Nikola Competes

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 6/26 - Squat
Squat...............455x4; 445x3,3 <-- back tweak on failed first set. Pain in right erector.
HB Pause Squat..345x6
Leg Ext.............345x30+15+8
Leg Press Calf....240x26+16+12 (stack; one leg)
Rower Intervals..20s/40s x6

Wednesday 6/28 - Bench
Bench...............335x2x3
HS Incline..........3.5pps x9; 3pps x11,10
HS Dip..............190/s x12; 170/s x18+9+5
EZ Preacher Curl.80x14; 70x12; 60x10
Machine Curl......285x14+7+5

Friday 6/30 - Deadlift
Deadlift.............545x1,0
Back Ext...........BWx20x3
Leg Curl............360x14+7+4
Calf Machine......225x16+10+6 (one leg)
Rower Intervals..20s/40s x7

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 7/3 - Press
Press................202.5x2x3
Machine Press....298x10; 278x11; 258x11
Lateral Raise......50x8x3
CG Bench..........245x9,9,8
Rolling DB Ext.....65x8; 60x10,8

Wednesday 7/5 - Squat
Squat...............465x2x3
HS Leg Press.....445/s x14x3
Leg Ext............345x32+14+10
Leg Press Calf....545/s x28+16+12

Friday 7/7 - Bench
Bench...............277.5x8x3
Incline Bench.....225x8; 205x10,8
Machine Fly.......345x14+8+5
Barbell Curl........125x12; 115x12; 105x12
Cable Curl.........160x13+6+4

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 7/10 - Deadlift
Deadlift.............435x8x2
Leg Curl............360x15+8+5
Calf Machine......245x12+8+6 (single leg)

Friday 7/14 - Press
Press................167.5x8x3
Seated DB Press.75x10; 70x10; 65x10
Seated Lateral...40x12+7+5
CG Bench..........250x8,8,9
Pressdown.........145x7; 130x11; 115x13

Missed Wednesday and carried over to Friday. Abbreviated my deadlift workout to account for persistent low back fatigue.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 7/17 - Squat
Squat...............445x5x3
HS Hack Press....170/s x8x3
Leg Ext.............345x24+8+6
Hack Press Calf..290/+s x24+16+14

Wednesday 7/19 - Bench
Bench...............307.5x4x3
Inc DB Bench.....90x9; 85x10; 80x10
HS Decline.........5pps x12; 4.5pps x10+5+3
EZ Preacher Curl.60x20; 70x12; 80x8
Barbell Curl........95x15+8+6

---Returned from overseas---

Monday 7/31 - Bench
Bench...............310x4; 265x10
Press................160x6; 135x10
Rolling DB Ext.....65x9; 55x12

Tuesday 8/1 - Squat
Squat...............445x3; 375x8
Deadlift.............410x5

Thursday 8/3 - Press
Press................185x4; 160x9
CG Bench..........265x7; 225x11
Barbell Curl........130x10; 110x12

Friday 8/4 - Deadlift
Deadlift.............480x3
Squat...............375x5x3

Moving off the 8-5-2 sets across model and trying a low-volume top set/backoff set heavy-light approach.

[Bradley Gish]

Solid lifts man! Especially the 445x5x3 squat! Looking strong dude.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 8/7 - Bench
Bench...............310x5; 275x8
Press................160x8; 140x8
Rolling DB Ext.....65x10; 60x10

Tuesday 8/8 - Squat
Squat...............445x4; 385x6
Deadlift.............410x5x3
Chin Up.............BWx8,6

Thursday 8/10 - Press and Deadlift
Press................185x5; 165x6
Deadlift.............480x3

---Back in the home gym---

Monday 8/14 - Bench
Bench...............315x3; 280x7
Press................165x7; 145x9

Tuesday 8/15 - Squat
Squat...............445x4; 385x8
Deadlift.............410x5x3
Chin Up.............BWx7,6

Thursday 8/17 - Press
Press................190x3; 165x8
CG Bench...........270x7; 235x10
Barbell Curl.........135x10; 115x14
Standing Lateral..45x10x3

Friday 8/18 - Deadlift
Deadlift.............480x4
Squat...............375x5x3
Lever Arm Row...2pps x12x2 (red bands)

Wednesday 8/23 - Bench
Bench...............315x4; 280x8
Press................165x8; 150x8
Swiss Bar LTE.....115x10; 125x10

Friday 8/25 - Squat
Squat...............445x5; 395x8
Deadlift.............410x5x3
Chin Up.............BWx8,6
KB Swing...........30x12,11,10,9,8

Monday 8/28 - Press
Press................190x5; 170x8
CG Bench...........270x8; 240x10
Barbell Curl.........140x8; 120x10
Standing Lateral..45x12x3

Wednesday 8/30 - Deadlift
Deadlift.............480x5
Squat...............375x5x3
DB Row.............125x10; 115x12

Friday 9/1 - Bench
Bench...............315x5; 285x8
Press................170x7; 155x8
Swiss Bar LTE.....130x9; 120x10

---Started a cut---

Monday 9/4 - Squat
Squat...............450x5; 400x8
Deadlift.............415x5x3
Chin Up.............BWx9,7

Wednesday 9/6 - Press
Press................192.5x2+2; 175x6
CG Bench...........275x8; 245x10
Barbell Curl.........140x9; 125x10
Standing Lateral..45x13x3

Friday 9/8 - Deadlift
Deadlift.............485x4
Squat...............380x5x3
DB Row.............130x10; 120x12
Airdyne Intervals.10s/50s x5

Monday 9/11 - Bench
Bench...............317.5x4; 290x7
Press................170x6; 160x8
Swiss Bar LTE.....130x8; 120x10 (15 deg incline)

Wednesday 9/13 - Squat
Squat...............455x4; 405x8
Deadlift.............415x5x2
Chin Up.............BWx10,7
Airdyne Intervals.10s/50s x6

Friday 9/15 - Press
Press................192.5x3; 175x6
CG Bench...........280x6; 250x10
Barbell Curl.........140x10; 130x10
Standing Lateral..45x15x3

---Got sick and skipped Monday---

Wednesday 9/20 - Deadlift
Deadlift.............485x3
Yoke Bar Squat...295x5x3
DB Row.............135x10; 125x10

Friday 9/22 - Bench
Bench...............317.5x3; 290x5
Slingshot Bench..290x10
Press................170x5; 160x7
Swiss Bar LTE.....130x8; 120x10 (15 deg incline)
Cable Pressdown.45x15; 55x10

Recap: I am back in my home gym, training on a four day heavy-light split over a M-W-F schedule. I am about ten pounds into what should be a pretty long cut. I have been carrying too much body fat, and a serious cut is way overdue. The hope is for this lower volume top set and backoff set approach to maintain most of my strength.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 9/25 - Squat
Squat...............455x4; 410x6
Deadlift.............415x5x2
Chin Up.............+5x8; BWx8
Airdyne.............10 min

Wednesday 9/27 - Press
Press................192.5x2+2; 175x6
CG Bench...........280x5; 255x8
Barbell Curl.........145x8; 135x10
DB Preacher Curl..25x12; 20x14
Standing Lateral..50x10x3

Friday 9/29 - Deadlift
Rack Pull............485x1

Tweaked my back warming up to deadlift. Tried to rack pull instead and quit after one rep. Have to give it a few days - might need to lower the intensity somewhat as I lose weight. Body weight 247.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 10/2 - Bench
Bench...............317.5x3; 290x5
Slingshot Bench..317.5x7
Press................170x5; 160x7
Swiss Bar LTE.....130x9; 125x10 (15 deg incline)
Cable Pressdown.60x16; 55x16

Wednesday 10/4 - Squat
Squat...............ascending 5s up to 365x5
Deadlift.............ascending 5s up to 315x5
Chin Up.............+10x10; BWx9

Monday 10/9 - Press
Press................192.5x1+1; 175x4
CG Bench...........280x5; 260x8
Barbell Curl.........145x7; 135x10
DB Preacher Curl..30x16; 25x16
Standing Lateral..50x12x3

Wednesday 10/11 - Deadlift
Deadlift.............455x3
Squat...............360x5x2
Knee Raise........BWx15x3

Friday 10/13 - Accessories
Cable Row.........90x12,20+12+10
CG Bench..........260x8,6; 225x6
Barbell Curl.......135x8; 115x10+5+3
Swiss Bar LTE....130x8; 110x12 (15 deg incline)
Standing Lateral.50x14; 40x15; 35x12; 30x12
Plate Raise........45x16,16+10+8

Slowly overcoming back tweak and what I think was an erector strain brought on by overtraining or insufficient recovery or something. Switching to a schedule that prioritizes recovery with only one heavy lower body day per week.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 10/16 - Bench
Bench................275x7; 235x12
Seated DB Press..65x10; 55x12; 50x8; 45x8
Lever Row..........90/s x8; 80/s x8,8
DB Fly................35x10+6+5
Hammer Curl......35x16+10+8

Wednesday 10/18 - Squat
Squat...............425x3; 365x7
Deadlift............385x5x2
Cable Crunch....90x10; 80x16; 75x16; 70x16

Friday 10/20 - Accessories
Prone Pulldown...180x10; 160x12+8+7
Dip....................BWx10x2; slingshot x12
Incline DB Curl....55x8; 45x10; 40x10; 35x10
Cable Pressdown.80x12,20; 75x16; 70x16
Reverse Fly.........35x10; 30x10; 25x10; 20x10
Lever Shrug........135/s x16; 115/s x16+14+10

Ended up with about an 8% reset on squat and deadlift. Not too bad. I feel a little better recovered. Body weight down to 242.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 10/23 - Press
Press................165x7; 140x10
DB Incline..........85x8; 75x12; 70x6; 65x6
Chin Up.............+15x8; BWx8,7
DB Fly...............35x15x3
EZ Curl..............105x10; 90x14+8+6

Wednesday 10/25 - Deadlift
Deadlift.............455x4
Squat...............365x5x3
Knee Raise........BWx18x3

Friday 10/27 - Accessories
Cable Row.........135x20; 135x18+10+8
CG Bench..........260x8,7; 225x7
Cable Curl.........90x8; 75x12+8+6
Swiss Bar LTE....130x9; 115x10 (15 deg incline)
Standing Lateral.50x15; 45x12; 40x10; 35x10
Swiss Raise.......60x12; 60x10+8+6