Assault on the #3

[House]

After a few weeks of too much work and not enough lifting, I feel like its time to get back on my horse and ride into battle once again. A little challenge by Richard on taming the #3 has prompted me to step up to the plate and swing for the fence.

Monday August 27th, 2007

Warm-up: Ab pulldown 4x20 100, 110x3

Bench: 9x3 with 185lbs and double looped black minis. These are done for speed and technique. Used three grips, close, medium, wide alternating each set. Took bands off and did 225x5, 275x2, 315x1x2, 345x1, all wide grip. Just wanted to feel a little weight.

Triceps: 3x10 wide grip pushdowns 100, 110x3

Back: Wide grip pulldowns 150, 160, 170x2

Grip: Saw Richard hitting it and figured why not work out like the best.
All reps are closes unless specified done with a no-set, grip and go!
#1: 3x1 Both hands
#1.5: 3x1 Both hands
#2: 3x1 Got it twice left handed and just squeezed and held it as closed as I could get it for 3-5 seconds on the last set. Got it 3 times right handed.
#2.5: 3x1 Just got it as far as I could left handed and held it for 3-5 seconds. Got it twice right handed and held the last one as closed as I could for 3-5 seconds.
#3: 3x1 Just got it as closed as I could and held it for 3-5 seconds for both hands.

There was 4 of us there that went and did a few pulls on the new hand dynamomter. Don't remember my exact numbers left handed but I believe they were in the mid 80's. Did an 88k, 101k, and a 111k right handed. Don't know if the 111k was legit, we found that you could bump the needle up with a quick squeeze. I will try this again next workout and see if the numbers are close. Till next time

[Bert Sorin]

Good luck House! With those big guns and the Silverback stare, you are well on your way. I look forward to seeing it.
Rock on,
Bert

[House]

Body weight: 294 August 31st, 2007

Warm up: Ab pulldowns 4x20 with 100, 110x3

Seated triangle bar overhead press: Warmed up and did 5x2 with 230lbs
Singles at 240, 260, 270(PR), and 275(PR). Needed this mentally since I was stuck at 265 for a long time.

Triceps: Nose breakers with a straight bar: 95x10, 115x8, 135x8, 155x8, 185x6, 205x6x3. Elbows hurt a little but I fiqured what the heck.

Back: Bent over rows with straight bar: 135x10, 185x10, 205x8, 225x8, 245x8x2
Haven't really done this alot but it felt really good.

Biceps: Black minis hammer curl on incline bench: 4x12. These are done mainly for rehab after tearing my bicep off the bone last year.

Triceps 2: Did tricep pushdowns with the green band for 4x15. This just really puts alot of blood in my tri's.

Biceps 2 : Straight bar curls: 95x8, 105x8, 115x8x2. I still go light on these since the injury.

Grip: Same routine as last time. 3 singles with each hand on grippers #1, #1.5, #2, #2.5, #3 all with no set. Got them all up to the #2 which I got once left hand and twice right handed. The #2.5 didn't go either hand, either did the #3. Got the #2.5 past parellel both hands but not closed. The #3 didn't go real far right handed but went at least parellel right handed. Hands were really pretty sore from the last workout. Didn't try the hand dynamometer, ran out of time. Next time!!

[House]

August 31st 2007 Bodyweight 287

Warmup: Ab pulldown 4x20 with 110, 120x3

Exercise: Band assisted bench press. This is where you suspend the bar with the blue band attached to the top of the rack. It deloads the bar a bit at the bottom of the movement but gives you the entire weight loaded on the bar from about 60% of the lock-out position. Kind of light benching with a bench shirt on. Warmed up and then went on to singles.
185x10, 225x10, 275x6, 315x6, 365x4, 405x2, 455x1, 480x1, 500x1, 510x1(PR). Got the last couple of singles on tape. These are done with a pause on the bottom and then exploding to lock-out. Took the bands off and did 315x8 touch and go.

Triceps: Wide grip pushdowns 4x10, 105, 110, 115, 120

Back: Wide grip pulldowns 4x12 150, 160 , 170x2

Biceps: Strict hammer curls. 4x8 35, 40, 45x2

Triceps: Green band pushdowns 4x15

Grip: Singles once again no set with grippers #1, #1.5, #2, #2.5, #3. These sucked today. Hands still really sore, especially my ring finger and pinkie. Got the #2.5 only once right handed. Ordered the hand rehab kit from IronMind, hopefully it will be here soon.

[House]

September 10th 2007 Bodyweight 292

Bench: 9x3 with black monster minis with 185 and a thick bar. Felt hard today, my bones were cracking a bit. Took bands off and went 225x5, 275x2, 315x1, 345x1, 375x1. These felt great, go figure. 375 was with a pause.

Triceps: Lying Dumbell triceps extensions. 5x10 with 60lb dumbells. Done with a 30 second rest between sets.

Back: V-bar pulldowns 4x12 150, 160, 170, 180. Nice and slow.

Triceps: Wide grip pushdowns 4x10 105, 110, 115, 120

Biceps: Hammer curls 4x8 35, 40, 45x2. Nice and strict and slow

Grip: Singles with all grippers with a credit card set. These felt good. Took the #3 that Richard got from Randy Strousman and got it to 1/4 from closing for all 3 reps right handed. It felt awesome. I was pretty pumped about it!! It will fall pretty soon!! I will crush this nuisance of a gripper soon, my day is coming.

[House]

Was a little tired, decided to work out in the morning for now on I think. I can be more consistent with getting to the gym and the extra volume wouldn't hurt.

Did incline today to just mix it up a bit. Warmed up and did 5x5 with 225 nice and slow. Did tricep pushdowns with the red band for 4x15. Lat Pulls with the finger hold apparatus for 4x15 with 130, 140, 150x2. Hammer curls with black mini band 4x12. Side laterals 3x15 with 25, 30, 35.
Grip was off today to say the least. Nothing felt right at all. Palm still really hurts as do my last two fingers of my right hand. Hit 2 singles up to #2.5 all with CC set. Tried the #3 for a couple of singles nothing spectacular. Did the hand dynamometer right handed and posted 3 98k marks.

[House]

September 17th, 2007 Bodyweight 294

Upper body speed day: 185lbs with black minis double looped. 9x3 with three grips. Felt okay today for being a morning workout. Singles with a pause at 225x5, 275x2, 315x1, 345x1. Singles were easy.

Got a little pushed for time so I super setted dumbell tricep extensions with hammer curls. Used 60's for tris for 5x10 and went 35, 40, 45, 50x2 for hammer curls.

Wide tricep pushdowns 4x10 with 105, 110, 115, 120

Seated curl machine for 4x10 with 60, 65, 70, 75

Back: Tried a exercise I hadn't done in awhile. Suspended a set of rings from the top of a rack and placed my feet on a balance ball. Did a lying pull-up of sorts, pulling my self up as high as possible for 4x12. Trying to get the attention of my stabilizing muscles.

Laid off grip today, gonna start doing them on Tuesdays and Fridays and let my alternate days be a sort of active recovery day. We'll see how that goes. My #3 grippers I ordered, all 7 of them, along with my recovery aid kit should arrive today. Can't wait to start mashing some of these new grippers!

[House]

September 18th 2007

Decided to break my grip training up and train on the opposite day I do upper body. Kind of use it as an active recovery day. Brought in the 7 #3 grippers Richard and I bought and measured them prior to opening one of them up. Had two that measured extremely wide, 3 that were just about the same and the final two were a little closer together. Exact measurements I cannot remember but we wrote them down on the packages. Opened one of them up which Richard, the grip-reaper as I call him, promptly slammed shut:eek: So I humbly went on to do my grip work. No set both hands #1, #1.5, #2 for two singles. Shut the #2.5 with a CCS twice left handed. Took the #3 for a ride for two singles down to around 1/4 inch from close.

Back to the drawing board!!:mad:

[House]

September 20 2007 Bodyweight 297lbs. Ripped of course!!;)

Upper body max effort. Back to the reverse band benches. Felt like crap today but got a little fired up at the end and ended up with another PR at 515lbs. Took bands off and did 315x5 with pauses.

Super setted finger grip pulldowns with push-ups using the hanging rings. Definately need to work more on the stabilizing muscles. Did 4x15 with both. Moved on to supersetting band pushdowns with reverse curls using a thumbless grip. Finished up with fat bar curls for 3x12.

[House]

Friday Sept. 21st 2007

This was a short workout because I just did grip work.

Rolling Thunder: Warmed up with lighter weigt 100x5 both hands, 120x3 both hands, 140x1 both hands. Went to 160x1 both hands, which happens to be a PR left handed. Did 170x1 right handed and ended up doing 180x1 right handed. A note, these weights do not include the apparatus weight which is 8lbs. The 180 ended up being 188lbs with everything which is 5lbs off my PR which pumped me up considering I haven't done the RT in 3 months.

Did grippers up to #2.5 both hands for 2 singles. Got it only once left handed. Took the #3 down to 1/4 again right handed for two singles.

Decided to do Richards grip machine, don't know what he calls it, for 3x15 both hands. Has a grip handle that is weighted by bands so it simulates the grippers in that it gets tougher closer to closing. My forearms were wrecked afterwards.

[House]

Monday Sept. 24th 2007 Bodyweight 294

Upper body Speed: 185 plus black minis double looped. 9x3. Took bands off and did 225x5, 275x4, 315x2, 355x1 all with pauses. Easy weights, felt good.

Triceps: 44lb kettlebell lying tricep extensions 5x10. These really felt good!!

Back: v-bar pulldowns 4x10 with 160, 170, 180x2

Hammer curls with 40, 45, 50 for sets of 10 supersetted with wide grip pushdowns for 3x10 with 100, 110x2.

Bicep curls on machine for 3x10 with 70, 75, 80.

Felt good considering it was 8:00 in the morning

[House]

Tuesday Sept. 25, 2007

Just a little grip today. Started with blob training today to warm the old fingers up. Did blobs 25, 30, 35 both regular grip and by the face with both hands. Got the 37.5 both hands pinch grip. Did 40 and 46 right handed. Amazingly enough I got the 52.5 Big Daddy Blob right hand about 12 inches off the ground. Pretty pumped about it considering I haven't done blobs in 4 months. Felt pretty good!

Grippers: No set closes both hands #1, #1.5, #2, #2.5. Got the #2.5 two times to close right handed. #3 I not set closed right handed down to around 1/4 inch both times. Got to really work on that last little bit. Some tips from the Grip-reaper himself, Richard, is sure to help down the road. Did the banded grip machine for 3x5 both hands.