Reactive Training Systems

Brady Stewart · Senior Member

Brady's Progress Log

Brady Stewart · Senior Member

Wednesday - Bench / Deadlift / Bench / Deadlift

Wide Grip Bench Press + weight releasers x4 @9-10
385 x3 @8
420 x2 @10...missed 3rd...wanted 4
385 x4 @9
365 x5 @8

Raw Deadlift - no belt x4 @8-9
475 x4 @7.5
535 x3 @8
570 x4 @9.5-10 Big Beltless PR
535 x4 @8.5

Close Grip Bench Press x6 @8-9
225 x6 @7
315 x6 @7
375 x6 @9.5

SLDL - no belt x6 @8
225 x6 @6
315 x6 @7
405 x6 @8
405 x8 @8.5

I am not too sure what happened on the wide grips tonight. I probably should have played it safer. Last week the 400 x5 was without the releasers, so 420 might have gone up for 3-4 without them. Either way, I still hit some decent volume and didn't really fatigue as bad as last week.

Going into the deadlifts I felt a little tired, probably more psychologically after benching. I didn't feel as good about deadlift as I did last week, but still managed a pretty good PR. I think that there is a chance that I could have gotten another rep, but it would have been an all out gut buster and I am not at a point in my training where I want to exhaust my CNS just yet. The good news is that my beltless max is projected past my belted max from before the Arnold Classic. The potential is there, I just have to see where it goes over the next 2-3 weeks.

Close grips went really well. 375x6 @9 is pretty dang good. That is telling me that my tris are really coming up well. I've never been able to do that before. Next week I'll try 400 x4 possibly. Hopefully it will be @9.

The stiff legs started with me being a little bit fatigued. Instead of going up for my last set, I kept the weight the same and eeked out a couple more reps. Looking back, I wish I would have tried 460-465 x6. Maybe next week. Its hard to imagine that there are people on this board who do SLDLs on a box with 100lbs more than that without a belt. LOL I have some work to do.

Mike Tuchscherer · Guru

Nice pull, Brady. Your DL is coming along very well.

Shaun Bales · Member

nice brady on your dead. sorry i had to leave, i rather would have stayed and seen it

Brady Stewart · Senior Member

Thanks Mike and Shaun. The deadlift is feeling much better. In between prior mesocycles, I wouldn't deload the deadlift. I wouldn't deadlift at all. I won't be making that mistake again. I really think that helped me stay more fresh more this meso.

Thursday - Extra and Recovery

Elliptical - 30 mins

Low Row
200 x2x10
220 x10

Chair Leg Curls
x3x10

External Rotation
15s x2x12
10s x15

Stability Ball Situps
BW x20
25 x15
35 x10

One Arm Yoga Pushup Complex
x3x7

Brady Stewart · Senior Member

Friday - Squat / Bench / Squat / Shoulders

High Box Squat - no belt x4-5 @9-10
405 x4 @7
485 x3 @8
550 x5 @10...BIG PR
520 x4 @9

Close Grip Reverse Band Bench x4-5 @9-10
420 x4 @7
480 x3 @8
510 x4 @9.5...shaun and scott said @9
495 x5 @10
495 x4 @9

Close Stance Squat x6s
225 x6 @6
315 x6 @7
365 x6 @8
way better this week

Standing Military Press x6s
Bar x8
135 x6
170 x6
200 x6

Overall this was a fantastic session. It started out with a 35lb box squat PR, then a 17lb reverse band PR with a little left in the tank. I think that my triceps are catching back up to my chest now. That I am thankful. Also, I think that the bands completely deload at lockout, so the weight on the bar is the full load at the top. Bands take off probably 175lbs at chest level.

My knees didn't ache nearly as bad. I think this is due to my chair leg curls. They just feel much more fluid. Kinda like they did before the Arnold.

Military presses saw a 20lb PR this week. This is by no means a lift that I am good at, but it still is a big PR. It feels like I haven't done straight bar standing military presses in over a year. Anyways. I am looking forward to that moving up as well. I may try 210-215 next week.

This sums up my short 2 week volume phase and I am very pleased about it. I didn't hit too many top sets at a 10RPE. To my surprise my top sets were closer to a 9 average. I suppose this isn't such a bad thing as 1) I underestimated myself a little and 2) I'll be fully recovered for intensity. Maybe the extra cardio and workouts are helping, maybe the supplements are kicking in, either way this is just the way I wanted to end my volume phase. Fresh and not beat up! All I hope is that I destroy some bigger and more challenging weights in the next couple of weeks. I am still not going to push the intensity too high though. I may do more top sets @9 RPE. We'll see.

Brady Stewart · Senior Member

Monday - Squat / Bench / DL / Bench

Raw Squat - no belt x2-3 @8-10
405 x3 @7
475 x2 @8
515 x3 @9.5 Beltless PR
495 x3 @9.5
455 x3 @8.5

Bench Press w/ppMM x3 @8-10
185 x3 @7
220 x3 @8
245 x3 @10 PR
230 x3 @9
230 x3 @9

Good Mornings - no belt
260 x5 @7
310 x5 @7.5
360 x5 @8
410 x5 @10 PR

Close Grip 2 Board Press x5 @9-10
315 x6 @7
365 x5 @8
400 x5 @9
430 x5 @10

Overall this was a really good session despite lifting at the local college. I did manage a couple of really good PRs too. Especially in the squat. I felt like that possibly 1 more reps would have went and that would have been really big! So the squat is coming back a bit.

The bench presses went surprisingly well also. I did manage a 5lb PR in the bench w/bands. Damn thats a lot of tension.

Good mornings felt phenomenal. Maybe a sign that my deadlift is in fact going up.

The close grip 2 board press was about a 10lb pr in this lift. Even though I had a weak liftoff.

Looking forward to wednesday back at the club. Beth has been pressuring me about time with her as of late. I have a long TDY and may not get to see her for a while so she really wants to see me when she can. I guess thats married life...

Brady Stewart · Senior Member

Tuesday - Extra and Conditioning

1.5m run

ABS x3x20

Low Row
260 x10
260 x15

Face Pulls
130 x2x15

External Rotations
15s x2x15

Chair Leg Curls
x3x10

Brady Stewart · Senior Member

Wednesday - Bench / Deadlift / Bench / Deadlift

Wide Grip Bench + 50lb weight releasers x1 @9-10
400 x1 @8
430 x1 @9.5
450 x1 @10 ...PR...that 500lb negative was wild!!!
425 x1 @10

Deadlift - no belt x1 @10
495 x2 @7
555 x2 @9
600 x1 @10...way off shouldn't have been so hard

Close Grip Bench Press x5 @8-10
295 x5 @7
345 x5 @8
395 x5 @10 ...PR

SLDL - no belt x5 @8-10
315 x5 @7
405 x5 @8
465 x5 @10 ...PR

The benching is coming a long well. 450+50lb in weight releasers was out of this world. I didn't think it was going to go, but it did. Shaun said so.

The deadlifting didn't go as planned, but thats probably due to the 1.5mile run I did yesterday.

395 x5 on the close grip today was an eye opener for me. This is telling me that without a doubt, my close grip is up to par with my wide grip. I think this is due to the 2 board presses I've been doing on mondays.

SLDLs went really well even though the regular deadlifts didn't. I can't explain it, it just happened that way.

Overall this was a good session. I kept the volume low and the intensity prety dang high.

I am really not practicing any fatigue percents or fatigue stops. I am kind of letting my running regulate my volume and intensity. I just want to make sure that I can recover between workouts while doing so much cardio. I guess its better than nothing and I am still setting PRs so it can't be all that bad.

rphbp490 · Member

Nice work on the bench. I'm jealous, makes me want to gain my weight back. Also from your workout Monday that is some good work on the 2 boards and raw squats as well.

Shaun Bales · Member

again sorry about the finger smashing i gave ya. i guess that makes us even now. i just feel sorry for scott. rfj tonight

Brady Stewart · Senior Member

Thanks a lot guys!

Shaun...we were even in the first place...no worries about the finger. I was an idiot for putting it there.

Thursday - Extra and Recovery

Running
.25 miles @ 7.0 / 2 degree incline
walk
.25 miles @ 7.3 / 1 degree incline
walk
.25 miles @7.6 / 0 degree incline

ABS x3x20

External Rotation
15s x15
20s x15

Chair Leg Curls

Med/High Rows
220 x12
240 x12

Brady Stewart · Senior Member

Friday - Squat / Bench / Squat / Shoulders

High Box Squat
405 x3 @7
495 x1 @8
550 x1 @9.5
575 x2 @10?

Reverse Band Bench Press
405 x4 @7
475 x3 @8
520 x2 @9
550 x2 @10 PR
525 x2 @9

Close Stance Squat
260 x5 @7
330 x5 @7
400 x5 @8

Standing Military Press
135 x5 @7
175 x5 @8
195 x5 @9
215 x5 @10

Gotta be quick... **** felt heavy in the squat tonight!!!

Shaun Bales · Member

regardless on how your squat felt tonight, everyone should be EXTREMELY impressed with your 575x2 lastnight. the reason i say this is after watching your 550 attempt, to me it looked like an 11 but making it. to come back, amp yourself up and hit 575x2 is remarkable to me. RFJ

Brady Stewart · Senior Member

Thanks a lot Shaun. It still should have looked better, but oh well.

Monday - Squat / Bench / Dead / Bench

Raw Squat - no belt x2-3 @10
420 x3 @7.5
490 x2 @8
530 x3 @10...15lb PR

Bench Press +ppMM x1 @10
225 x1 @7
250 x1 @8
280 x1 @9
295 x1 @10...35lb PR!!!

Good Morning - no belt x5 @8-9
275 x5 @7
325 x5 @7
375 x5 @8
425 x5 @9...25lb PR

Close Grip 2 Board Press x5 @8-10
325 x5 @7
375 x5 @8
410 x5 @8.5
440 x5 @10...10lb PR

Awesome session tonight. The overall intensity was high and the volume relatively low...especially in the lower body. However, I am trying to account for running tomorrow. I don't want to be totally smoked for it.

PRs all around!! I just felt really relaxed tonight. The joints feel really good...even in the knees. My squat without a belt is catching my previous belted squat. That in itself is phenomenal. My bench is definitely going up. I can't believe that was a 35lb PR...that just sounds rediculous. Everything just felt perfect.

On another note, we may be getting an ER rack for the gym. I can't wait for that. Should be really really cool to train with.

I am going to attempt to test my 1.5 mile run tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. Its always hard after squatting heavy.