Cube Week 5 Squats Heavy 31st May 2013

Foam roll: Back, Lower back, Glutes, Hams, IT bands
Hip/knee/ankle mobilization: 5 mins each side

Warm up: Band GM/Lunges/Band abductors/Band adductors, 15 reps, 2 rounds, no rest

Squats
70kg * 5
110 * 4
150 * 3
162.5 * 2
172.5 * 1
182.5 * 1
190 * 1 (PR)
182.5 * 1
172.5 * 1
162.5 * 2

152.5 * 1 for 2 sets (paused for 5 secs)

Good mornings
100 * 8 for 3 sets

Leg press
5 pps * 20
6 pps * 20 for 2 sets

Reverse Hypers
3 sets of 15

GHR
3 sets of 10

GHR Abs
3 sets of 20

Banded Leg curl (large band)
2 sets of 50

Stupid thing I did today. Put the 25s as the base plates and didn't realize it as i took my specs off, hence all the planned weights had 10kg added to them. No wonder I was wondering why the warm ups felt heavier than usual, and just attributed it to my back. Luckily it ended well for me, resulting in a PR. Still, dumbass thing to do and really ought to be more careful. Mild pain in the back, surprisingly, and the only time they hurt was when I tried to do back extensions, so I subbed in GHRs instead. Good mornings were done arched back to keep the stress on the hams and take the stress off the lower back. Gonna see the sinseh tmr so hopefully can get the back pain sorted out.

Cube Week 5 Bench Reps 29th May 2013

Foam roll: back, lower back, lats
Shoulder distractions: 2 sets
Warm up: band pressdowns/band flyes/band pull aparts, 15 reps, 2 rounds

Bench
60kg * 5
80 * 4
100 * 3
110 * 6, 6, 8-4
100 * 3 for 3 sets (paused 4 secs each, 2" above chest)

Db incline
30 * 20, 12-8

Band flyes (large band)
3 sets of 15

Mil press
50 * 8 for 5 sets
Couldn't handle anything above 50kg or more than 8 reps, lower back pain was really cutting.

Band pressdowns (med band)
4 sets of 25

Lying Db extensions
10 * 10 for 3 sets

V bar cable pulldowns
Stack * 15 for 3 sets

No arch at all during benching. Felt very unstable and all over the place. Hope i can squat on friday.

Cube Week 5 Deadlift Explosive 28th May 2013

Foam roll: lower back, hamstrings, glutes, IT band
Warm up: band gm/lunges/band abductors/band adductors, 15 reps, 2 rounds

Deadlifts
100kg * 5
125 * 4
145 * 3
165 * 2 for 6 sets
110 * 5 for 2 sets (paused below knee for 5 secs)

4" rack pulls
135 * 12 for 3 sets
First 2 sets DOH, last set first 6 DOH, last 6 mixed

Reverse Hypers
BW * 15 for 3 sets

Shrugs
120 * 12 for 3 sets

cut the workout short as my lower back pain started really kicking in. i hope it's nothing serious.

Cube Week 4 Squats Explosive 24th May 2013

Squats
142.5kg * 2 for 6 sets
125 * 6 for 2 sets (each rep paused 3 secs)
130 * 5 for 5 sets (oly style atg)

Stiff legged deads on 3" deficit
110 * 12 for 3 sets

On holidat in BKK now and lower back still hurts like a bitch so deadlifts were very light. Kept the abs braced for squatting so i had good speed out of the hole. Lower back didn't hurt whike squatting, only after the workout. got to do more roling and rehab work for my back when i am back in spore.

Cube Week 4 Bench Heavy 21st May 2013

Floor Press
75kg * 5
90 * 4
105 * 3
120 * 2 for 3 sets

Bench
90 * 14, 14

Band pressdowns (med)
40, 30, 30

Back still hurts like crazy, absolutely no arch at all. Shoulder feels impinged and elbow is having trouble locking out. I suspect this is all cause i'm not recovering well. Having been eating enough lately, plus very little sleep. Cutting all accessories and working on mobility and recovery and rest this whole week.

Cube Week 4 Deadlift Reps 20th May 2013

Deficit Deadlift (1")

70kg* 5

110 * 5

130 * 4

150 * 3

175 * 10

Block pulls 4"

185 * 3, 3

Lower back hurt like crazy today. Barely finished the deadlifts. Sharp pain in the right lumbar when I bend over, and it shoots up the right lat. Very very uncomfortable. Couldn't even squat with the SSB or do GHRs without lower back pain, so decided to call it a day after block pulls. Rest and Rehab. Time to revisit Supple Leopard. 

Cube Week 3 Bench Explosive 14th May 2013

foam rolling: back, shoulders
warm up: band pressdowns/pull aparts, 2 sets, 20 reps

Bench
92.5kg * 3 for 8 sets

Incline DB
30 * 15 for 3 sets

Band pressdowns (med band)
40, 30, 30

Press
50 * 10
55 * 10
60 * 10

Band fly (large band)
3 sets of 15

Declinw crunches
1 set of 50

Realized i forgot to post this up. backlog from tues!

Cube Week 3 Squat reps 17th May 2013

Foam roll: back, IT band, hams
Squats
80kg * 5
100 * 4
120 * 3
135 * 18
160 * 1, 1 (paused 1 sec)
60 * 70 (deep oly style)

Today was literally a squat day. lower back started acting up from the get go. Probably from the lack of preworkout rolling and stretching. Couldn't get in a good groove today, and i felt my technique was very sloppy. Lower back was rather painful and tight after the 2nd paused rep, so i decided i'd skip all the accessory and do the killer set. Did 70 reps in.the end, cos i didn't feel super gassed at 50. I think continuous repping was crucial, as my last 10 were rep by rep and they were torturous. Regardless, quads are cramping like a mofo now. My lower back is REALLY tight now. Time to roll roll roll...

Cube Week 3 Deadlift Heavy 13th May 2013

Roll: Back, hams,  glutes, IT band, TFL
Hip mobility: 10 mins
Warm up: Band GM/Lunges/Band adductors/Band Abductors, 15 reps, 1 round

Block pulls (4")
110kg * 5
140 * 2
170 * 2
190 * 2
200 * 2
210 * 2
220 * 2
Lower back tightened up as soon as I did my warm ups. Worked on bracing abs and keeping the weight back as much as possible, as well as the chin tuck. 220kg moved smoothly, not as fast as I would have liked. Around a 9 RPE.

Snatch grip deadlifts
140 * 8 for 2 sets
Had to strap up for this. 

BB rows
100 * 10 for 3 sets

DB shrugs
40 * 12 for 2 sets

Up and down plank
50 reps
These were killer! Whole body was on fire. Reps were about a second each.

Cube Week 2 Bodybuilding Day 11th May 2013

Foam roll: Back, chest

Press
42.5lg * 5
52.5 * 5
60 * 5
62.5 * 10 for 3 sets

Seated Laterals
22.5 * 12 for 3 sets

Face rows
2 sets of 20
1 set of 50

Lat pulldown
115 * 10 for 4 sets

Tricep pushdown
3 sets of 15

BB curls
40 * 10
50 * 10 for 2 sets

One armed preacher BB curl
3 sets of 12

Overhead DB extension
10 * 20 for 3 sets
Not much elbow pain surprisingly.

Single arm hammers
25 * 12 for 2 sets

Cube Week 2 Squat Heavy 10th May 2013

Foam roll: Back, lower back, hams, glutes, IT bands, Quads
Warm up: Band GMs/Lunges/Band adductors/Band Abductors, 1 round, 15 reps

Squat
60kg * 5
100 * 5
115 * 4
140 * 3
152.5 * 2
162.5 * 2
172.5 * 2
180 * 2
182.5 * 1 (2nd rep failed)
Working on the tweaks to form, mostly the head positioning and bracing of the abs. Really like the tweaks. I feel much tighter and faster out of the hole, not to mention my lower back doesn't tighten up as badly. Bryan mentioned the bar speed was pretty fast with 180. Despite the mental exhaustion, the 180kg double felt relatively easy. Technical failure on the 2nd rep of 182.5kg, as the bar rolled a little, and i drifted forward on the descent, and my body instinctively kicked in by extending the head. Have to work more on ingraining the technique!! 

Paused squats
142.5 * 3 for 2 sets
Pauses were 2 secs.

SSB Good mornings
80 * 8
85 * 8
90 * 8
Weight still feels relatively easy, but these really hammered my lower back. 

Leg presses (single leg)
50 * 20 for 3 sets

Reverse Hypers
BW * 12 for 3 sets

Back extensions on GHR
BW * 30 for 2 sets

Banded leg curls (med band)
2 sets of 50

Overall decent training. I must make this the last time I miss a lift on the cube.

Cube Week 2 Bench Reps 8th May 2013

Foam roll: Back, chest, lower back
Warm up: Push ups/Band pressdowns/Band pullaparts, 2 rounds, 15 reps, no rest

Bench
55 * 5
70 * 4
82.5 * 3
*insert 2 board
95 * 8, 8, 13
Relatively easy. Still having problems keeping the left shoulder tight but it only comes loose probably from the 5th or 6th rep onwards, so not a HUGE issue. Still have to figure that one out. Elbow pain is still present, which is such a bitch arghhhhh Did full range on the warm ups and only added in the 2 board for the work sets.

DB incline press
30 * 19
30 * 12 / 22.5 * 11 (Dropset)
Did a dropset with the second set. Tempo was controlled and not rushed. Pressing endurance is crap. If it's over 5 reps, not worth the trouble lol Kidding kidding

Close Grip bench
80 * 10
70 * 12, 12
Triceps were rather fried from this point, I think cos of the DB inclines. Tried 80kg but with a strict rhythm so was more tiring than usual. Really watching the form more on these and not just repping them out haphazardly. Kept elbows tucked even more than regular bench. No leg drive.

Band Flyes (large band)
3 sets of 15

Tricep pressdowns (bar)
21 * 100 (rest pause set, hands never let go of the bar, breaks kept to 5 breaths)

Military press
40 * 12
42.5 * 12, 12
done strict. Semi pause at bottom, full range.

 Band curls (med band)
4 sets of 25

Cube Week 2 Deadlift Explosive 6th May 2013

Foam roll: Back, IT band, Hams, Quads
Warm up: Band GMs/Lunges/Band Abductors/Band Adductors, 2 rounds, 15 reps, no rest

Deadlifts
100kg * 5
110 * 5
130 * 3
152.5 * 3 for 8 sets
Speed sets were done with about  15 to 30s rest in between. Did DOH for the first two sets, then switched to mixed for the remainder of the sets. Focus on pulling and accelerating as fast as I could, and I think I pulled much faster than I've ever pulled before haha Well, at least i felt more explosive. Just made two alterations, bracing the abdominals and tucking the chin to try and keep my head neutral. Felt really good and tight from the ab bracing, but will play around with the chin tucking more to see if it makes a significant diff.

4" Block Pulls
130 * 12 for 3 sets
Used DOH for all the sets. Forearms were pretty stoked after. I always find it much harder to pull from blocks than from the floor lol

SSB Squats
100 * 10
120 * 8 for 2 sets
Did the first set with 100kg cos my lower back was pretty shot up by this point. Really tight and almost bordering on pain. But then I figured I could do 120 relatively easily if I really focused and braced my core to protect my lower back, so I decided to do the remaining 2 sets with 120.

Shrugs
100 * 12 for 3 sets
Done DOH also, but forearms were still feeling the after effects of the block pulls. Weight was light on the traps, and held the contraction for a hard flex at the top.

GHR back extensions
BW * 10 for 5 excruciating sets
The pain in my lower back was still there so I had to do these as cautiously as I could. Broke it up into 5 sets of 10. 

V bar Lat pulldowns
Stack * 15 for 4 sets
These were the easiest thing in today's workout. Was thankful I could sit down for this lol

Rolled and stretched like a crazed mofo after.

Cube Week 1 Bodybuilding Day 4th May 2013

Foam roll: Back, Chest
Warm up: Band pull aparts/push ups/band pushdowns, 3 rounds, 15 reps, no rest

Military press
30kg * 5
40 * 4
45 * 3
55 * 10 for 5 sets

Close grip Bench
120 * 5
90 * 10, 10, 8/4/1

Tricep pushdown
3 sets of 15

Lean away laterals
12.5 * 15 for 2 sets each side

Band Pulldowns
3 sets of 30

Incline DB curls (fat bar)
10 * 10, 10, 10, 15/8/5

Standing Ab crunch
Stack * 20 for 3 sets

Cube Week 1 Squats Explosive 3rd May 2013

Foam roll: Back, IT band, lower back, Hams, quads
Hip distractions: 2 sets 2 mins
Warmup: Band GM/lunges/hip abductors/hip adductors, 2 rounds, 15 reps, no rest

Squats
77.5kg * 5
95 * 4
115 * 3
135 * 3 for 8 sets
Made a few tweaks to technique on Bryan's suggestion. First I kept the toes about 15deg pointed forward, but still forced the knees out out of the hole. Supposed to get the weight over the middle of the foot, but still not able to completely do so without the tendency to bring it on to the balls of the feet. The second tweak was my head position, learning to keep it neutral. Only managed to do it for about 50% of the reps because my habit is to extend the head. These two tweaks helped me keep much tighter, and i felt much stronger and faster out of the hole.

Reverse band Squat (med band)
152.5 * 2

Paused Squats
122.5 * 6, 4/2
Had to break up the 2nd set because the low back gave way around the 5th rep. Didn't want to turn it into a good morning.

Oly Squats
120 * 5 for 5 sets
My sincere apologies to all weightlifters out there for bastardizing the oly squat. Tried my best to keep as upright as possible and went atg.

Leg press (single leg)
40 * 15 for 4 sets
These were done 5 on the right, then 5 on the left then repeat two more times.

Reverse Hyper
BW * 12 for 3 sets
Hold at the contracted position.

Swings (with a DB)
25 * 15 for 3 sets
These last two exercises were rather therapeutic for the lower back.

Foam rolled and stretched after.

Cube Week 1 Bench Heavy 1st May 2013

Foam roll: Back, chest
Warm up: Push ups/Band pull aparts/Band pushdowns, 3 rounds, 15 reps, no rest

2-board bench
70kg * 5
82.5 * 4
95 * 3
110 * 2 for 3 sets
120 * 2 for 2 sets

Bench
82.5 * 15, 9-5-1
Left shoulder came loose after 5th rep. Need to do more strengthening and mobility work for my left shoulder rotators.

Lat pulldown
3 sets of 12

Band pressdowns
4 sets of 25

DB shrugs
42.5 * 15 for 3 sets

Military press
40 * 12
50 * 12
50 * 11 (last rep was a semi push press)
Triceps were on fire from the band pushdowns. Very humbling weights.

Overall rather shag workout. Seems easy on paper, but took more out of me than I expected. Good shit though heh Can't wait for friday's sesh.