Bench day- I used it to judge progress.

150lbs x 10 reps
220lbs x 1 rep
240lbs x 1 rep
290lbs x  7/8th of a rep.  I lost it at lock out??  I noticed my ass was coming off the bench even though I used the set up recommended on here.  I'm going to re-evaluate my set up to keep that from happening.

Tomorrow will be deep squats...  These could have embarrasing low numbers.  I'm starting my squat program from scratch using ass to calves lifts. 

I'm actually getting to the point that I LOVE DEADLIFT DAY?  It's a good feeling to pull weights that others that consider themselves stronger and younger can't even budge off the ground.

Peace out...I'm heading to the river for a night of catfishing.

I also scoured some chains from jobsites to use for lifting.  I know, I don't need them yet but I want to play like the big kids.

I haven't updated for a while after my back was tweaked.  I did my regular bench and squat workouts, only with lighter weights and after taking a week for the back to heal.

Tonight I started pulling deadlifts and got up to 320 and realized that I had gotten stronger after taking some time off.  I pulled one set of 370lbs x 1 rep then put 420 and pulled it somewhat easy for a good solid rep.  I probably did around 6-7 sets, starting at 150 and maxing at 420.  I actually put 450 on the bar and almost got it up to my knee's before deciding that it wasn't worth risking injury again so I dropped it.
I then did three sets of shrugs off a power rack- I believe 220lbs for 10-12reps, two sets of pulldowns to failure at 10-12 reps, two sets of (I believe they're called) hypers with bodyweight and stopped a few reps short of failure.  I probably got around 15-18 reps of these.  I then did 2 sets of sit ups with your feet straight up in the air (I'm not sure of that machine either).

I can workout in a fully stocked gym for free here on campus, completely by myself  if I just grab the key.  It's just a matter of changing, working out, getting cleaned up again and going back to work that sucks.  They left the radio on but it was some oldies crap so that didn't help much.  All the cool machines may make it worthwhile though.  At the house all I have is a bench, power rack, pulldown station, pullup station, 400ish pounds of weights, 6 adjustable dumbells and about 200 lbs of weight for those. 

Any certain deadlift warmups.  Heavier weights are starting to require more intense warmups and this is where I get a little lazy.

I watched several vince anello vids today.  He seems to straighten his legs quick and pull it up with a lot of his back.  He is also a brute and born to pull, so his style is not the same as mine.

I also did the one leg calf raises again.  I set each leg, cheats with a few negatives at the end.  Hopefully they won't get as sore as they did last time I did these sinse I have a PT test at work tomorrow.

Today deadlift day

400lbs x 2 reps x 1 set felt great!!  sumo

speed deadlifts

300 x2reps x 1 set felt light (sumo)

300 x 3/4 rep  (sharp shooting pain in my back)  I think I rounded my back because I lifted conventional and didn't get my butt low enough.  It doesn't feel too bad right now but I guess I'll back the weights down my next deadlift day and start a new cycle over.

That was the first time in recent histoy I hit 400 too.  It may be my lifting style but I've never had problems locking a weight out.  All my problems come at the bottom of the lift.  If it gets anywhere near my knees, it's going up.

Calves were killing me today.  Ran 1 1/2 in 15:30  

I only worked a 4 hour ot today so I spent a lot of the evening looking up Westside training.  It looks very interesting.  Once I finish this cycle, I think I'll give it a shot.

Today's workout 5/13/09

Close grip bench presses 
205lbs x 7 reps (new PR)
205lbs x 5 reps
205lbs x 2 reps + 1 rep regular bench press (barely got it, my tri's were shot)

Lying extensions
50lbs x 10 reps
65lbs x 4 reps
Careful on these, they used to really hurt my elbows doing them heavy

Pulldowns
80lbs x 12 reps (Way too easy)

curls
60lbs x 10 reps + a few forced. (1 set but a good pump and fully worked muscle)

Lateral raises and rear laterals (1 set of each)
20lbs x 10each side (these are light and mostly to keep my shoulder's together)

I did calves earlier today.  I set each leg, standing one leg calf raises, added some forced reps at the end.  This is based off the calf thread on here.  Trying to work into it, I can't get too sore because I walk a lot on my job, and climb a lot of steps so an extremely sore day would be hell.

I may not have listed my workout clearly.

pullups X 5 means 1 set of 5 reps.  Not 5 sets.  On my accessory day, I only do 3 sets of close grip, 1 set of skull crushers, 2 sets of pull ups, 2 sets of curls, and 2 sets of laterals.  The whole workout takes less than 30 minutes. 

Thanks for commenting Zack.  What exactly does Westside mean?  I've heard the term thrown around for a while and what I've figured out is that it involves a lot of chains, bands, partials? 

My goals are as much strengh as I can get with visable abs.  I want to enter some powerlifting competitions. I'm a police officer and 37 so keeping within those parameters I could probably be somewhat competitive on a very low level contest.

Any comments or suggestions?  I'm open to suggestions from anyone, although any changes will still be around a squat, deadlift and bench routine.

What the hell? 

I've lifting off and on ever sinse I was big enough to pick up a 10 lb solid bar but I've never stuck with it through thick and thin.  My best all time lifts were 320 bench, 450 ish deadlift and probably 380 squats.  Right now I'm weigh 195 but should be around 185, maybe even 180. 

My year end goals are 300 bench, 400 squat and 500 deadlift...hopefully at 180, although I do love to eat.
The 300 bench is well in sight, the 500 deadlift seems attainable.  I'm not sure the knee's will hold up for the squats although I'm giving it hell.

Here's my last full workout cycle.  I started the deadlift routine that John O advised me to try.  The rest is still a basic 5 X 5 built around squats and bench presses.

5-8-2009

Deadlift (1X2) @ 350 Sumo
Speed deadlifts (8X3) @ 290 combination sumo and conventional

supersets...

Stiff leg deads   100 X 8 ]
Bent rows         100 X 8 ]
Pulldowns          85 X 10]     X 3
Good mornings      50 X8]

I finished so light it was more like a Denise Austin workout than a powerlifting routine but I've never worked my lower back so much so I wanted to get through it.

05/09/2009
Bench presses (after several warm up sets)

240/5
240/2
240/1
220/3
skipped 5th set

I'm starting to bottom on these.  I started at 200 X 5 X 5 and my goal was one set at 250 X 5.  This is well within reach even if it takes a few more weeks to get it.

05/11/2009
Squats

I just started doing these ATG and conventional so numbers are lower than my bests. 

240 X 5 X 5
leg extensions... 10 reps X ? 100 ish.  A couple sets just till I get the burn.

I have my accessory lift tomorrow (I'm a little sick tonight, so I'm going back to my last workout to post a base routine to start from)

04-30-2009

Close grip bench presses
200 X 7
200 X 4
200 X 3

Lying extensions
60 X 10

Pull ups
wide grip X 5
close grip X 6

Dumbell curls
30 X 6
30 X 4

Laterals
25 X 8 side
25 X 8 rear

The only thing I want to add is a calf day.  Just calves nothing else.  I work 12 hour shifts so although I try to get through in 8 days, it does vary according my my off days.  I also run 2-5 nights a week, always 1 1/2 and usually around 14 minutes.  The only supplements I use are protein powders and Baconators from Wendy's. 

I forgot to update my first workout.  It went great!!  I don't know if it was the higher sets or the additional accessory sets or what, but I felt great when I finished.  I alternated the speed deadlift sets sumo with conventional.  I really need to video my form on conventional cause I don't feel as solid yet, but with the light weights it really worked well. 

Thanks all for the advice from everyone. 

John O, I'll give the routine a shot. 

First off, I'm a 37 year old police officer that finally got tired of saying "I used to bench over 300" so I started lifting again about six months ago using an eight day cycle.  I lift a basic powerlifting routine.

Day 1- Deadlifts 5x5, bent rows, shrugs
Day 2-rest
Day 3-Bench Presses 5x5, lying extensions, side laterals, bent laterals
Day 4-rest
Day 5-Squats 5x5, leg presses, calf raises
Day 6- rest
Day 7-accessories, ie. close grip benches, curls, pull ups, overhead presses, situps and whatever I feel like doing.
Day 8- rest

Everything is coming along very well, except deadlifts.  I can't see much improvement.  I pull about 400lbs and it has not really improved much in almost six months.  I get a really good pump and a good muscle soreness from everything except deadlifts.  It's almost like it just hurts my back without actually building strength.  I'm keeping good form, sumo style lifts but I don't feel like I'm getting a good workout from the deads.  Any suggestions?  Where do you normally get muscle soreness from doing them right.  I've tried more reps, heavy singles and everything in between with the same result.

My end of year goals are bench-300, squat-400 and deadlift 500.  That's at 181 if I could cut some weight.