Brule's Training Log V2.0

[Brule]

Barbell Row
1x8x50lbs
1x4x55lbs
1x2x75lbs

Deadlift
1x10x100lbs
1x8x120lbs
1x4x135lbs

[Brule]

Bench Press
1x10x50lbs
1x10x60lbs
1x7x70lbs
1x3x75lbs

Overhead Press
3x3x50lbs

Close-Grip Bench Press
1x7x50lbs
2x3x50lbs

[Brule]

Didn't dothe barbell row and deadlift today. Instead did pull-ups & air squats.

Pull-ups
1x4
1x3
1x2

Squats
3x25

[Brule]

Barbell Row
1x10x50lbs
1x7x60lbs
1x4x70lbs

Deadlift
1x10x100lbs
1x6x120lbs
1x2x140lbs

Bench Press
1x10x60lbs
1x7x70lbs
1x4x80lbs

Overhead Press
1x5x50lbs
1x4x50lbs
1x2x50lbs

Close-Grip Bench
1x5x50lbs
1x3x50lbs
1x2x50lbs

[Brule]

Been busy the last week or so, so i haven't had the chance to get into a workout. Ended up doing some push up last night. Pyramid up to 10 and back down. Not sure if that's what it's called but it's when you do one push-up, rest for 20sec then do 2 push-ups, rest and repeat up to 10, then back down to one again.

I plan on getting back into the weights in a day or two once i'm able to move them into the basement from the garage.

[Brule]

Barbell Row
1x10x50lbs
1x5x60lbs
1x3x70lbs

Deadlift
1x10x100lbs
1x5x120lbs
1x3x120lbs

[Brule]

Bench Press
1x10x60lbs
1x10x70lbs
1x5x80lbs

Overhead Press
1x5x50lbs
1x3x50lbs
1x2x50lbs

Close-Grip Bench
3x5x50lbs

[Shima Wara]

Looks good brother. Keep at it! What you are doing now will pay big dividends in the end and pays much bigger dividends than resigning yourself to a daily walk on the treadmill as exercise. Great Job!

[Brule]

Barbell Row
1x10x50lbs
1x5x60lbs
1x4x70lbs

Deadlift
1x10x100lbs
1x10x120lbs
1x6x140lbs

I felt something on my last deadlift down my left leg and stopped. I'm pretty sure it's not my back, it's hard to describe. I'll see how it feels after a day or two or rest.

[Brule]

Bench Press
1x10x60lbs
1x10x70lbs
1x4x80lbs

Overhead Press
2x4x50lbs
1x2x50lbs

Close-Grip Bench
3x5x50lbs

[sanjuro_ronin]

A few suggestions:
On the days you do the overhead press and the bench in the same workout, do the overhead press first, some studies have shown that it keeps the shoulders healthier.
Try it and see how you feel.
The DL is NOT an exercise that you NEED to do mulitple sets of, unless you are doing powerlifting.
If you are doing a routine that has pull-ups or chins already, then doing just one set of DL's is just fine and it is far less taxing on your back.
The problem with DL's is that it is not a "muiltiple set" exercise and even those that do them as such, put a nice long rest between sets to make sure there is complete muscle recovery.
I suggest that you do DL's at the end of the workout and do only one set of 5 reps, this allows you do do weight that is "heavy" enough to strengthen the back but keeps the workload to a minimum so as to not over tax the back muscles and the support muscles.
I would add dips to your routine if you can.

[wenshu]

Speaking of shoulder health. Your workouts work internal rotation almost exclusively. This is the road to muscle imbalances and impingement. You may consider some rotator cuff prehab exercises.

Specifically working external rotation to counter all the pressing movements.

The cuban press is a really good external rotation exercise, and just all around good shoulder exercise. I like to do it laying down to facilitate scapular retraction during the movement without excessive lumbar strain.

Do not use heavy weights for these exercises. Start without weights and then when comfortable move on to using 3 pounds and do 3 sets of 12-15. You want light weight in order to activate the small stabilizing muscles of the RC. If you use heavy weights you will recruit the traps, delts etc.

Here is a circuit of various RC prehab exercises I like to do once or twice a week. Your shoulders will scream at you, but it is definitely worth it once you build strength in the RC:http://danblewett.com/2009/08/the-pi...rehab-circuit/

[Brule]

A few suggestions:
On the days you do the overhead press and the bench in the same workout, do the overhead press first, some studies have shown that it keeps the shoulders healthier.
Try it and see how you feel.
The DL is NOT an exercise that you NEED to do mulitple sets of, unless you are doing powerlifting.
If you are doing a routine that has pull-ups or chins already, then doing just one set of DL's is just fine and it is far less taxing on your back.
The problem with DL's is that it is not a "muiltiple set" exercise and even those that do them as such, put a nice long rest between sets to make sure there is complete muscle recovery.
I suggest that you do DL's at the end of the workout and do only one set of 5 reps, this allows you do do weight that is "heavy" enough to strengthen the back but keeps the workload to a minimum so as to not over tax the back muscles and the support muscles.
I would add dips to your routine if you can.

Thanks for the advice.

Should i do a warm up set for the DL at a light weight, then do the 1 set of 5 reps at a heavy weight?

[sanjuro_ronin]

Thanks for the advice.

Should i do a warm up set for the DL at a light weight, then do the 1 set of 5 reps at a heavy weight?

Yeah, you always wanna warm up for sure, but you can keep it in the same rep range.
Don't try to go to heavy too soon just because you are doing one set of 5, work your way up there and don't go to failure, DL's is NOT an exercise that you want to go to failure on regardless of the protocol you may be following.
Doing only one set will also allow you to do squats and DL's in the same workout without over taxing the lower back, just do the squats first, do some upper body exercise and do the DL's at the end.

[Brule]

OK.

If you look back, i have been doing two workouts, one pull and one push. I find that it only takes me 10-15min each workout. I am thinking of doing them all in one day and doing pull-ups/push-ups/dips another day. This is what i'm thinking the workout will look like, let me know your thoughts.

Day 1:
Squats
Barbell Row
Overhead Press
Bench Press
Close-Grip Bench
Deadlift

Day 2:
Pull-Ups
Push-ups
Dips

I'm limited on the squats since i'm doing this at home and don't have access to a squat rack. So i can only squat what i can safely press, which now is only 50lbs. Which will work fine for me now.

Also, on the dips, i plan on using the bench to do these unless someone has any better suggestions.