Felt pretty achey around my joints and my body as a whole; elbows, knees, ankles, and hips. All is good; I'm just glad to be squatting again and will be hitting some squat PR's next time. Had a job interview this morning; got rejected. Well, atleast I set a new deadlift PR lol.
5/3/2017
Squat(lbs):
180 x 5 x 1
225 x 5 x 1
270 x 5 x 2
Press(lbs):
45 x 5 x 1
65 x 5 x 1
85 x 5 x 1
110 x 6 x 1
130 x 4 x 1
145 x 2 x 1 (I got a PR here and I suck at presses; gonna spend a lot of time doing 5x5s and 5x3s for the next two months)
Deadlift(lbs):
230 x 5 x 1
275 x 5 x 1
320 x 5 x 1
375 x 8 x 1 (PR)
Accessories: Traps and calves lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris McCarthy
Happy Birthday!!
Oh hey :).
Thanks for the birthday wish :)
05-05-2017, 07:19 AM
Vampiric Aura
Felt super strong on squats. As for bench; I grinded hard on the third rep (Nevertheless, I got a bench PR lol). I'm just lost for words and I'm just in awe; from all the shitty bench sessions (failing bunch of reps) to making a PR lol...). Towards, the end of workout when I was doing rows; I got super tired lol. To be honest; I'm not going to expect to get 275lb x 5 x 1 on Monday for 5 reps (on bench). I'd be atleast happy with for 4 reps with 275lb on bench ;).
Friday - 5/5/2017
Squat(lbs):
180 x 5 x 1
225 x 5 x 1
270 x 5 x 1
320 x 5 x 1
365 x 3 x 1 (Felt strong)
270 x 8 x 1 (my quads and glutes started fatiguing)
Bench(lbs):
130 x 5 x 1
165 x 5 x 1
200 x 5 x 1
230 x 5 x 1
275 x 3 x 1 (PR :))
200 x 8 x 1 (Triceps started fatiguing)
Rows(lbs):
95 x 5 x 1
120 x 5 x 1
145 x 5 x 1
170 x 5 x 1
195 x 3 x 1 (Felt sooo tired)
145 x 8 x 1
Accessories: RDLs (Romanian Deadlifts) and Wrist Curls (with a barbell).
This session was hard. Especially bench on the second last set with 240lb for 5 reps and the spotter I had for 275lb assisted me... I told him I had it by then I was gassed; no way I could produce a similar set like that, lol. Somehow, getting 3 reps seems easier for me to get than 5 reps (Most of my bench press PR's had been 3's lol).
Also I was fairly lazy this week had absolutely no motivation to train... I skipped Monday. Now I have make it up on Thursday and Friday; just so I could finish this cycle of Madcows sooner.
Squat(lbs):
185 x 5 x 1
230 x 5 x 1
275 x 5 x 1
320 x 5 x 1
365 x 5 x 1 (PR, I was puffing hard...)
Bench(lbs):
140 x 5 x 1
170 x 5 x 1
210 x 5 x 1
240 x 5 x 1
275 x 5 x 1 (Felt heavy; I've gotten the first two reps for sure, but had assistance on the third rep, and upward? I wouldn't classify this as a PR)
Note: The bench press had been feeling hard; the last five weeks. Hopefully, I could get a 3RM with 285lb at the end of this training cycle. Straight sets of 5x5 on Mondays, and on Fridays 1RMs, 2RMs, and 3RMs interchanged with close-grip bench every other week. I do feel like on the next upcoming cycle; I'll hit a big bench press PR (with all of this fatigue incurring) and of course which of it being a new stimulus for me.
Rows(lbs):
100 x 5 x 1
120 x 5 x 1
145 x 5 x 1
170 x 5 x 1
200 x 5 x 1 (PR, was really hard to grip; this really tested out my grip strength)
I felt pretty good after I was done with this session. Right now; it feels as if though I'm harvesting for some more new strength gains to come soon (even bigger ones). It seems as if though it'd had been kept in the darkness and a shimmering ray of hope is ready to emerge from the darkness; as it had been harnessing for quite some time.
"I sense a power deeper than darkness." ~ Cecil Harvey
05-13-2017, 12:23 AM
Vampiric Aura
Alright, posting these two sessions; been pretty busy this week.
This session felt hard; failed on my deadlift AMRAP.
5/11/2017
Squat(lbs):
185 x 5 x 1
230 x 5 x 1
275 x 5 x 2 (Despite it being light; it felt hard lol).
Press(lbs):
45 x 5 x 1
65 x 5 x 1
85 x 5 x 1
110 x 6 x 1
120 x 5 x 5 (felt alright)
Deadlift(lbs):
235 x 5 x 1
280 x 5 x 1
325 x 5 x 1
385 x 5 x 1 (I wanted to get 8, but failed)
Accessories: some shoulder raises.
Today's session felt good got both a squat and bench PR. One more week until this cycle of Madcows end.
5/13/2017
Squat(lbs):
185 x 5 x 1
230 x 5 x 1
275 x 5 x 1
320 x 5 x 1
375 x 3 x 1 (PR)
275 x 8 x 1 (Biggest quad pump; I ever had lol)
Bench(lbs):
140 x 5 x 1
170 x 5 x 1
210 x 5 x 1
230 x 5 x 1
285 x 3 x 1 (PR)
210 x 8 x 1 (Easy going)
Rows(lbs):
100 x 5 x 1
120 x 5 x 1
145 x 5 x 1
170 x 5 x 1
200 x 3 x 1 (Meh)
145 x 8 x 1
Accessories: Some RDLs and grip work.
05-16-2017, 11:34 PM
Vampiric Aura
Felt like shit. The only good thing is my squats, but it felt hard lol.
5/17/2017
Squat(lbs):
190 x 5 x 1
235 x 5 x 1
280 x 5 x 1
330 x 5 x 1
375 x 5 x 1 (PR)
Bench(lbs):
140 x 5 x 1
175 x 5 x 1
215 x 5 x 1
245 x 5 x 1
285 x 5 x 1 (Assisted, I actually needed it so I could get used to moving this weight...)
Rows(lbs):
100 x 5 x 1
120 x 5 x 1
145 x 5 x 1
170 x 5 x 1
200 x 5 x 1 (Too much momentum)
Accessories: Some arms.
05-20-2017, 02:57 AM
Vampiric Aura
Perhaps the worst gym session of my life lol; 280lb squats felt heavy lol, struggled to press 110lb???, and had only gotten one rep with 395lb for deadlifts (meant to rep it out for 8 reps or something lol). These weights should be super submaxial for me, but wtf... Not going to bother recording it *sigh*
Oh and my knees felt pretty achey coming into the gym; I've heard two big clicks on the first two reps when I squatted with 280lb... Like c'mon that weight should be nothing for me, lol.
05-23-2017, 03:28 AM
Vampiric Aura
Walked away with a squat PR; I guess happy enough with it other my failed lifts of today :D
Squat(lbs):
190 x 5 x 1
235 x 5 x 1
280 x 5 x 1
330 x 5 x 1
385 x 3 x 1 (PR: First rep was super hard, but grinded out the last two reps easily)
280 x 8 x 1 (I actually felt good here)
Bench(lbs):
140 x 5 x 1
175 x 5 x 1
215 x 5 x 1
245 x 5 x 1
290 x 0 x 1 (lowered the first rep slowly; got stuck and bailed)
215 x 8 x 1 (This weight somehow felt hard today lol)
Rows(lbs):
100 x 5 x 1
125 x 5 x 1
150 x 5 x 1
175 x 5 x 1
205 x 3 x 1 (Very sloppy form)
150 x 8 x 1
Accessories: some arms.
Tried doing cardio (HIIT) after the workout; only lasted for three minutes lol. The bike pad made my butt hurt and back feel a little funky? I may try to lose 4kg/10lb to 7kg/15lb the first four weeks of the next madcows/texas-method hybrid; thats my reasoning doing cardio I guess. Despite having shitty nutrition (lack of protein) because I'm broke lol.
Alright, well this concludes my first cycle of Madcows. Gonna workout later in the week (Friday presumably) and take a bit of deload with squats/bench. Gonna try to reattempt my deadlift PR set a 5 to 8 reps on Friday and of course more overhead pressing.
Anyways, my next cycle is gonna follow the texas method type scheme for the bench press (inconjuction with the close grip bench), and perhaps I'll stop doing ramped up sets for pendlary rows, and start working more in a hypertrophy rep ranges (4x6s and 4x12s); so I could benefit well more from it.
See you guys soon :)
05-29-2017, 09:05 AM
Vampiric Aura
Decided to take a week long deload (practically, not going to the gym for a week); just to see if my knee heals up... Anyways came back to the gym and well last week I was speaking back (& forth) with Garrett Blevins he recommended this high volume bench routine (decided to try it instead of 5x5...)... Well, my left pec didn't felt right when I was doing 10RM's for a few sets... Of course alongside with DOMs (had a crazy chest pump...).
As for Squats and rows respectively; squatting felt kinda hard, but my knees actually felt better and for pendlay rows it was okay. I thought I'd go high volume on Pendlay Rows, but changed my mind, and instead added chin-ups before I work my arms... Well, I had a great bicep pump lol. Well, back to the bench press; I'll probably return back to doing Madcows for bench instead of 5x5 (so I could save it up for advance Madcows), but however I'll AMRAP my last set on bench, and may do a back off set or two just to accumulate more volume... Just all to create a bigger potential to increase my bench. The last cycle of Madcows I've been able to increase my bench by 15lb; I probably could squeeze 15lbs again with the extra volume work for the next coming 9 weeks of this cycle:).
As for the workout...
5/30/2017
Back Squat(lbs):
175 x 5 x 1
215 x 5 x 1
260 x 5 x 1
300 x 5 x 1
350 x 5 x 1 (felt hard)
Bench Press(lbs):
130 x 10 x 1
175 x 10 x 1
195 x 10 x 1 (left pec not feeling right here...)
215 x 6 x 1 (only managed six reps, but pecs were becoming too tight/pumped... Gonna try doing 245lb 5 reps on Wednesday; just make up this shitty session)
Gonna ditch Garrets old bench routine; I know its not going to work for me I respond better with sets of 5s, 3s, and 2s...
Pendlay Rows(lbs):
90 x 5 x 1
115 x 5 x 1
135 x 5 x 1
160 x 5 x 1
180 x 5 x 1 (Form cleaned up; I'm happy with it)
Accessories: Chin Ups, Dumbbell Curls, and Tricep pushdowns.
Anyways, what today had taught me was not take too much time off from the gym for tooo long; a light deload would've been better. I respond better doing 2RMs to 5RMs for benching; I'll keep pushing my bench. As for rows; not to be too sloppy and do em with good form.
Well, my goals for this year is to get a 220kg/484lb Squat, 150kg/331lb Bench, and 240kg/529lb for Deadlifts @ 110kg/242lb bodyweight. I feel like I'm 20kg/44lbs off from all lifts. I expect to hit those numbers by November. After I hit them in November; I'll plan on losing 15kg/33lb in six to eight weeks. So I could start fresh in 2018 ;) and perhaps get a six plate squat, four plate bench, and seven plate deadlift :).
Ciao!
05-31-2017, 12:51 AM
Vampiric Aura
All in all; It was a Good session. However, I misgroved on sixth rep on bench (was going for 7 reps), and I bailed it during then, and the presses felt good. As for deadlifts; I wanted 12 reps, but got 10 reps instead with 355lb.
Wednesday - 5/31/2017
Bench Press(lbs):
125 x 5 x 1
175 x 5 x 1
215 x 5 x 1
245 x 5 x 1 (Wanted seven... I'm happy enough though)
155 x 11 x 1 (AMRAP, shoulders felt pretty fatigue; knew I wasn't gonna go heavy on OHP)
Squat(lbs):
175 x 5 x 1
215 x 5 x 1
260 x 5 x 2 (Knee's felt good).
Press(lbs):
45 x 10 x 1
65 x 10 x 1
85 x 8 x 1
100 x 8, 6, 5 x 3
Deadlift(lbs):
225 x 5 x 1
270 x 5 x 1
310 x 5 x 1
355 x 10 x 1 (I wanted to get 12, but grinded 4 reps out from the sixth rep on deadlifts lol)
Accessories: DB Rear/Side shoulder Raises 3x10 (supersetted)
"Time to see the world one city at a time." ~ Whitley
06-02-2017, 01:31 AM
Vampiric Aura
Friday - 6/2/2017
Squat(lbs):
175 x 5 x 1
220 x 5 x 1
260 x 5 x 1
300 x 5 x 1
355 x 3 x 1 (I was squatting in front of a mirror and I accidently paused the first rep; this caused to grind out two extra reps)
260 x 8 x 1 (My knees started aching on the 4 reps, but pushed myself to get 8 reps; hopefully I'll be fine with it on Monday....)
Bench(lbs):
125 x 5 x 1
155 x 5 x 1
185 x 5 x 1
215 x 5 x 1
255 x 5 x 1 (Wanted six, but got 5; gonna try and get this weight for 7 reps on Monday)
185 x 8 x 1 (Felt good, but gotta )
Rows(lbs):
90 x 5 x 1
115 x 5 x 1
135 x 5 x 1
160 x 5 x 1
185 x 4 x 1 (Good tight form and not rushing the reps)
135 x 8 x 1
Accessories: Some hamstring curls to mend my knee issue and I didn't have much time to do other accessories. Sadly, my gym doesn't have a glute-ham raise machine :/... Would be good for treating my knee issue now.
Gotta recover, ice, compress, and elevate (use muscle/bone heat gels; also keep hydration up)