ME Upper

Saturday
a. 5-board Press close grip (w/mini bands doubled over bar): worked up to 225x1, 255x1, 280x1, 295x1, 315x1 *bands give approximately 100 lbs. tension @ top

b. Flat DB press w/mini band around back: 3x8/75,85,95

c. Swiss bar press medium grip: 3x5/105, 125, 140

d1. Shoulder horn: 3x8/15
d2. Hammer curl: 3x9

Push/pull ratio down the tubes today!
Ed T.

Mon-Wed

The "I-own-a-gym-but-have-no-time-to-train" Monday workout
Warmed up then
2-step jumps 4 sets of 3 reps

Squat: 12x2 @ 250 lbs. and Face Pulls 4x20/50

Deadlifts: sumo w/doubled mini bands on the bar 275x1x10 sets (bands give approximately 200 lbs tension @ top)

The "In-a-hurry-again-because-wife-called-and-said-kid-missed-her-ride-pick-her-up" workout
(goes well w/NWA's greatest hits)
Foam roll and Amp'd upper warm-up

Bench press w/doubled mini bands
Close grip 160x3x3 sets
Medium grip 170x3x3 sets
Wide grip 180x3x3 sets
*Superset w/Band pullaparts (over/under grip) 15 reps a set/180 total reps

Incline DB triceps extensions w/band around my back 3x12/40, 45, 50
*Superset w/Chest supported rows w/doubled mini band over bar 3x8/90, 100, 110

Rear delt raises lying on an incline bench 3x12/side/25

Stay strong,
Ed T.

ME upper

Saturday (trained w/Brian)
Foam roll
made myself do a half-a#$ warm-up (see below)

Incline bench w/doubled mini bands and close grip: 165x3, 185x1, 195x1, moved to a wide grip and missed 230 bad. Brian hit a strong 225. Bands probably add 100 pounds at top.

JM press w/doubled mini and micro mini bands: worked up to 165x3, 190x3, 175x3

Did pull-aparts w/mini band in between sets, 20 reps a time, 10 overhand/10 underhand, for a total of 180.

Chest supported rows wide grip w/full range of motion: 90x8, 135x8, 160x8

Hammer curls 3x10/40 and Band tricep push downs 3x20 (light band)

For more of the importance of warm-ups and all that crap, check out the following link from Vincent Dizenzo's EFS training log. Dizenzo of SFW-800-pound-benchpress-fame. And an "old guy".

http://asp.elitefts.net/qa/training-logs.asp?qid=162061&tid=


And an observation on training with groups.

If you are fortunate enough to have training partners, however often that occurs (for example, I may train with different individuals only once or twice per week and it may vary from week to week as opposed to meeting the same people multiple times per week), remember why you are training together. Hopefully it is for some goal, even something as vague as to get stronger. If it's to socialize, then it's time to re-examine WTF you are doing. That being said, if your training partner(s) are training for "something", instead of standing around with your hands-in-your-pockets, be there for them. That means load the bar, actively spot them and help them get better. In turn, when (and if) your time comes, they will do the same for you! Screwing around, playing grab-ass and generally yucking it up is not acceptable if you are in the gym to get better.

Two guys training together without f@#$^&*g around can bang out 60 minutes of work while the group of 4 is still not done with the main movement is not productive.

Why are you there?
What are you training for?

Get Strong!
Ed T.

Week of 1/16/12

Tuesday:
Lunges 5x10 and Lat pull downs w/DD handle 5x10
Band good mornings w/strong band 2x15 and Ab pull downs 2x10

Wednesday:
Bench w/doubled mini bands close grip 165x3x3, medium grip 170x3x3, wide grip 175x3x3 and Pull-a-parts w/monster mini band 14x10 reps
Press - medium grip 115x5, 130x3, 145x9 (surprisingly easy) and Pull downs (to upper rib cage) w/H-bar 3x10/140, 160, 175

Friday:
Vertical jumps 4 sets of 3 reps
Box squat worked up to 345x2 added Metal squatter w/straps down and belt, 375x2, 400x2, 425x2x8 sets, 465x1
Rack pulls w/doubled mini bands on bar 8x3/175

Deep tissue massage following the squatting.

Stay strong,
Ed T.

ME Upper

Saturday
A. Floor press-medium grip-with quad'ed mini bands on bar (approx. 100 lbs. tension @ lock out): worked up to 205x1, attempted 230 for a PR and missed it half way up, dropped to 185x3

B1. DB bench press w/mini band around back: 3x8/70, 80, 90
B2. Band pull-aparts: 4x20 (mini band)

C. Lat Pull downs (to chin) w/prison bar and wide bench grip: work up to 3x8/170, 190, 200

D. Hammer curls: 3x9/40

Brian put up a strong 240 in the floor press; which was a PR for him. He has a military meet coming up at the end of February and it seems he is right on track to SFW!

Thanks to the skills of my massage therapist, my shoulders and especially elbows have felt healthy over the last few weeks. And in case you may not have noticed I have reduced the volume on my upper body days and this is helping too.

Stay strong,
Ed T.

Tattoo

DE Upper - Wednesday
Roll
Amp'd upper
GHR 1x20
A1. bench press w/doubled mini bands: Close grip 165x3x3, Medium grip 170x3x3, Wide grip 175x3x3 then Close grip 205x1, 235x1, 255x1, 265x1
A2. band pull-a-parts 140 reps in 10 sets overhand/underhand

B. Swiss bar press: medium grip 115x3, 130x3, 145x3x2 sets

ME Lower - Friday
Roll
Amp'd lower
A. Good mornings w/cambered squat bar (close stance) worked up to 355x3 added belt, 405x3, 435x1, 325x5

B. Rack pulls @ knees: 3x5/315, 405, 495
*A and B were both done while wearing a 45 lb. weight vest

C1. Step ups 4x15/side
C2. Roman chair sit-ups 3x10

D1. Reverse hyper short strap alternating between close/wide feet: 4x15/150
D2. Standing cable chops w/Rip Trainer 3x8/side

Do's
 - Listen to the new Van Halen release

Don't's
 - Wear a weight vest while doing max effort lower body work
 - Spike your post work out chocolate milk w/bourbon laced egg nog

In the immortal words of the Road Warriors;

"Whaddaya RUSH!"
\Ed T.

DE accessory

01/09/12 (Monday)

A1. Lat pull downs w/external rotator bar 5x10/100, 110, 120, 135, 150
A2. GHR 5x10
A3. Straight leg spread eagle sit-ups 55 reps in 4 sets

The new Van Halen single comes out today! Yea!

C'mon Dave give me a break,
Ed T.

PS I really am excited about this

DE Lower

January 8 (Sunday)
Box squat: work up to 315x2 add briefs, work up to 400x2x8 sets
Rack pulls: 225x2x8 sets w/doubled monster mini bands

Felt good to be back under the bar again. Squats got faster as the sets went along.

Stay strong,
Ed T.

ME Upper

Where is the ME/DE lower??? Yeah that is what I said. I have been sick all week and for lack of a better description, I $#%%^& out. But today, after 12 hours of sleep, I felt compelled to try again.

Amp'd upper warm-up
A. 1-board press w/1 doubled and 1 choked mini band per side (approx. 120 band tension @top): worked to 225x1, 245x1, 265x1, 285x1

B. JM Press w/1 doubled mini and 1 doubled micro mini per side: 3x3/165, 175, 185

C. Chest supported rows with 1 mini band over the bar: 3x8/80, 90, 100

D1. Shoulder horn: 3x8/ 10, 12, 15
D2. Band pushdowns 3x20 (light band)

The idea behind the main lift and the band tension is to use approximately 40% band tension to bar weight. I ended up with a bit more. I was unsure what my 1rm in the 1-board press with bands is so I based it off of my UN-BANDED 1-board. It worked out well however.

Am I becoming a bench %^&???

Stay strong,
Ed T

DE Upper

Wednesday 1-4-12
DeFranco Amp'd upper warm-up
A1. Bench press w/mini bands doubled on bar (40 lbs tension @ bottom and 100 @ top):
       Close grip 163x3x3 sets
       Medium grip 170x3x3 sets
       Wide grip 175x3x3 sets
A2. Lat pull downs change grip each set 4x10/100-130 then Pull-ups, neutral grip (close and wide) 5 sets of 4 reps, then Pull-a-parts 5x10
*So I ended up with 14 sets pushing and 14 sets pulling counting all the bench warm-ups.

B1. Incline DB triceps extensions w/mini band around back 3x12/30, 40, 45
B2. Chest supported rows-wide grip-pulling all the way to the top: 3x8/90, 115, 135

C1. Hammer curls 3x8/40
C2. Band triceps pushdowns 3x20 (mini band)

Stay strong,
Ed T.

Bust a PR for the New Year!

I do'd it. "Busted a PR for the New Year!" Thanks Dave!!!

Saturday December 31
Amp'd upper body warm up
Bench press (pinkies at rings grip) worked up to 325x1 (PR), then 335x1, added the Slingshot and went 350, 370 (PR), 385 for singles all. Put on the Maddog S/S in an effort to wrest the Training Bra title from Mattius Fourboardus (not related to Calvin Broadus) wearing his Tibetan Ram. M4 holds the record at "FOUR-my-#$%^*&-OH-hurts-or-I'd-do-more-FIVE" so I loaded the bar to 410 and almost dumped it on my chest. Too much wobble. Almost like a bench shirt. Ah well. It was a good day and M4 holds the title for another day...

Happy with my 335 as it is off my all-time-best (not by much) but it is the heaviest I have done in awhile PAIN FREE. Joe Metric got a 5 lb PR and Red Beard hit a nice 350.

Train smart
Train hard
Stay strong,
Ed T.

12-28 to 12-30 maximus effortus

Wednesday 12/28 - ME Upper
Amp'd "I-hate-warming-up-warm-up"
A. Pin press (@ chest) medium grip worked up to 285x3 then moved pins approximately 3 inches higher and with same grip worked to 330x3 (in 3 sets) *The 285 and 330 could have been pushed to 5 (as prescribed)

B1. Rope pushdowns 3x15-20 easy
B2. Side raises 2x20 very light

Friday 12/30 - ME Lower
Amp'd lower
A. Broad jump 3 sets of 4 jumps and hit a PR
B. Box squat-parallel box-in briefs worked up to 375x2x8 sets

C. Rack pulls (pin 3) w/doubled light bands 225x2x8 sets

D1. GHR 5x10
D2. Ab wheel roll out 5x10

My ME Lower work was the speed work I did not do due to my Christmas hangover (too much food, COOKIES and la familiga) last Monday.

There's much to be said for brevity,
Ed T.