I went along.
5/24/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 1, GPP
Airdyne
LISS, 30 minutes
Pull-up
7-minute AMRAP: BW x 46 reps
Ab Rollout
7-minute AMRAP: 49 reps
Superset: One-armed overhead DB Tri Ext / Incline DB Curl
(30 x 12 / 30 x 10) x 4
5/26/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 2, Day 1
LBS w/belt
445 x 1 @8
355 x 5 x 5 (@6-6.5, 3-4 minute rests)
Comp Bench
265 x 1 @8
212.5 x 5 x 5 (@6, 2.5-3 minute rests)
Pendlay Row
195 x 10 @6.5
205 x 10 @7
220 x 10 @8.5
215 x 10 @9 (3 minute rests)
Good session today. Everything moved well and I experienced minimal lower bicep pain.
5/27/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 2, Day 2
DL w/belt
485 x 1 @8
390 x 5 x 5 (@6-7, 3 minute rests)
Press w/belt
195 x 1 @8
155 x 5 x 5 (@6-7, 2.5-3 minute rests)
Beltless 3-0-3 Tempo LBS
185 x 10 @7
195 x 10 @8
205 x 10 @9
195 x 9 @9 (3-4 minute rests)
Pretty good session. Nothing really of note to report.
5/29/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 2, Day 3
HBS w/Belt
335 x 4 @6
355 x 4 @7
370 x 4 @8
370 x 4 @8.5
360 x 4 @8 (3-4 minute rests)
Slingshot Bench
270 x 4 @7
280 x 4 @8
290 x 4 @9
280 x 4 @8
280 x 4 @8 (3-4 minute rests)
CG Incline Bench
170 x 10 @6
175 x 10 @7
180 x 10 @10
175 x 8 @9 (3-4 minute rests)
The program calls for beltless squats in the first slot, but 3 low bar variations per week have been wreaking havoc on my shoulders and arms, so today I subbed belted high bars for beltless low bars. The weight was a little lower than it would have been with beltless low bars, but it’s close and my arms felt much better today while benching.
5/30/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 2, Day 4
Beltless Mid-shin Rack Pull
415 x 4 @6.5
425 x 4 @7
435 x 4 @8
440 x 4 @8.5
440 x 4 @9 (3-4 minute rests)
CG Bench
225 x 4 @6
235 x 4 @7
245 x 4 @8
245 x 4 @8.5
240 x 4 @9 (3 minute rests)
Leg Press
465 x 10 @6
515 x 10 @7
555 x 10 @8
555 x 10 @8 (2-3 minute rests)
Worked out at the U Mich gym today. Everything felt good. The template gives the option of leg press or RDLs in the third slot of this workout, so I went with leg press this time as my lower back has been feeling especially fatigued lately.
5/31/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 2, GPP
Airdyne
LISS, 30 minutes
Chin-up
7-minute AMRAP: BW x 47 reps
Ab Rollout
7-minute AMRAP: 52 reps
BB Curl
80 x 10 x 3
6/1/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 3, Day 1
LBS w/belt
450 x 1 @8
375 x 5 x 4 (~@7, 4-5 minute rests)
Comp Bench
270 x 1 @8
225 x 5 x 4 (~6.5-7.5, 3 minute rests)
Pendlay Row
195 x 10 @6
215 x 10 @8
220 x 10 @9
215 x 10 @9 (3 minute rests)
Back at the U Mich gym with the wife. I have a work thing all day tomorrow, so I had to train a day early. Went pretty well; everything felt good.
6/3/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 3, Day 2
DL w/belt
490 x 1 @8
405 x 5 x 4 (@7-7.5, 4-5 minute rests)
Press w/belt
200 x 1 @8.5
160 x 5 x 4 (@7, 3 minute rests)
Beltless 3-0-3 Tempo LBS
185 x 10 @6
185 x 10 @7
195 x 10 @7.5
205 x 10 @8
My lower back and right hip felt a little funky today and DL has felt a bit off in general for a couple of weeks, but everything else felt good.
6/5/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 3, Day 3
HBS w/belt
350 x 4 @6.5
365 x 4 @7
375 x 4 @8
375 x 4 @9
365 x 4 @8.5 (4-4.5minute rests)
Slingshot Bench
275 x 4 @6.5
285 x 4 @8
295 x 3 @9
285 x 4 @8.5
284 x 4 @8.5 (3.5-4.5 minute rests)
CG Incline Bench
170 x 10 @6.5
175 x 10 @7
180 x 10 @8
180 x 10 @8.5 (3-4 minute rests)
EZ Bar Curl
65 x 15, 15, 12
Pretty good session. My bar path on sets 3 and 4 of slingshot bench was a bit wonky, but everything else was fine.
6/6/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 3, Day 4
Beltless Mid-shin Rack Pull
425 x 4 @6.5
440 x 4 @7.5
455 x 4 @8.5
455 x 4 @9.5 (4-4.5 minute rests)
CG Bench
230 x 4 @7
240 x 4 @8
245 x 4 @8.5
245 x 4 @9
235 x 4 @8.5 (4 minute rests)
RDL
275 x 10 @6
295 x 10 @7
315 x 10 @8.5
295 x 10 @8 (3 minute rests)
Rack pulls were feeling good but I started to feel a little discomfort in my right lower back/hip on the 4th set, so I called it after that. Felt good otherwise.
6/7/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 3, GPP
Pull-up
8-minute AMRAP: BW x 51 reps
Ab Rollout
8-minute AMRAP: 56 reps
Superset: Band Tri Pushdown/DB Hammer Curl
(Red band x 15 / 40 x 10) x 3
Airdyne
LISS, 30 minutes
6/9/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 4, Day 1
LBS w/belt
455 x 1 @8
380 x 5 x 4 (~@7, 4-5 minute rests)
Comp Bench
275 x @8.5
230 x 5 x 4 (~@7, 3-4 minute rests)
Pendlay Row
205 x 10 @7
215 x 10 @7.5
225 x 10 @8.5
215 x 10 @8 (3-4 minute rests)
Good session. My bench single was about an 8.5, but my bar path, which I frequently have issues with on bench, was not great, so I based my subsequent work sets on a rating of 8. Those sets were all at around a 7, which seems about right to me.
6/10/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 4, Day 2
DL w/belt
495 x 1 @8
410 x 5 x 4 (~@7, 4-4.5 minute rests)
Press w/belt
205 x 1 @8.5
170 x 5 @7.5
170 x 5 @8
165 x 5 @8
165 x 5 @8 (3-4 minute rests)
Beltless 3-0-3 Tempo LBS
185 x 10 @7
195 x 10 @8
205 x 10 @9
185 x 10 @9 (4 minute rests)
Pretty good workout today. Deads moved very well, but I was pretty beat by the time I got to presses, so those felt a bit heavier than normal. Tempo squats were brutal as always.
6/11/18 - BBM 12 Week Strength - Week 4 - GPP
Chin-up
8-minute AMRAP: BW x 54 reps
Ab Rollout
8-minute AMRAP: 58 reps
Airdyne
LISS, 30 minutes
DB Curl
40 x 10 x 3