If you're not ready to party with Vikings...

[Sean5424]

Today I started John Shaeffer's Powerbuilding program, which I plan to run for at least 7 weeks. My primary goal is to induce some upper-body hypertrophy to make my presses go up and make me more symmetrical top-to-bottom.

25/69''/220lbs.

Day one:
Incline bench 205x6, 185x8
-Had to work out at a gym today (Sunday) without a decline bench. Hope to hit that next week. Took me a bit to figure out my weights. Haven't incline benched in years.

EZ Bar curl (rest-pause) 85x6-rp-5-rp-4
-Another lift I haven't done in years. Just picked up what someone left on the bar and it worked OK. Got a wicked pump.

Squat 405x4
-Squats were really weak today. I'll do better next week.

Neck harness 53x40x4
-The quest for the 20-inch neck continues...

All in all, day one was a bit of a kick in the sack. Doing lifts I haven't done in a while, to failure, was a pretty awesome thing. Can't wait for the next workout. I'm actually excited to train for the first time in a few months.

[Sean5424]

Day Two:

Lateral raises 25x15
Press 125x8, 95x12
-Wild-ass guess on weights, and it worked out ok. Shoulders were screaming for most of the remainder of the workout.

Yates row 255x8, 225x11
-No comments

Deadlift 425x4, 345x10
-Went pretty conservative on weight, and was glad I did. Doing the big lifts (squats, deadlifts) at the end of the workout definitely makes a difference, especially doing deadlifts after Yates rows. My back is freakin' pumped. The 345x10 made me forget all about my shoulders. It took a bit of self-respect not to lay on the floor like a Crossfit victim afterwards.

Neck 53x45x4
-YOKE!!!

I did pretty well estimating weights during today's session. Pre-fatiguing the press was interesting. I'm liking this Powerbuilding thing.

[Johnny Pain]

Looks like you're killing it Sean.

Weights look good. I told you you'd love those shoulders.

[Sean5424]

Day Three:

Decline bench (rest-pause)245x5-rp-5-rp-2
-Haven't done this move in years. Guessed on the weight, and probably went a bit heavy. Technique was a bit loose, as it's weird benching and not being able to drive the heels into the ground.

Pushdown 65x15
EZ-Bar tricep extensions 45x15, 35x25
-Another new move for me, went lighter than I probably should have.

DB Concentration curl 30x15
Alt. DB Hammer curl 25x14, 20x15
-Now I know what all the broskis and brosephs are referring to when they describe a "badass bicep pump". Thankfully, I had something to take my mind off them...

Squat 315x20
-I was initially worried about conditioning taking a hit when I started this program. Between the deadlifts on Tuesday, the squats today, and my planned conditioning session on Saturday, I think I'll be ok. Since I am Prowler-less for the next 2 months, high-rep squat/deadlift sets are a decent substitute.

Neck 53x50x4
-Finally hit my goal weight/reps.

End of week thoughts:
Week one went well. I got a good baseline to work off of with the weights, and got re-acquainted with some movements I hadn't done in a while. I absolutely love the fast-paced, high-rep nature of the sessions; it's a welcome change of pace from the grind of SS/5-3-1. All in all, I am very impressed with John's Powerbuilding style of training.

[utexas61]

Squat 315x20

awesome

[Sean5424]

Conditioning:

50 24kg KB swings
400m
40 24kg KB swings
400m
30 24kg KB swings
400m
20 24kg KB swings
400m
10 24kg KB swings

I pulled this workout off of dragondoor.com, it's called the US DOE Man-Maker. It was created by a former USSF MSG named Bill Cullen. He designed it to be used with KB snatches, but the prospect of 150 KB snatches with the KB I have with me, along with a mile of running, is a bit much for me right now. As it was, this workout ate my lunch in around 12 minutes. Week 2 of Powerbuilding starts Monday, and I'm fuckin' psych'd.

[Sean5424]

Day Four:

Happy Columbus Day! Seriously, this should not be a Federal Holiday. Does anyone who passed third grade actually give a fuck about Columbus Day? I'm surprised it's survived the Politically Correct brushfire of the last 2 decades. I mean, where are all the Aboriginal people of this continent to protest this Holiday? The answer to that question probably reveals why it's a Federal Holiday...

Apparently, whoever decides the hours on my primary, alternate, and contingency gyms (Code-named Nina, Pinta, and Santa-Maria, ironically) is all about celebrating this non-Holiday. As such, I trained today at the local Gold's Gym, my emergency location. Wow. Just fucking wow.

Incline Bench 205x8, 185x12
-Time to raise the weights on this one. Felt easy, up until the last couple reps, probably because I kinda pre-exhausted last week with a few too many warm-up/"feeler" sets

EZ-Bar Curl (rest-pause) 85x6-rp-5-rp-5
-Added a rep from last week, and felt right at home curling away in a line of about 5-6 Preacher curl benches.

Squat 405x6
-All too easy. Felt like 405 should feel, way better than last week. Time to bump up the weight on these, too.

Neck 53x60,60,30
-Since hitting 53x50x4 on Friday, I'm going to do 150 reps every training day in as few sets as possible.

[Sean5424]

Day Five:

Lateral raises 2x25x16
Press 130x8, 100x13
-Gotta keep driving the weight up on these, they feel really good.

Yates row 265x7, 225x12
-Felt a bit heavy, but otherwise ok.

Rack pull 465x6, 405x12
-Alternating these with deadlifts, A-B style, as I prefer deadlifting every other week.

Power shrugs 405x5, 315x12
-Had a little yokeoerexia attack today and decided to bang these out as I was clearing the bar.

Neck 53x70, 55, 25
-More treatment for yokeoerexia.

[StrongIslander,NY]

[QUOTE=Sean5424;174229]Day Four:

Happy Columbus Day! Seriously, this should not be a Federal Holiday. Does anyone who passed third grade actually give a fuck about Columbus Day?



Would you prefer," Happy Leif Erickson Day!"

[Sean5424]

Well played, StrongIslander. And yes, I would.