As I mentioned in the last training video, I decided to take last week completely off of training to give my body some rest and recovery time. My main goal moving forward is to stay INJURY FREE while gaining strength.
Weekly Schedule
Monday = Bench Press
Tuesday = Squats + Deadlift
Wednesday = OFF
Thursday = Bench Press
Friday = Squats + Deadlift
Saturday = Back + Biceps
Sunday = OFF
I decided to pair squats and deadlifts together instead of continuing with the squat + bench press setup I was doing previously to limit the number of days my lower back/knee are heavily stressed.
Monday 9/4/17: Bench Press Focus (8 REPS/6 REPS/4 REPS)
Bench Press
225 X 8 @ 7 RPE
245 X 8 @ 8 RPE
265 X 8 @ 9 RPE
Close Grip Bench Press
225 X 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Flat DB Press
80’s X 12
90’s X 8, 8
Lat-Pulldown
100 X 12, 12, 12, 10, 8
DB Standing Spider Curl
20 X 12, 12, 12
Everything felt GREAT today! I was surprised that bench press felt as strong as it did since I usually feel a little weak after taking a week off.
Tuesday 9/5/17: Squats + Deadlift (8 REPS/6 REPS/4 REPS)
Squats
315 X 8, 8, 8
Sumo Deadlift
405 X 8, 8, 8
You will notice that in my Monday workout my heaviest bench press set was at a 9 RPE while I squats and deadlifts I just did straight sets with a given weight. The reason why I did this is because I’m not trying to push squats and deadlifts to or close to failure. My goal is to slowly add weight each week while my knee and lower back continue to recovery and get to 100%. You will also notice that I am performing reps on deadlifts, which I don’t often do. The reason why is the same as above, to limit the total weight I am lifting to let my injuries heal. I also decided that I am not going to wear a belt or knee sleeves during this training block to ensure I am not masking any underlying injuries/pain.
Hip Thrust
185 X 8, 8, 8
Donkey Calf Raises
3 X 8
Wednesday 9/6/17: REST DAY!
Thursday 9/7/17: Bench Press Focus (8 REPS/6 REPS/4 REPS)
Bench Press
245 X 6
265 X 6
285 X 6 @ 8.5 RPE
I could have gone a tad heavier on bench to have hit a true 9 RPE, but 285 was close.
Close Grip Bench Press
245 X 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
Military Press
95 X 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
Bent Over Row
185 X 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
The weights I lifted on close grip bench, military press, and bent over rows were all submaximal; my goal is to achieve higher volume (sets * reps * weight lifted) right now and I will add weight as this training block progresses.
Friday 9/8/17: Squats + Deadlift (8 REPS/6 REPS/4 REPS)
Squats
335 X 6, 6, 6
Sumo Deadlift
425 X 6, 6, 6
Single Leg Leg Press
3 X 12
Seated Calf Raise
3 X 12
My lower back was pretty sore today, not injury soreness, muscle soreness. As I mentioned above, I normally don’t do reps on deadlifts so the multiple sets of 8 reps lit my lower back up!
Saturday 9/9/17: Back & Biceps
I did not record the exact exercises/sets/reps for this workout as it is an optional where I basically just go in and train. The workout included:
Lat-Pulldowns
Seated Cable Rows
Shrugs
Face-Pulls
Barbell Curls
DB Hammer Curls
Cable Curls
Tricep Pressdowns
Overhead DB Extensions
Everything was in the 8-12 rep range. I don’t plan on doing this workout every week, but if Saturday comes around and I feel like training I will.
Sunday 9/10/17: Rest Day
Overall training felt very solid this week. I was using this week to feel things out, but I am confident I can continue to push myself and progress.
WEEKLY VIDEO RECAP
In this video I recap the week and talk about my current nutrition and supplement regimen.
