Tuesday, July 22 2008:

Deadlift Routine:

This was the last go-round with my powerlifting program before I switch up to a more bodybuilding type split.
Usually I head of with some light squatting but my quad workout was so intensive on Saturday with Joe (breaking me into my new bb split) that I nixed it from today's Deadlift routine. So I headed off with my Deads.

Deads: 135/10, 135/10, 225/10,
This time I did something different for my work sets. I utilized cluster sets. A cluster set is where you do a series of singles with 7-12 seconds rest between each rep. I will annotate a cluster set by 1(y) which means 1 rep y times. The purpose of the cluster is to force your body to do more repetitions with a weight you would normally fail with less repetitions. So say you use a 3 rep max, you can do a cluster of 5 singles.
This what I did....I'm not super strong so don't laugh:

345/1(5)
345/1(4)

BB Shrugs: 285 - 4 sets - 10 reps

BB curls:
warms >> bar/15, 65/12, 85/10
clusters >> 115/1(5), 115/1(4)

Also threw in some, machine bicep curls to flush the biceps, and some seated leg curls to really flush the hams and sartorius : ).

Stretched for a good 15 minutes.

Tomorrow I will move onto a new split and training focus. Reps per set will be increasing as will be the focus on breaking down the muscle intensely per workout.

The split I am going with is a slight deviation from what I was given by Joe..although not by much. I want to split back up into rowing days and vertical days because I find that back hardly gets enough attention that it needs yet the pushing muscles are always split up into two days (chest day and shoulder day).

The split will look like this (abs 3x weekly with focus on different area each time):

1. Quads/Calves(bent leg)
2. Chest/Biceps
3. Off/Light
4. Back (rowing)/Triceps
5. Hamstrings/Calves (straight leg and tibialis)
6. Shoulders/Back (vertical)
7. Off/Light

Good strength Dwayne,

What are your vertical back exercises?  Shrugs and upright rows?

I understand what you are trying to do, but you are not allowing yourself enough recovery between your two back sessions.

In theory it makes sense, but try not to over think it and recreate the wheel. 
As natural bodybuilders rest is what makes us grow!

Just me 2 cents

thats a great idea to split up rowing movements from Vertical movements

Ronnie coleman does this

its great so you can focus on each area of back.....i might impliment this in my own training

also did you do the Long island experience last year (i thought i saw somewhere u said you did the show)? If so how did u place

Yep, I did the INBF Long Island Experience. I was 3rd place (last) in the middleweights. Unfortunately, I don't think I do well with weight classes because I almost always get compared to guys that are 4 inches or more shorter than me with the same body weight. My height is a disadvantage when it comes to weight classes. Height classes though are another story.

With height classes I think I get judged more on my symmetry and conditioning which are my stronger points.

So this offseason (however long it is) is basically to get me out of the middleweight category if I have to compete in weight classes. If I could compete as a light heavy (even if I was in the bottom of my class in weight) I think I'd be compared to guys with comparable height as me.

Here's a shot of my weight class last year at the INBF LIE (I'm the tallest one.):


As you can see 174 looks better on a guy who is 5' 8" than on a guy who is 6' 2".

The INBF LIE is a big show with like 80 or more competitors and it is loooooong. I wasn't prepared for that. I also got sick the night before as I was driving up to my parents house on LI. So if I were going to do that show again, I would make sure that I took a few days to get all my stuff ready and bring enough things to relax with backstage...which is really hectic....instead of last minute packing after work and leaving NJ at 11 p.m. and arriving at 1 a.m. on LI only to get sick and have about 5 hours sleep.


-- Edited by winflex at 22:29, 2008-07-24

Dwayne,

Oh my gosh - you look like a giant compared to the other guys!!  Being 5' 8" myself - I knew I was shorter - but not that short LOL. 

Friday, July 25 2008

Back (rowing) and triceps

Incline Bench DB Row
warms >> 55/10, 65/10, 80/6
work >> 95/8,8,8 (used wrist straps after first set so I could focus on pushing the elbows back instead of using the biceps, no wrist straps in the rest of the entire workout)
Skullcrushers
warms >> 25/10, 10
work >> 35/ 9(fail), 5(fail)
Hyer/Row
warms >> 70/10, 120/6
work>> 175/4+1+1+1+1 (a bit too heavy...fried the lower back), 130/8,8
Tricep cable bar extension
work >> 150/16 (fail), 9 (fail)
Bent Row w/ Barbell
work>>135/6,6,6,6
Low incline Bench Rear Delt raise
work >> 35/15 fail, 25/15 fail

Summary: Non-conventional to say the least. I don't think the order worked for me. My thought was that I really get good contractions on the hyper/row (a hyper/row is a row at the top of a slanted hyperextension). So, I wanted to do that right in the beginning but it really threw off my bent rows because my lower back was fried.

I think having a row day was a good idea though. For the first time I think I made a really good connection with the muscle between my shoulder blades and I wasn't just doing the form and the motions. The lats were not directly stimulated so I think I'm going to be fine on Pullup day. We'll see in two days.

Next time the Bent Rows will be up front when the low back is fresh, followed by Incline bench rows, followed by the Low incline Bench rear delt raise, and then I will just to light weighted hypers for a finisher.

I took the triceps to failure on all work sets since they were both iso type exercises and that was enough to get a good pump and feel. Besides tris get a good heavy load on chest days and shoulder days anyways.

If anyone is interested (I saw this on Flex87's journal) here are my current supps:

Scivation Whey
Scivation Xtend
Scivation VasoCharge
Primaforce CarbSlam
ON 100% Casein
USPLabs Anabolic Pump
USPLabs SuperCissusRx
Beverly International Super Pak
Core ZAP


-- Edited by winflex at 23:33, 2008-07-25

On the LIE....Yeah, the pizza was great...I couldn't hold out on that so I had some before I did my routine.

Which class did you do?

Casein....Just started it this week. Too early to tell if it is making a difference or not but it is supposed to be the thing for protein at night. So I'll do it for a while and see if I like it.

Anabolic Pump....good product. Some people don't respond though. If you do try it, read the FAQs and the Manual that USPLabs has online. I think that was helpful for me with the timing of it. If you pump up easily during a workout, you will pump up even easier with AP.

Off to the gym.

Good job Dwayne, but one thing I noticed.
If you can do 8 reps on all sets, the weight is too light!! 
What that tells me, is the the middle sets are too easy.

Rainy Sunday in Robbinsville, NJ...perfect weather for thunderstorm in the gym :)

Sun Jul 27 2008

Shoulders/Back (vertical): Just listing work sets from now on.

Military Press: 125/ 6,6,5,4
Weighted Chinup: me + 35/6,6,5,5
Shrugs: 295/8, 315/7,6
Weighted Pullup: me/8, me+10/8, me+20/6
Side Lateral: 30 (fail each set)/14, 12, 10
ss w/
Rope Pulls: (fail each set) 150/20, 170/16, 190/12

Did a drop set with Side alteral on last set...didn't record reps but dropped from 30 to 25 to 15.

Summary: Second back workout of the week but no problems with recovery since the plane of motion was completely different. I do my military presses standing with my knees locked. So there is no leg drive as in a push press. Totally strict. Chinups are done with hands facing me. Shrugs are done with an alternating grip, switching on each set. Weighted Pullups are with hands facing away and slightly beyond shoulder width. Here's where it got interesting...
Side laterals..I normally do these standing or seated without any other form enhancers. So today, in order to push all the load into the delts and not into the traps I sat on a incline bench set at the level right before perfectly 90 degrees. I sat facing the bench and put my chin on the top edge of the bench. Keeping my legs back and out of the way, I started repping from there. I was surprised to find out how strong my delts really are in this position. I hardly can handle 30's usually without overloading my rotator cuff and adding swinging. This time my body was completely stabilized and I could really force my delts to do the work. My delts were swole.
Rope pulls...I originally saw this one in F&P magazine. It was an article on v-taper training for figure. Although it was for figure, guess what bodybuilders have lats too so it has to be good for bb'ers too. Kneel down in front of a cable station leaning forward; grab a rope attachment. Still leaning forward, pull the rope to your chest but aim for the hips. It feels like a hyper overloaded straight arm pulldown. Really good feel and finisher.
Looking forward to continuing the row/vertical back split.

Tuesday Jul 29 2008

Good workout today. Here's the workout, the summary, and a rant.

Quads and Calves (seated):
Squat: 3 warms, 205/7,6,4,4
Hack Squat: 135/10,155/8, 175/8
Leg Extension: 85/13f*, 9f, 8f (f = failure)
Sumo Squat: 85/15f, 17f
Seated Calves:170/5,5,5,4,4

Summary: Decided that all my leg workouts will be at Golds Lawrenceville NJ because I want to be consistent with the machines I use.
Squats: Slow controlled decent, power up. Not much more to say. Higher rep range than my powerlifting routine, have to build up the endurance.
Hack Squat: Full decent, slight pause, power up.
Leg Extension: Power up, controlled decent...used plate loaded Nautilus Xplode..new one for me but it did the job.
Sumo Squat: Grip was on the bar of the dumbell to get deep range, will need to up the weight next bout...but sweat on hands made my grip slip a little on first set. I am going to put the weight in a dip belt next time...so no slippage.
Seated Calves: I was doing 5/5 on my power split for seated calves so I'm just continuing that since the gains are coming. Pause at the bottom for full stretch...power up...hold for count at the top...nice n tight.
Stretch out like a mofo at the end..the pump was on.

RANT:
LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES. My college years were full of half and quarter rep squats for ego..WASTED TIME. My beginning bodybuilding years were full of heel elevated squats ATG for "feel"...WASTED TIME and KNEE DESTROYER. There was something gained from all of it though==KNOWLEDGE...and a some muscle. I can't doubt that my back definition was not helped by the ego half squats. I can't doubt that my quad sweep was improved from the heel elevated ATG squats...but because of those things, I have an f'ed up right knee and lacking in the adductor, inner hammy region and really still need to fill out the wheels.

I distinctly remember my first training session with Joe last year. I said I do squats with my heel elevated and legs close in because I "feel" it more in my quads but sometimes I have knee issues. He said, "Its probably because you do heel elevated squats." Well, yeah it was.

Since after my shows last year, I converted to the ATG flat foot squat, a little wider stance, and have developed better adductors and inner hams, and like my coach, the legendary Sid Jameison, in college used to say, "Dwayne you gotta get a bigger butt." Well, I've got a bigger butt. But I'm still working on it and far from my squatting goals. I have to listen to my body and switch up the training when I get stagnant but next year watch out...a whole new set of wheels, that just don't look good from the front. They are going to look good from the FRONT, SIDE, BACK, and EVERY ANGLE IN BETWEEN.

My wife (who is very kind to me) told me that I look like a Centaur now from the side (horseman creature from Greek mythology). I take that as a compliment because that means I'm getting the rear to match the front.

Next leg day, I'm going to get a few vids to show the intensity I am bringing to the table and how serious I am about remaking these wheels of steel.

Last year, Orlando's legs would have annihilated mine had he been a little more conditioned. His legs were HUGE. I got by with shape, sweep, and cuts. I was LUCKY. I mean LUCKY. See for yourself:



Look at the mass he was packing. Look at the fullness. This guy is a true pro and when dialed in, very hard to beat. I just caught him off his peak. My goal is to become a pro and I want to improve my fullness...that means heavy ATG squats with a flat feet. Heavy is relative...being 6'2".... but all things equal, I know my squat strength SUCKS!!

Time and Food...time and food...wait and see what I am capable of!

See the poster in the background. Those wheels are the goal. WATCH OUT!

Thanks Robin... Trying to keep the progress going.

Dwayne,

Think you are being JUST a bit hard on yourself.  You look great and your legs are very defined and big.  You're over 6' and some good fulness.  I wish I was in 1/2 the shape you are (I'll get there !!) but you beat him because you were better than him.  I do admire your persistance though! 

 

Thu Jul 31 2008

Off day:
I did abs at home on the floor today for 15 minutes. I could hardly walk all day today as the DOMS from my leg workout Tuesday has set in full force. Thank goodness for a desk job...I just wish the bathroom was right next to my cube for a short walk.

Also, I slept really well last night due to two things:
1. Nighttime Comtrex: to suppress the cough (which is gone today : )
2. Baby Olivia slept for 7.5 hrs straight last night :WOOHOO!: