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Workouts of the Week

MONDAY UPPER
This week I wanted to go heavy on bench, so I did 3x3 with 120, then a couple of back off sets. It wasn't my strongest but still felt pretty good and was able to leave a couple reps in the tank on the 3x3 sets. I've been experimenting with moving my grip out wider, but I just feel so much weaker that way, so I always move it back in! After the rest of my upper body supersets, I did farmer's walks with the trap bar, which was kind of fun, but I was so sore the next day in my traps and upper back! Then I worked the glutes a little bit with band walks and single leg hip thrusts and one high rep set of hip thrusts with the band around my knees, which gave me a killer glute burn!

1)Bench press: 120x3x3/115x5/95x10(with fat gripz)
2a)Neutral grip pullups: 0x6/20x5/25x5/30x5/30x5
2b)1 arm db overhead press: 35x4x6
3a)T-bar row: 50x2x10/Ring inverted row: 1x12
3b)Dragonfly(modified)2x8/reverse crunch: 2x15
4)Trap bar farmers walks-135/155/175/175 x ~25 seconds
5a)Single leg hip thrust: 2x12/ 2 leg w/band around knees, upper elevated x30, feet elevated x25
5b)Lateral band walks: 3x15

WEDNESDAY LOWER
Squats felt okay this week, but once I got to 175, I decided to stick with that for 3 sets of 6. My abs were SO sore still from Monday! And my upper back from the trap bar farmer's walks. Then I did pause squats at 155 and did an extra set this week. For hip thrusts I wanted to work up to 240 to see how many reps I could get with twice my bodyweight. I did 8 and probably could've squeezed out a couple more, but I feel like I wouldn't have been using my glutes, so I stopped there. My goal is to get 10!
On glute ham raises, I experimented with doing them a little different-going lower at the bottom, slightly leaning forward-and they were much harder! After that I did some planks since my abs were too sore to do anything else and tried some kickbacks on the reverse hyper, aka pendulum quadruped extensions. They were actually pretty hard, but I'm still getting the feel for them. After watching Bret's video, I see that I need to be back farther. Then I did 3 rounds of the leg finisher this week! I dropped the reps to 20/20/20/10 with 2 minutes rest between rounds. It's getting easier but it still kills me. It's the darn lunge jumps!

1)Squat jumps: 3x5
2)Squats: 155x6/175x3x6(w/belt)
3)Pause squats:155x7/6/6 (no belt)
4)Hip thrusts : 185x8/205x8/225x8/240x8
5)Glute ham raises: 10x8/20x3x6
6)Side plank: 2x 30 seconds
7)Kickbacks on reverse hyper machine: 1x12/1x15

Finisher:
Squats x20
Reverse lunges x20
Lunge jumps x20
Squat jumps x10
2 minute rest
3 rounds

FRIDAY UPPER
Push presses felt strong this week. Worked up in sets of 5 to 115, but just got 4 for the last 2 sets. After that I did incline chest presses this week instead of flat, so I had to go a little lighter. And I stopped short of lockout to keep tension on the pecs, which definitely made it tough. Felt like such a bro. Then  it was just isolation stuff and thick bar pullups to finish. For the pullups I started with 6 and worked down to 1, switching to chinups at 3 reps. Kept the rests to around 10-15 seconds. Not too hard, just felt like doing something else since this workout is pretty short. Finished up with 10 minutes of basketball again. :)

1)Push press: 95x5/105x5/115x5/115x4/115x4
2a)Seated cable row: 100x4x10
2b)DB incline chest press: 40x10/9/9/8
3a)Lsit: 3x20 seconds
3b)Ez bar drag curls: 50x14/12/12
4a)Lateral raise: 15x3x10
4b)Face pulls: 3x12
5)Pullups/chinups: 6-5-4-3-2-1 w/short rest(10-15 seconds)
"Finisher"-10 minutes basketball

SATURDAY LOWER
Deadlifts felt pretty good this week. Worked up to 215 for 3, then a couple of back off sets. Then I decided to do bulgarian split squats after that instead of front squats. Then back extensions, some abs and glutes, and then a couple sets of leg curls using the exercise ball, because...why not? Went home and did about 10 minutes of tire drags since it was a beautiful day!

1)Sumo deadlift: 185x3/205x3/215x3/205x3/185x3(last set conventional)
2)BSS: 50x10(bb)/ 30s x10/10(dumbbells)
3)Back extensions: 40x10/50x10/10
4a)TRX ab pikes: 3x12
4b)Band clams: 3x20
5a)Ball leg curls: 2x15
5b)Stir the pot plank: 2x30 seconds
10 minutes of tire drags

MONDAY UPPER
Bench felt off this workout. Not strength wise really but more so stability, like I felt wobbly. It was weird. But I had a spotter so I figured I would use the opportunity to go a little heavier. Worked up to 125 for 3, but he was touching the bar ...which I hate! Then I dropped the weight down and told him not to touch it on the last couple sets. Did 120 for 4 and then 120 for 5, and he touched the 4th rep so I said what the heck and went for another one. Then it was on to pullups and 1 arm presses. I did wide grip pullups this week so only used 20lbs. Even the neutral grip bars I used were farther apart than the ones I've been using, so it was harder. I was able to squeeze out an extra rep on the overhead presses. Finished up with some abs and farmer's walks, then swings and band walks. Good workout!

1)Bench press: 125x3/120x4/120x5
2a)Pullups: wide- 20x5/5/ neutral-20x6/6
2b)1 arm overhead press: 35x7/35x7/30x9
3a)T-bar row:55x9/8/8+4(drop set)
3b)Dragonfly 2x8 slooow eccentric/ Hanging leg raises: 2x10
4)Trap bar farmer's walks: 155/175x3x30 seconds
5a)Kettlebell swings: 70x10/10/12
5b)Band walks: 3x12


TUESDAY LOWER
Squat day was rough this week having to workout later than normal and on a day when I had to get up earlier, too. Plus it was so freaking HOT. But whatever, I sucked it up and did what I had to do. I seriously had to talk to myself before each set of squats,like, "Do you want your legs to grow? Or do you wanna be puny forever? Don't you want to build some Erin Stern legs?" haha. I did skip the finisher though and just did some lunge jumps for some extra quad work.

1)Squats: 155x6/175x6/185x5/165x8/155x9
2)Hip thrusts: 135x10/185x10/205x10/225x10
3a)Glute ham raises: 10x6/20x8/25x6/6
3b)L-sits on rings: 3x15 seconds
4)Pendulum quadrueped hip extensions: 3x15
Finisher:
Lunge jumps 5x20(10/leg) + side planks

I'll be out of town Wednesday to next Tuesday, so it'll be pretty much a deload week, at least from the main lifts.  I plan on getting in some workouts at the hotel, just no barbell stuff. I do like getting in a few workouts while on vacation, but I want them to be quick cuz I ain't about to spend my time in the gym. I'll share what workouts I did when I get back!


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