Commanding My Body

[Commander]

I have Arm training ADD. I've been having trouble deciding whether I like antagonistic pairings, synergistic pairings or just focusing on chest and back and arms completely separately.

I do believe at least once a week I need to do a dedicated arms day to look like a bodybuilder. However, I think I may have finally settled (until I change my mind 3 days from now, lol) on the chest/back question. I will go with synergistic pairings, so today was Chest and Tricep.

Obviously, the synergistic pairing benefit is less overlap between sessions and thus, hopefully, better recovery with a more classic push, pull, leg split.

I didn't really do any tricep isolation today, but I did a lot of OH Pressing. I forgot how much OH Pressing rocks the triceps. Plus, my chest is feeling beat up. So I ditched some chest work that I would normally do in favor of additional OH Press volume.

Thursday - Incline Bench & OH Press (chest/triceps)

* Power Clean between sets 150x4

* Inspite of my chest feeling beat up, the 4 sets with 201 felt incredible. High quality reps, no grinding.

Ring Dips
BWx12, 12, 10

Incline Bench Press
190, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250x1
201.5 x 8, 7, 6, 5 (separate sets)
181.5 x 7 + 4 rest pause
181.5 x 7 + 4 rest pause

Barbell Row 120x15, 3 sets

ss w/

OH Press
150x5, 2 sets

OH Press
120x10, 3 sets
100x10, 2 sets

Band Tricep Extensions

[Commander]

Friday AM - Arms

* Entire workout was supersetted, but sets/exercises don't always match up

Biceps:

Cable Curl
41x15, 3 sets

Barbell Curl
50, 70, 80x5
70x6, 2 sets
60x8, 2 sets
50x10, 2 sets
40x10, 2 sets
30x10, 9, 8, 7, 6 (10 second rests)

Band Curl to failure

Triceps:

V-Bar Pushdowns
41x15, 3 sets
51, 61, 71x10
71x9
61x10
51x10

Top Half OH Press
90x10, 4 sets
70x15

Fix Bar OH Extension
BWx8, 8, 7

Board Pushups
2 set to failure

[Commander]

Saturday - Deadlift

* Deadlift went really well today

Deadlift
365, 370, 375x5
380x5, 4 sets
385, 390, 395x5
315x12, 2 sets

Leg Extensions

ss w/

Power Clean/Hang Clean
135x1/3, 5 sets

Arm Pump Work

Sunday - Off

Attended my son's spelling bee

[Commander]

Bench is going great, hit 295 (unspotted PR) for a single and definitely could have hit 300 today (all time PR) and probably with a spot I could have set an all time PR.

I don't usually do dips before and I think they may have impacted my ability to do reps today at 242 or maybe I was just a bit spent from the single with 295. Either way, I don't expect to constantly hit 8 reps as I increase the weight and I am very happy with my current amount of volume at a pretty heavy weight.

Monday - Chest

Ring Dips
BWx12

Bench Press ss w/ Power Cleans
220, 240, 260, 280, 295x1 - unspotted PR
242.5 x 7, 6, 5, 5, 3 - usually get 8,7,6,5 so I added a set of 3 to get in the same total volume of reps
217.5x6+4 rest pause
217.5x6+4

OH Press
150x5, 3 sets

ss w/

DB Hammer
27x10, 10, 9

OH Press
120x10, 3 sets

ss w/

Cable Curl

OH Press
100x10, 2 sets

* Really enjoying the OH Press right now

[Commander]

Not sure how long I can keep up this squat workout. I am hitting a single in PR territory (335 is my current 1RM with chains), then hitting a rep and volume PR each workout with the 275x8,7,6.

Maybe it's time to alternate attempts at a heavy single RP with attempts at a rep/volume PR. (may have to modulate the intensity of the rest pause sets at well)

Here is how I envision it:

Squat workout #1:
Heavy single PR attempt
5x5 with 75%

Example:
335 + 50lb chains x 1 (when doing percent with chains, I use half the chain weight)
335+25=360, 360 x 75% = 270, 270 - half chain weight = 245
245 + 50lb chains, 5x5

Squat workout #2:
Single at about 90%
3 sets of max reps at 92% of the single.

Example:
90% of 360 = 325, 325 - half chain weight = 300
Single at 300 + 50lb chains
92% of 325 = 300, 300 - half chain weight = 275
275 x 3 sets of max reps

Tuesday - Legs

Leg Curl Warmup
30 + Chain x 15, 13, 10

Squat Chains (+50)
220, 240, 270, 290 (add belt), 310, 330x1
275x8, 7, 6 - Rep and volume PR
243.5x6+4 rest pause
243.5x6+4 rest pause

Squat (no chains) - hold performed with legs at about 90 degrees, below mid range ROM
161x5, 5 second hold, 4 reps, 4 second hold, 3 reps, 3 second hold, 2 reps, 2 second hold, 1 rep - all done continuously, no rest
160 x same format as previous set, but started at 4 reps

Leg Curl
35 + Chain x 12, 12, 9
30 + Chain x 9

Band Curls and Extensions for a quick arm pump

[Commander]

Wednesday AM - Arms

* Entire workout was supersetted, but sets/exercises don't always match up

Biceps:

DB Hammer Curl (squeezing DB as hard as I can)
27x10, 4 sets

Preacher Curl w/ Fat Grips
45x10, 4 sets

Barbell Curl w/ Fat Grips
45x8, 5 sets

Band Curl to failure
2 sets

* Trying to stimulate forearms as well, hence the fat grips and squeezing the DB hard

Triceps:

V-Bar Pushdowns
41x15,
51x15
61x12
71x8
81x5, drop 71x5, drop 61x5, drop 51x5

JM Press in smith machine (weight on bar listed, not sure how much bar weighs)
50x10
60x10
70x9
70x8, drop 60, drop 50

EZ Bar OH Extension on flat bench
50x15, 13, 13, 12

Cable OH Extensions
41xfailure, 3 sets

* I really enjoyed this workout. Although I am still not sure about JM press. I am struggling to find a compound movement for triceps that 1) I enjoy and 2) I can do quitely in the morning so as not to wake everyone up with banging/clanging.

The Cable OH Press was much like a rolling DB extension. Using the high pulley, I let the weight pull my arms up over my head for a real nice stretch. Then use a pullover motion to roll into the OH extension with some momentum. They felt great.

[Commander]

Thursday AM - OH Press (not strict)

* Clean the weight the first rep

OH Press
180 x 7, 6, 5, 5
160 x 8+4 rest pause
160 x 7+4 rest pause
145 x 5 sets of 5 with 30 seconds rest
110 x 13
80 x 5, 5 second hold, 4 reps, 4 second hold, 3 reps, 3 second hold, 2 reps, 2 second hold, 1 rep - all done continuously, no rest