Random Thoughts

1. If you want to get jacked (muscular), you have to do more reps. 


Now, I am not even close to being jacked but one thing I've learned this year is that heavy and low reps just doesn't cut it when you want to be jacked. If you look at the training that strong & big guys do, they always have some sort of main lift where they go heavy for 1-5 reps (sometimes higher up to 10-12 but HEAVY) and then high rep assistance work for delts, back, arms, back, and legs.


As Paul Carter (http://www.lift-run-bang.com/) said, you can gain a lot of weight doing powerlifting training but you will never gain quality mass unless you do some kind of high rep work afterwards.


2. You have to do some kind of isolation work.


All this crap about not doing direct arm work and isolation work is bullshit. I've put more than 130lbs on my bench and my arms have not grown all that much. Ever since I started doing curls and some sort of direct arm work the past month, I've probably seen more growth than I have in 6 months because all these 'experts' said "Curls are stupid.". Fuck you.

3. Gaining weight 

I think it's really stupid how people tell you to gain 20-40lbs over a few weeks. Sure it's gonna do some good to your lifts but in the end, you're really just a fat piece of shit. You'll have to spend the next 3 months busting your ass and eating clean just to get all that fat off. I've listened to some people who told me to just gain weight (and this is not bad advice if you're 120lbs but not when you aren't/weren't in very good shape, like myself.)

That's just like telling that fat kid we all know to eat more donuts because this will help his 'leverages' in the squat. Yeah right...


Which leads to my next point....

4. Do some conditioning.


I don't care what it is... Hill sprints, sprints or walking. Just do some. 3-4x a week or everyday depending on how fat and/or out of shape you are.

5. Box Squats are stupid.

The only purpose I see in Box Squats is to teach raw beginners how to squat and engage their hips or people with really really bad knees and really... if you had really bad knees, you probably wouldn't even be reading my blog or even be training, right?

So here it is again. Fuck Box Squats. If you want to squat, you do free squats.


6. Reverse Bands

Why do people use reverse bands and then tell other people they can lift a certain weight for 'x' reps? It's cheating, isn't it? I don't get it but I'm not gonna be convinced no matter what you tell me. I do see their use for some movements but why not just stick to basics instead of Reverse Band Box Squats with a safety bar, foam, knee wraps and a box that is 4.2589342 inches above parallel?


7. Reverse Grip Bench Press

I got this off Jamie Lewis (http://chaosandpain.blogspot.com) and it's really helped my shit pathetic bench press numbers. If you're reading this, try it.

8. 5/3/1


Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 is the best program out there. I always turn back to it whenever I find myself screwing up. http://store.jimwendler.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=5312edebook


Or any other plan really... just don't wing it.


9. Ego

Just because you're the best in your gym or you have a winning record in your sport doesn't mean you're the best.


10. God

I actually got this off Frank Yang http://www.youtube.com/digitalairair but I've actually noticed before already.

He said every time a theist says "I wanna thank God for helping us win.", it's just weird. Isn't God supposed to be all loving so why would he help a particular team win? Lol.



-Howard

Overhead Press

1. Overhead Press

Push Press 185 x 3
Behind Neck Push Press 185 x 3
Strict Press 120 x 3, 145 x 1

2. DB Military

40x10
45x10
30x10
30x12
30x10

3. Rear Laterals

5lbs x 12 x 4 sets

4. Empty Bar Curls

4 x 12

5. Preacher Machine Curls

35lbs x 10 x 4 sets

6. Incline Treadmill Sprints

13km/h @ 15 incline 6 sprints.

Squats + Reverse Grip Incline Bench + Weighted Pull Ups

1. Squats

225x3
245x3
295x3

2. Reverse Grip Incline Bench

90lbs x 10
135 x 5
90lbs x 10


3. Weighted Pull Ups

5lbs x 5 x 3 sets

4. Lat Pull Downs

120lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10

Reverse Grip Bench Press

1. Reverse Grip Bench Press

135x3
155x3
180x6

135 x 10 x 3 sets

2. Close Grip Pull Ups

7 sets of 3

3. Row Machine

90lbs x 10
115lbs x 10
90lbs x 10
90lbs x 10
115lbs x 10

4. Some Bi's and Tri's

80lbs x 10 x 2 - Tri Pushdowns
60lbs x 10 x 2 - Tri Pushdowns

35lbs x 10 x 2 - Machine Curls
45lbs x 10 x 2 - Machine Curls

5. Incline Treadmill Sprints

20 seconds x 13km/h @ 15 incline
20 seconds x 14km/h @ 15 incline
20 seconds x 15km/h @ 15 incline
20 seconds x 13km/h @ 15 incline
20 seconds x 13km/h @ 15 incline

Pause Squats + Behind The Neck Push Press with Bodyweight + Bent over Rows

1. Squat

Zercher Squats x 2 singles w/ 270lbs

325lbs x 1

270lbs Pause Squats 10x1


2. Behind the Neck Push Press with 205lbs (My BW)

x3
x3
x3
x3
x2
x1
x1
x2
x1

19 Total reps in 10-15 minutes

3. Bent Over Rows

10 x 3 w/ 155lbs

4. Beginner Front Lever Holds

I'm pissed. The video keeps messing up. Here's one of the singles which cut off in the clip above: 

Shit Day -- Squats + Reverse Grip Bench + Assistance exercises

1. Squats

315lbs x 3 singles (Felt shit heavy and my hips felt like crap)


2. Reverse Grip Bench

Worked up to 180lbs x 3

+ 3 singles w/ 180lbs


3. Barbell overhead presses superset w/ One Arm Rows

65lbs x 10 x 5 set -- Overhead presses

80lbs, 80lbs, 65lbs , 65lbs  x 10

55lbs x 15 -- Chest supported rows
45lbs x 12 -- Chest supported rows

Clean & Press + Pull ups

1. Clean & Press

20 reps in 12 minutes w/135

2. Close Grip Pull Ups

10,5,4,5

3. Beginner Front Lever Holds