Reactive Training Systems

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

RE: Grants Training Log

Nick U · Senior Member

I have trouble keeping count so I never do, I just go by feel kinda like shooting for a nine. I quit when I only have a rep or so left. On abs this varies greatly so I don't usually even worry about the reps. As for sets I shoot for a minimum of three and will go as high as five if its a extra workout. I do most of my stuff as a gigantic superset, with the exception of the bridges which are a superset unto themselves, exactly like your doing. You will adapt quickly to the bridges so I have experimneted with several things to keep the time under a minute. the best is to put your feet on a bench so that its like an incline pushup. We also have a half yoga ball at the gym which works great since you have to fight to stay stable. Make sure when you do the bridgest to squeeze your glutes the whole time so you stay flat and don't sag.

I've added a couple new core things since I don't want to get burned out on the same exercises, weighted knee lifts which are an obvious benefit and a hanging upside down situp which sounds goofy but is super effective. Just hang upside down from the pullup bar and do situps, this really contracts every muscle in the abdomen. I use these after heavy squat workouts for the de-compression effect. There is one small thing though you need someone to hold your feet down cause otherwise as you fatigue there is a tendency to loosen your grip on the bar and fall on your head.

Mike Tuchscherer · Guru

Ab wheels are actually a good piece of equipment too.

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

Monday

Squat +270g +140mm: 80-90%, 6-8 sets @8-9, 25 min
- 215x2@8.5
- 225x2@9 - PR
- 225x2@9
- 225x2@9
- 225x1@8.5
- 225x1@9
- 205x2@8.5 (29min)

Bench +90mm: 80-90%, 6-8 sets @8-9, 25 min
- 225x2@8
- 245x2@9
- 250x2@9 - PR
- 240x2@9
- 235x2@9
- 245x2@9
- 245x1@8 (26min)

Zercher Squats: 5-6x6 @8-9, 25 min
- 225x6@8
- 245x6@8.5
- 260x6@9 - PR
- 225x6@8.5
- 225x6@8.5 (26min)

-Total Training Time: 99min
-Squat +270g +140mm: I have not used bands in a very long time so i decided to give it a whirl. I also decided that i really need my technique spot on and perfect so on squats today i was really working on staying upright. My back has been straight and upright for me lately but not how it should be. The bands tried to really fight me to fall forward but my form was good and different today. I have never done this exercise before so i was not trying to just hunt for PRs and goals to pad my ego. The different form caused my legs so much more fatigue than my back, but my back ended up smoked because of holding the different position. I may not be wide a nautural looking powerlifting but i think that i can conentrate more on form to overcome the brute strength.
-Bench +90mm: I hit a big PR on these and i hope it wasnt becuase of the fact that the bench was lower because i felt really strong on these. Like the squat i hit a good number of volume on my sets so i was very happy with how this went. It was very mental because i went back down fron 250 and the reps started getting harder but then i went back up to 245 to do a single and got pumped for it. So i was able to do a double with that weight again.
-Zercher Squats: These were decent and i was really fatigued by the time that these came around in my legs. I was really really dying by the time that i was going for my 5 lb PR set and the set was good especially with the form.

Mike Tuchscherer · Guru

Nice Lifting, Grant. How's 60 days?

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

Tuesday

Close Grip Bench (thumb from smooth): 75-85%, 6-7 sets @8-9, 25 min
- 245x3@8
- 260x3@9
- 265x3@9 - PR
- 265x3@9
- 255x3@9
- 235x3@8 (26min)

Deadlift off Box (3-4 inches prolly): 80-90%, 6-8 sets @8-9, 25 min
- 365x2@8
- 385x2@8.75
- 400x2@9
- 405x2@9 - PR
- 405x1@9
- 365x1@8.5
- 365x2@9 (29min)

Close Grip 3 Board Press (thumb from smooth): 5-7x5 @8-9, 25 min
- 255x5@8
- 270x5@9 - PR
- 255x5@8.5
- 255x5@8.75
- 245x5@8 (25min)

-Total Training Time: 120min
-Close Grip Bench (thumb from smooth): This was excellent today. I did this just a couple of weeks out from collegiate nationals and i hit a 10lb PR today from what i did then. My triceps felt very strong and i know these were actually reps cause last time i may have used the bates cheater deadlift bar on the last cycle i did these.
-Deadlift off Box: Honestly this may have been the best movement of the day which really excites me. I havnt ever used this box so i wasnt pushing it real hard but i just concentrated on form getting low to the bar keeping my back straight and USING MORE OF MY LEGS. This happened today, my back was straight for the most part even when pulling at a disadvantage which is awsome for me. I was getting really low to the bar so getting it off the floor was the hardest part. I hope that these continue to go well.
-Close Grip 3 Board Press (thumb from smooth): I had never done tricep work at 5 reps before but i decided to give it a whirl because i really need some muscle in my triceps and i always do higher reps for leg assist then top assist and i dont know why. I bumped it up today just to try it out and it wasnt bad. It was my only PR on this number of reps.

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

-Played dodgeball for 3 hours

This was really fun and something i was good at besides being a mediocre powerlifter. I wish i could continue to stuff like this with a big group of people to sweat off some pounds and still get a workout. Looking at a treadmill on olyptical for 30 minutes sucks.

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

Thursday

Wide Squat: 75-85%, 6-7 sets @8-9, 25 min
- 315x3@8
- 335x3@9 - PR
- 335x1@8
- 315x2@8
- 315x2@8.5
- 300x3@8.75 (26min)

Bench: 80-90%, 6-8 sets @8-9, 25 min
- 265x2@8
- 280x2@8.5
- 290x2@8.75
- 295x2@9 - PR
- 285x2@9
- 275x2@8.5
- 275x2@9 (25min)

Deadlift to Knee: 5-6x6 @8-9, 25 min
- 325x6@8
- 365x6@9 - PR
- 340x6@8
- 340x6@8
- 340x6@9 (25min)

-Total Training Time: 87min
-Wide Squats: I decided to try these out because i am always able to stay super upright when i widen my stance so i decided to tool with this to see if i should widen my stance a bit. I was upright more but my form was getting thrown off at the start. It was obviously harder to make depth and more stress was on my legs, but sometimes my legs would lock out first and gm it up or it would be super crooked. Il be more used to it next week.
-Bench: This felt awsome today, stronger than i have ever been. This was a 10 lb PR and i did bench the cycle before junior nationals. The weights felt really in control today and i havnt made this kind of progress on my raw bench press for a while and i have just been doing off season type stuff since then. Its wierd i can do these weights raw but when i put a shirt on i can only hit 331 at the contest, lame.
-Deadlift to Knee: I have never done this before but i have seen a lot of people doing them in their training. I have also been advised not to do these becasue it doesnt teach you to complete the lift. The reason i choose it was for because form breaksdown at the bottom because thats the hardest place for me to arch. The reason i didnt choose a sldl is because i dont engage my my legs enough into the dl in the bottom position which is one of my problems so i though these would be perfect. Funny i was able to pull more on the sldl off a plate than this which shouldnt be a problem but it looks like it is. I was able to keep my back in a perfect position the whole time. It was a first time thing so PR.

-- Edited by Grant Gavran at 18:31, 2008-07-18

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

Friday

2 Board Press: 75-85%, 6-7 sets @8-9, 25 min
- 275x3@8
- 295x3@8.75
- 305x3@9 - PR
- 305x2@8.5
- 295x3@9
- 285x3@8 (26min)

Sumo Deadlift: 75-85%, 6-7 sets @8-9, 25 min
- 355x3@8
- 385x3@9 - PR
- 385x2@8.75
- 385x1@9
- 345x3@8
- 355x3@8.25 (30min)

Incline (thumb from smooth) (possible lower incline angle): 5-7x5 @8-9, 25 min
- 195x5@8
- 215x5@8
- 230x5@9 - PR
- 220x5@9
- 210x5@9 (25min)

-Total Training Time: 115min
-2 Board Press: This was great and based on yesterdays bench i knew that it would happen. This was a huge PR for me especially off the boards and it felt really strong.
-Sumo Deadlift: I was kinda worn down in my legs by the time that i started this movement. This was still a good 10 lb PR for me, but the weight is getting really hard off the floor and it used to be harder up top.
-Incline (thumb from smooth): I have done these a bunch before but i think that they have always been at a higher degree of incline. This was still a good 5 lb PR for me so i was happy with that.

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

Sunday

Weighted Situps Decline 45lb plate: 10        10         10
Weighted V-Ups (superset):              17.5x8 12.5x8  12.5x8

Bridge Front: 1min    1min
Bridge Side:    40sec   40sec
(superset)

I was gonna do more but ran outta time

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

Monday

Squat +270g +140mm: 75-85%, 3-4 sets @8-9, 15 min
- 200x3@8
- 215x3@9
- 220x3@9 - PR
- 205x3@8.25 (16min)

Bench +90mm: 75-85%, 3-4 sets @8-9, 15 min
- 215x3@8
- 230x3@8.5
- 240x3@9 - PR
- 235x3@8.5 (16min)

Zercher Squats: 4-5x4 @8-9, 15 min
- 245x4@8
- 265x4@8.75
- 280x4@9 - PR
- 265x4@8.5 (16min)

-Total Training Time: 82min
-Squat +270g +140mm: These were really really good on the form. I was really good on staying upright and my buddy was really impressed so if i can keep thinking about this for the next few weeks then it should become habit. My back was smoked from holding the squats in place and my abs were smoked from sunday so using bands on the first day back was hard for me. This was 8 lbs over my goal weight from last week. Good PR
-Bench +90mm: I hit another big PR on this exercise this week. This was a goal from last week and 4 lbs up from last week. The last time i did this exercise for the 3 reps at 9 i did 225 so that was a 15 lb PR. Bench is still going really well so im happy with the results thus far.
-Zercher Squats: These were really tough as they always are. I was pretty smoked going into this from the first exercise even though this is a high intensity low stress week. I hit a 5 lb PR with some pretty good form so i was happy.

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

Tuesday

Close Grip Bench (thumb from smooth): 85-95%, 3-4 sets @8-9, 15 min
- 275x1@8.5
- 285x1@8.5
- 300x1@9 - PR
- 290x1@8.75 (15min)

Deadlift off Box: 85-95%, 3-4 sets @8-9, 15 min
- 345x3@8
- 370x3@8
- 390x3@9 - PR
- 370x3@8.5 (17min)

Close Grip 3 Board Press (thumb from smooth): 75-85%, 4-5 sets @8-9, 25 min
- 265x3@8
- 280x3@8.5
- 290x3@9
- 295x3@9 - PR
- 280x3@8.5 (19min)

-Total Training Time: 78min
-Close Grip Bench (thumb from smooth): This was good today. I hit a PR, which i had hit in the past but i did it using the bates cheater deadlift bar which makes every lift easier. With close grip it was really hard for me to keep my form perfect on all reps and about half of these were a little sloppy.
-Deadlift off Box: This went really well today. It was 7 lbs over my goal weight. It was really hard trying to keep my back tight and that was no different today. The form was pretty decent but could have been better. I felt like my glutes did a lot more today but it would be nice to use them a little lower in the lift.
-Close Grip 3 Board Press (thumb from smooth): I hit a 5 lb PR on this lift today which was decent because when i started out doing it i didnt think that it was going to go over too too well. I was a little bit tired but i got back into the swing of things. Bench is getting stronger for sure.

Nick U · Senior Member

What is the Bates cheater deadlift bar?

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

Its that really long bar at the academy that bends a whole lot when you deadlift so you dont have to pick it up as far. Im sure that its lighter too.

Grant Gavran · Senior Member

Thursday

Wide Squat: 85-95%, 3-4 sets @8-9, 15 min
- 340x1@8
- 360x1@8.5
- 375x1@9.5 - screw up
- 375x1@9 - PR (20min)

Bench: 75-85%, 3-4 sets @8-9, 15 min
- 255x3@8
- 275x3@8.5
- 285x3@9 - PR
- 280x3@9 (16min)

Deadlift to Knee: 4-5x4 @8-9, 15 min
- 350x4@8
- 370x4@8.75
- 385x4@9 - PR
- 365x4@8.25 (17min)

-Total Training Time: 93min
-Wide Squats: I hit goal and a PR but this was pretty much a clossal screw up the last two reps. I was trying so hard to keep upright and on the third one i forced it so hard that everything collapsed and i stoop up with the weight. The last rep was close on depth but not there and i was hesitant from the last rep. The weight was not hard at all. I think next time i do this i ditch the safe shoes.
-Bench: Another 5 lb PR and the bench always feels good and has been moving consistantly throughout this cycle. And of course i surpassed my goal by 5 lbs.
-Deadlift to Knee: This was really hard for me beacuse of the fact at how hard i have to work on keeping my form perfect at the bottom of these reps. My back hurt so back but it was good for me. Its getting a lot better.

-- Edited by Grant Gavran at 07:12, 2008-07-27